Be a friend. You don't need money;Just a disposition sunny;Just the wish to help anotherGet along some way or other;Just a kindly hand extendedOut to one who's unbefriended;Just the will to give or lend,This will make you someone's friend.Be a friend. You don't need glory.Friendship is a simple story.Pass by trifling errors blindly,Gaze on honest effort kindly,Cheer the youth who's bravely trying,Pity him who's sadly sighing;Just a little labor spendOn the duties of a friend.Be a friend. The pay is bigger(Though not written by a figure)Than is earned by people cleverIn what's merely self-endeavor.You'll have friends instead of neighborsFor the profits of your labors;You'll be richer in the endThan a prince, if you're a friend.
More than 100 years ago, author Robert Louis Stevenson offered the following tips for maintaining a positive attitude. They still apply today.Make up your mind to be happy. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.Make the best of your circumstances. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears.Don't take yourself too seriously. Don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortune that befalls other people.You can't please everybody. Don't let criticism worry you.Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.Never borrow trouble. Imaginary things are harder to bear than real ones.Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy, enmity, grudges. Avoid people who make you unhappy.Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.Don't hold postmortems. Don't spend your time brooding over sorrows or mistakes. Don't be one who never gets over things.Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.
One day . . . a wealthy family man took his son on a trip to the country, so he could have his son see how poor country people live.They stayed one day and one night in the home of a very humble farmer. At the end of the trip, and when they were back home, the father asked his son, "What did you think of the trip?"The son replied, "Very nice dad."Then the father asked his son, "Did you notice how poor they were?"The son replied, "Yes."The father continued asking, "What did you learn?"The son responded, "I learned that we have one dog in our house, and they have four.Also, we have a fountain in our garden, but they have a stream that has no end.And we have imported lamps in our garden . . . where they have the stars!And our garden goes to the edge of our property. But they have the entire horizon as their back yard!"At the end of the son's reply the father was speechless.His son then said, "Thank you dad for showing me how poor we really are."Isn't it true that all depends on the lens you use to see life?One can ask himself what would happen if we give thanks for what we have instead of always asking for more.Learn to appreciate what you have. Wealth is all in one's point of view.
IFIf you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you,If you can trust yourself when all men doubt youBut make allowance for their doubting too,If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,Or being hated, don't give way to hating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with Triumph and DisasterAnd treat those two impostors just the same;If you can bear to hear the truth you've spokenTwisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:If you can make one heap of all your winningsAnd risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,And lose, and start again at your beginningsAnd never breath a word about your loss;If you can force your heart and nerve and sinewTo serve your turn long after they are gone,And so hold on when there is nothing in youExcept the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;If all men count with you, but none too much,If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds' worth of distance run,Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!--Rudyard Kipling
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