| Think for Others and Make Yourself Happy |
| By Wu Deng-shan Compiled and translated by Wu Hsiao-ting Photo by Li Bai-shi |
Chinese writer Bing Xin (冰心) once compared a person’s life to a tree. For a tree to grow and flourish, it takes the nourishment of sunshine and water. Similarly, for a person to grow into a decent human being, thinking for others is an important nutrient. An eight-year-old girl asked her mother, “Why do you always walk with such light steps?” The mother answered with a smile, “If I walk too loudly, I might disturb our neighbor downstairs, old Mr. Zhang.” The girl pouted and asked again, “Then why do our upstairs neighbors—the Lius—always make so much noise?” The mother said, “They have a three-year-old boy. He’s still growing, and it’s inevitable he gets a little too lively. He needs the exercise.” The girl’s pout became more pronounced as she said, “So why should our family always get the short end of the stick?” “We don’t,” the mother said. “If we can make allowances for others and help them be happy, isn’t that a wonderful thing?” The girl finally broke into a smile. “Mom, I want to be like you and help make others happy!” Another similar inspirational story comes to mind. A blind man always carried a lantern when he went out at night. One night, a curious passerby asked, “Since you can’t see anyway, why bother carrying a lantern to illuminate the road?” The blind man answered, “I carry a lantern because the light can illuminate the road for others while helping them see me and preventing them from bumping into me. In a way, I’m helping others while protecting myself at the same time. Isn’t that a good thing to do?” Benevolent intentions and actions will return to us and bring us happiness, just as bad intentions and actions will come back around and cause unhappiness. A sincere smile, a thoughtful word, or an act of kindness can warm people’s hearts and brighten their day. We, having brought others happiness, feel happy in turn. To give is better than to receive. There is a deep truth behind this truism. When we act with the good of others in our hearts, when we give selflessly and make an impact on others, we feel our life is meaningful. American poet Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) knew this well when she wrote: If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. When we think only of “me, me, me,” when we make ourselves the only concern of our lives, we tend to feel unhappy. Any happiness we may feel is rather short-lived. But if we can step out of our narrow perspective and embrace altruism, we are on the path to personal growth and more lasting happiness.
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