M a r i a    T e r e s a
Anyway

[Editor's Note: Albanian-born Maria Teresa was a Roman Catholic nun who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work, and by the time of her death in 1997, her organization was operating 610 missions in 123 countries, including hospices and homes for people with HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis, soup kitchens, children's and family counseling programs, orphanages, and schools. Her philosophy for living outlined below epitomizes "acting with grace."]

People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people may accuse you of selfish motives.
Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you may win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable.
Be honest and transparent anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.

People who really want help may attack you if you help them.
Help them anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you may get hurt.
Give the world your best anyway.