The Paradoxical Commandments
These feel like unreasonable times. It feels like this nation has lost its core, its honesty, is desire for peaceful leadership in the world.
These feel like drunken times, where no leader can help us stand up straight or tall any longer.
I ran across this poem some time ago and it gave me strength. I hope it gives you a way forward, too. It's written by Kent M. Keith.
The Paradoxical Commandments:
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
Slipstream
Brilliant poem—each verse a lesson to practice. Thanks for finding and sharing it.
Present Valley
Thank you for posting this poem.
It would be a great practice to spend a week focusing on each of the paradoxical commandments....mind/body/spirit... to really experience what they mean in real time in today's world.
I can imagine that humility and vulnerability and accountability would only be the tip of the iceberg in terms of soulful lessons.
Evangel
In a few short statements, the poem teaches everyone from any religion or philosophical point of view how to live from the heart. It is the healthiest way to live, bar none.
Thank you, Wilson, for sharing.❤️
Wilsons Grave
Good comments! I agree...each commandment gives us a soulful lesson to practice to help us live from our hearts. How about we do this together and pick the first commandment?
First commandment is "people are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered"--it's a good one to start with since we got a prominent dude sitting in a golf cart or running the country who fits the bill. The commandment says to love him anyway. Is it possible? Should we try? It might be a fun experiment.
Slipstream
I'm trying to practice loving the person while disdaining their actions. Separating the person from their actions is challenging, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't continue trying.
Evangel
How do we define love? If "love" means being charitable, such as allowing him to indulge in his own free will, I can go along with it. But I'm still going to call out the lunacy of his many unscrupulous and dangerous actions.