--=JOE CATHOLIC=--

What we do for ourselves alone dies with us; what we do for others is timeless. No one is more deceived or cheated than a selfish person. Invest in the success of others. When you help someone up a mountain, you’ll find yourself close to the summit, too.

Proverbs 11:24-25 (ESV) says, “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” 

You grow to the extent that you give out. By giving out, you create more room to grow on the inside. So, don’t give ‘til it hurts; give ‘til it feels good. Make this commitment: to leave others better than you found them.

If you treat a person as they are, they will remain the same. If you treat them as if they were what they could be, they can become what they could be. Practicing the Golden Rule is not a sacrifice; it’s an incredible investment.

If you want others to improve, let them hear the nice things you say about them. People will treat you the way you view them. Find the good in everyone. Draw out their talents and abilities. To lead people, let them know that you are behind them. It is the duty of all leaders to make it difficult for others to do wrong, easy to do right.

What means most in life is what you have done for others. Most people can smile for two months on five words of praise and a pat on the back. The best way to encourage yourself is to encourage someone else. “Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves,” said James Matthew Barrie.

- John Mason, from the book Know Your Limits, Then Ignore Them