Integrity Matters
July 27, 2005
An act of kindness will make your day
Question: (E-198)
Dear Jim:
I am tired of reading about lying, murder and stealing.
Does anyone still do good deeds?
Response:
Illustrations abound confirming the goodness of people.
First, graciousness still pays dividends. On April 27,
during heavy rain showers, a business associate joined
me for breakfast at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Carmel
Valley. Following a 90-minute business meeting, over
breakfast, we exited the restaurant. Not yet ready to
dodge the raindrops, I waited while my friend rushed
to his car, only to watch him return to the front door,
speechless. Well, not exactly in silence. He had left
the lights on and his battery was dead. Having no jumper
cables in my car, and there being none in his, the obvious
answer was roadside assistance.
Assured he had the situation well in hand, I headed
toward the offices of the Bracher Center to deal with
the day's challenges. Thirty minutes later, the phone
rang and it was the "dead battery" man, sounding
upbeat.
His "Good Samaritan" involved the owner-manager
of the restaurant. She suggested he not phone for assistance,
but instead threw on her jacket, went out in the increasingly
heavy rainstorm, moved her vehicle (which did have jumper
cables) and made sure my friend's automobile started.
He thanked her, headed to his next appointment and phoned
me with the good news.
Acts of kindness are good to share. When he told me
of his experience, he made my day better, and maybe my
retelling it here will make yours better. Graciousness
improves lives. How many more times will this gentleman
and others (including me) choose the Wagon Wheel Restaurant
in Carmel Valley? Yes, integrity pays, over and over.
The second example confirms that real wisdom is the
constructive use of energy. One evening a wise grandmother
told her grandson about a battle that goes on inside
people. She said, "Dear child, the battle is between
two 'wolves' inside us all. One is anger, envy, jealousy,
sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment,
inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion
and faith."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then
asked his grandmother: "Which wolf wins?"
The grandmother replied, "The one you feed."
President Abraham Lincoln is given credit for this
observation: "After the age of 40, individuals are
responsible for their own faces."
Mr. Lincoln knew that who we are and how we feel, on the
inside, is what will show on our faces. Over the years
it adds up. Are you, in your heart and soul, a giver or
a taker? In my experience, givers are more attractive as
they get older. Since we cannot control the years, we can
manage our attitudes.
