This poem was reportedly inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa’s children’s home in Calcutta,
and attributed to her.
***
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 world the best you’ve got anyway.You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
***
However, an article in the New York Times has since reported (March 8, 2002)
that the original version of this poem, The Paradoxical Commandments, was written by Kent M. Keith.
I like Mother Teresa’s version better.