Paradoxical Commandments

The Paradoxical Commandments

~originally created by Dr. Kent M. Keith in 1998 as a 19 year old college student. He had no idea of how worldwide his thoughts and words had spread until later in life as he was  at a Rotrary Club meeting as President of the YMCA. The speaker he was listening to began to quote the words he had penned as a college student 30 years before. 

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
   Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
   Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
   Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
   Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
   Be honest and frank anyway.
6. 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.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
   Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
   Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
   Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith

“The Paradoxical Commandments” were written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 as part of a booklet for student leaders._________________________________________

After the meeting, he went to the speaker and asked him who wrote the poem he read. The speaker said he found them in a book by Mother Teresa.

These words had meant so much to Mother Teresa that she had rewritten the poem and wrote it on the wall in her home for children in Calcutta. She renamed it, “Anyway”

Anyway

              People are often unreasonable, irrational, 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 unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

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

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

These principles are ones worthy of building your life upon as Keith Kent, Mother Teresa and many others have done. They came originally from Keith Kent, but the principles are from Jesus’ life.

Our pastor, Bryan Jared, of NorthPlace Church in Sachse, TX, preached on these principles this past Sunday. He calls this “living the upside down life” because each principle seems upside down to the world’s way of thinking. He related this to King Solomon’s life. King Solomon had everything his heart desired, everything the world offered. He was still empty.  The King concluded:

“My final conclusion — fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty.”
~ Eccles 12:13