Wise Advice about
Perspective in Life,
from Mother Teresa

( do it anyway, because it was never between you and them )
 

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 People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God;
it was never between you and them anyway.
 

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This poem (a "final analysis" prayer, putting things in proper perspective)
is engraved on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta.
Evidently it is a revision, either by Mother Teresa or someone else, of an
earlier poem by Kent Keith.  She liked the revised version, and put it on her wall.
Both versions — original (by Kent Keith) and revised (author unknown) — are in this page.

(sometimes "Mother Teresa" is mistakenly spelled "Mother Theresa")

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