Do It Anyway
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 God; it was never between you and them anyway
-Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa wisely touched upon many of the fears that hold us back and keep us from taking the action we know in our hearts is necessary. We need the courage to step up and act anyway. In spite of the hurts and scars and rejection, and in the face of utter defeat, we still have to act. Because in the end, it isn’t about what happens to us, but about how we are transformed by our experiences. Mistakes and failures are going to come. They can either be temporary setbacks, or they can end up defining our lives. Sitting on our hands is just one long slow tepid failure, instead of the spectacular, life changing failures that often characterize a life of passionate action.
I am often afraid. I fear rejection as I share my heart and mind on this blog. I fear financial ruin as I take risks and still need to provide for my family. I fear committing social faux paus that will lead to being ostracized. Sometimes I wake up at night, my mind racing with the possibilities of failure. I don’t have any choice but to get up and do it anyway. I can’t accept any other option from myself.
