My Biggest Influence

In work and in life as a whole, there are these three people that I admire most.  In their view, in their practices, in their living their lives.  How I wish I could do even half of what they tried to do in their lifetime, but even for that half of theirs, I fall very short...

One of them is of course Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador whose prayer i wrote in my first blog.  the second one would be Mother Theresa of Calcutta whose poem is going to be in this one. The third would have to be Bishop Benny Tudtud of the then preliture of Marawi in Mindanao Philippines, a predominantly Muslim Province.

Yes, they are all leaders of the catholic faith but, it is not because I have foiled ambition of becoming a nun,  but because these people lived their lives in faith! And no, they didn't proclaim their faith like "evangelist" we often see in media shouting their beliefs and powers of healing to convince people to convert.  No.  They proclaimed their faith not so much in talking about it but by showing it as they live their lives daily.  They lived their lives serving God inspite and despite of what is going on in the world around them at the same time never forgetting that they are themselves part of it...

Mother Theresa summed it all up in this beautiful 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.

[Reportedly inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta, and attributed to her. However, an article in the New York Times has since reported (March 8, 2002) that the original version of this poem was written by Kent M. Keith.]