Small Things

Courtesy means being kind and polite to others. It costs nothing to be considerate and gentle to our fellow men. A kind, courteous person is likely to make friends more easily than a rude person. He can easily charm people with his easy manners, gentleness and kindness. People often make enemies for the simple reason that they are callous and uncouth. They do not think twice before speaking rudely and are totally oblivious of the effect their behavior has on others. It certainly is not a sign of good upbringing. Where kind words can cheer the heart of a desolate soul, unkind words can plunge him into a deeper depression. One does not realize how much harm one can do by being unpleasant and impolite. One should never forget one’s manners at any time in life. You never know when your kind words may fill a heart with cheer and happiness and earn you the blessing of that person. It feels good to make others happy, especially when it costs nothing.

The greatest antidote and the most effective medicine for all ills is nothing but compassion. It is the balm to cure all pains and the therapy for healing all wounds. The feeling of compassion should be all-emulsive, all-pervading and universal. It should include everything. Because if something or someone is left out, then it is not real compassion. And to be exact, it has got nothing to do with something or someone in particular; it is all about one’s inner state. Prayer and meditation are steps that can help one attain compassion. Since compassion is the most purified form of love, it has got its therapeutic values. It corrects, purifies and heals. In the present world, where selfishness is the most prominent feature, compassion will go a long way in ensuring the reformation of the world. If all of us decide to be a little more caring, concerned and responsible towards our fellow beings, the world will definitely turn out to be a better place to live.

The ultimate aim of human life is happiness. We are all seeking happiness. But it is a most elusive thing. The reason lies in people’s wrong values, interests and pursuits. They equate happiness with acquisition of worldly goods. But happiness does not come from outside. It is a state of mind. It comes when a person learns to live in harmony with himself, accepts his weaknesses and strengths, adapts to his environment and remains calm in the face of difficulties. Thus, comes a state of inner calm and acceptance of the reality of life. This state of inner satisfaction cannot be achieved by winning a lottery or getting a windfall. This is why, sometimes even the wealthiest people are unhappy, whereas a poor worker, who gets his wages in the evening after the daylong hard work, may be able to snatch moments of happiness out of temporary relief from day to day anxieties. He may remain cheerful and enjoy the small things he can buy with his wages.

Life is not a bed of roses. We have to face hardships and obstacles at every step in life. Therefore, in order to live, man must have a sense of humor to lighten his burden. The ability to laugh at our self is a rare gift. Most people are so stuck up that they cannot take a joke at their expense. They are always serious and bear life as if it is a cross to be carried out of compulsion. They make life doubly hard for themselves because of their inability to see humor in anything. A fully great person is able to laugh at the most absurd things. He does not allow life to rob him of his capacity to laugh. He has the wisdom to turn away from the realities of life occasionally and look for small things that can cheer him and lift his spirits. Undoubtedly, a man with a sense of humor is likely to sail through life with less difficulty than a man who is too serious minded for his own good. Humor is the salt of life, as it enables a man to swallow the bitterest realities with a smile.