The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent M. Keith summarize doing good and succeeding despite challenges. It states to: 1) Help people and do good deeds even if you face ingratitude or accusations of selfish motives. 2) Succeed in your goals even if you make enemies, as your accomplishments cannot be taken away. 3) Build and contribute your best work to help others despite risks of failure or attack for helping.

1. 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.
― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council
Keep this very wonderful poem. Cut this portion. What is your favorite line? Why? Deadline

2. I wish I could persuade every teacher to be proud of his occupation – not conceited or pompous, but
proud. People who introduce themselves with the shame remark that they are, “just teachers,” gives
me despair in my heart. Did you ever hear a lawyer say depreciatingly that he was only a patent
attorney? Did you ever hear a physician say “I am just a brain surgeon?” I beg of you to stop
apologizing for being a member of the most important profession in the world. Draw yourself up to
your full height, look at anybody squarely in the eye and say, “I am a Teacher.” – William Garr
Every successful learning initiative requires key people to allocate hours to new types of activities:
reflection, planning, collaborative work, and training. – Peter Senge, The Dance of Change
As a child, the way of life is to learn. As an adult the way of life is to teach. And as a teacher the way
of life is to make the student better than you. – Sensei Jon S., Age 17