and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, People may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends
and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see,
in the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them
anyway
--written by Kent M. Keith in 1968; this is often mistakenly attributed to St. Teresa of Calcutta, because she kept a copy of it by her bed; musical setting from the album Zero Church, by Maggie and Suzzy Roche, 2001
