A Little Saturday Inspiration

On April 17th, I was fortunate enough to hear Dr. Kent M. Keith, the CEO of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership speak at my university. I hate being trite, but I'm not kidding when I say that his speech changed my life. I left that room feeling so refreshed and inspired.

His speech on servant leadership was great. What was so inspiring, however, were his "Paradoxical Commandments," which he wrote when he was my age. I don't know how to explain it, but they just made sense.

I emailed Dr. Keith and asked him if I could post them here on my blog. So, with his permission, I give you 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.
(c) Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001


These are going to be posted in my room, they're written in my notebooks, and I carry them in my purse. Maybe just reading them without hearing him speak won't do that much for you. But I thought I would share in the hopes that these would mean something to you, too.

If you want to learn more about them, you can visit his website.

Let me know what you think!

Yours,
Sam