The Paradoxical Commandments
by Dr. Kent M. Keith

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered [sometimes.]
Love them anyway.

If you do good, [some] people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will [may] win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will [may] be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness [can] make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but [tend to] follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you'll [may] get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

© Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001

(The connection to the poem, Anyway, by Mother Teresa explained here)

[Conditional terms* added by Julette Millien, 2009]

Why add conditional terms to this beautiful poem?

I believe love is all that is real, as A Course in Miracles teaches.

Further, as the Bible teaches I believe that God is love.

With these two beliefs taking charge of my life, I choose to see the love in every situation.  I choose to think the most optimistic thoughts and feel the most positive, love- based emotions.

So when I read this profound poem, simple adjustments were automatically inserted, silently..  I inserted words that made the statements less absolute – when something negative was being said.  People are not always at their worse and negative results don’t always take place when good things are done.  The ego driven negativity of the world does exist sometimes for some people and perhaps even for all people some of the time.

But…

Love does prevail.

Love is all that is real.

God is love.

[It was here, at this point in this blog entry that  I decided to review Mother Teresa’s poem more closely– I always assumed it was essentially the same as the original.]

Well imagine my amazement as I reviewed Mother Teresa’s version  and found that she too inserted conditional terms!  I admired her, so much! She epitomized love in action.

As you might have read in the link above, she placed this poem (her version) on the wall at a children’s home in Calcutta.

I need make NO changes to this version. It is perfectly in step with the current of love that flows through each of us.

See the positive, highlight the good and expect the best: Always!

Here it is ~(and of course I love that her first line is to do with forgiveness!)

Mother Teresa's "Anyway" Poem

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.

[italics added]

Wishing You ALL that is GOOD & WONDERFUL!

Julette Millien

♥ ♥ ♥