Human relationship The power of inspiration is mighty. For more than a century a brief quotation has been making the rounds, repeated over and over again in print, and widely spread by word of mouth. No one knows who originally wrote or said it, though it has been variously attributed to many great writers. No one knows when it was said, or how it came to take such firm hold of the world's heart and mind. But take hold it did, impelling untold numbers of people to be kinder and more considerate to their fellow beings. It remains as fresh and vital as ever, a familiar little gem of inspiration:
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now." It is a reminder to all of us that we do not live for ourselves alone, that we must do what we can to help others, to lighten a burden or soften grief, whenever the need arises. The following story is a classic example on helping others: "Once a kind-hearted man, wise but poor, lived in a tiny hut. One rainy night he had just returned from a hard day's work and was warming himself near the fire on which he had cooked his humble supper. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. A man had lost his way. Could he have shelter? "Come in," the wise man said. "My place is big enough for two." Then came a second knock. Another stranger had lost his way. Again the wise man said, "Come in," thinking to himself that the two strangers could share his cot and he would sleep on the floor. A third knock sounded, and he welcomed another refugee from the storm. "Come in. We will squeeze together. We will be warmer that way." There was a fourth knock. "Come in. We can all stand comfortably in the hut." A fifth person was welcomed and the hut was crowded indeed. But the wise man was undisturbed. "Let us sing hymns and thank God for our shelter." But when the sixth knock came, he opened the door to welcome yet another person, ready to make a place by going out himself. Then all at once the room became larger, aglow with Divine light. The sixth caller was the Lord Himself." Where there is love, there is always room. Indeed love cannot be constrained by walls. He who does good to another does good also to himself, not only in the consequence but in the very act. For the consciousness of well-doing is in itself ample reward. In the hustle and bustle of life today, when so few of us take time out to think of others, its good to remember the generous and wise man.
