3.7 Acts of kindness benefit everyone 善行益于人人

Do you really want to be happy? Everyone says yes, but the gateway¹ to happiness makes some of us frown. The gateway to happiness, is giving to others. Think about this: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion². If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” Some of us may feel that, if we give too much, our generosity³, will be taken advantage of by others. This is true, and a few very selfish individuals can possibly perceive your good intentions as weakness. However, people who seek to take advantage are in the minority. You can donate anything randomly⁴, without seeking reward, and anonymously⁵, without telling anyone. This is good for you, and those who receive your acts of kindness. Every time you give, you will receive? Even if you are not looking for a reward.

Try it, and you will see, what some call, “karma,” the law of cause and effect. It works like this: For every action there is a reaction. Let’s make sure the reactions to our actions are good ones. Danny Thomas said, “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’t discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” Share everything and you will achieve a legacy⁶ of kindness. Share nothing and people will do their best to forget you. When my life is over I will only leave memories, in the minds of others, and I want them all to be good ones. So, how much should you give? It can start with, kind words, a note, a card, or a flower. You will find that your gifts or donations won’t make you poor. As a result of this, you will see most people, naturally, return kindness to you. You should also take the time to be polite to all of the people who perform services for you, every day. Many people do not bother to say hello to the maid, janitor⁷, or parking attendant. Once you do, you may even learn their name, and you would be surprised how many of them will go out of their way to give you good service, just by addressing them by their first name.

If you establish sincerity⁸ and trust where ever you go, you will be loved by your fellow man. It is really that simple. As Mohammed said, “A person’s true wealth is the good he or she does in the world.”

1 gateway   

n.大门口，出入口，途径，方法

参考例句：

• Hard work is the gateway to success.努力工作是通往成功之路。
• A man collected tolls at the gateway.一个人在大门口收通行费。

2 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

3 generosity   

n.大度，慷慨，慷慨的行为

参考例句：

• We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
• We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。

4 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

5 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

6 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

7 janitor   

n.看门人，管门人

参考例句：

• The janitor wiped on the windows with his rags.看门人用褴褛的衣服擦着窗户。
• The janitor swept the floors and locked up the building every night.那个看门人每天晚上负责打扫大楼的地板和锁门。

8 sincerity   

n.真诚，诚意；真实

参考例句：

• His sincerity added much more authority to the story.他的真诚更增加了故事的说服力。
• He tried hard to satisfy me of his sincerity.他竭力让我了解他的诚意。