The Secret of Living is Giving

You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
-Winston Churchill

“Aditya, if you can be one thing… Be Kind.” my dad used to say when I was too small to understand it. At that point of time, I didn’t knew what it meant and how significantly it would impact my life. I just adopted the advice and became a “contributor” and started giving back in all the ways I can. I must admit, it proved to be one of the best advice I have ever received so long and that far. It literally has changed my life significantly to an extent I could never possibly imagine. I understood the power of giving. I understood, no one has ever become poor by giving. It is never the amount that counts, it is the attitude that really matters. The sense of fulfilment that you get by giving is something too expensive and costly that money can never buy.

NO ACT OF KINDNESS, NO MATTER HOWEVER SMALL – IS EVER WASTED!

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely girl opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a glass of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

She didn’t utter a word, rather she handed him a letter and wished him a great day when he left her with a vote of thanks!

Years passed by. The young girl grew up. In her youth, unfortunately, she fell ill and was diagnosed with the rarest kind of nervous disorder. Many experienced doctors were baffled at her condition, and she was admitted in the city hospital with the most advanced facilities.

Dr Howard Kelly, a renowned neuro specialist was called in by the hospital to examine her. Even with his extraordinary expertise, Dr Kelly found the girl’s illness very hard to cure. However, with perseverance and hard work that lasted months, he was finally able to get the disease under control. With careful medication and monitoring, the girl was completely cured in the end.

Everyone praised the doctor, but the girl was quite worried about how much the hospital bill would come to. Her family had just a little money kept away in the bank, which was by no means enough to pay for such a long treatment in that reputed hospital.

But when the bill came, she was stunned! Bill said, 0.00 Rs. due. And it had a letter attached to it. That letter fascinated her. Because that was the same letter she gave to that poor boy that day.

It read:
“A simple act of caring creates an endless ripple.”
(And that comes back to you!)