Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway

Mother Teresa - born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, Kosovo Vilayet (now part of Northern Macedonia) 1910 - 1997 Named in the Roman Catholic religion as Mother Teresa, after she moved to Ireland at the age of eighteen to join a convent there, Mother Teresa learned the English language and, one year later, moved to a convent in India to further her training and take her vows, as well as undergoing some basic medical education. From the age of fifteen she is said to have wanted to be a missionary. This famous and devout lady founded a number of charities and spent her life doing good works for the poor and disadvantaged, without thought for her own wealth or comfort. She was canonised as a Saint in the Roman Catholic church and honoured during her lifetime with various peace prizes, some in the Hindu religion worship her as a goddess. When I was growing up Mother Teresa was frequently featured in the nightly news. Although some of Mother Teresa's views were controversial, in particular to the modern, often less religiously-rigid world, such as her anti-abortion stance, her life of devoted service was noted around the world, as well as the joy and peace with which she served and motivated others. Mother Teresa once said, "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 true enemies: Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank people will try to cheat you: Be honest anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight: Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous of you: Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten by tomorrow: Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough: Give your best anyway." After Mother Teresa left her mother and sister in Albania as a teenager, her father had died when she was eight years old, she never returned or saw them again, she never took another thought for herself. For most of us such a life is unthinkable, we are busy chasing love or wealth or pleasurable past-times. While some might say that it is easy for those such as Mother Teresa or The Peace Pilgrim or even Gandhi to 'opt out' of society, in the same way that some join the services or other religious organisations and never quite fully stand on their own, the chosen path of Mother Teresa was a hard one, she enjoyed no luxuries and endured much suffering and abuse herself on her life's journey. Most notably it is said that when Mother Teresa was invited to peace rallies she refused to attend, which perplexed many seeing as she was such a figurehead for peace, but Mother Teresa explained that if there was a peace rally she would attend. Her reason for this is the energy at such events, when there is a rally against war, there is frequently much shouting and sometimes outbreaks of chaos and violence occur because the whole energy of the movement is about being against war and what happens is that there is much animosity and tension there. When there is a rally or a march for peace, the participants have their thoughts set on peace, not war, they want to portray peace, keep peace and advertise peace, the goodness and rightness of peace rather than the negative energy of the horror and evil of war. The focus is on good and peace, not injustice and cruelty. It is very often the case in life, that when we focus on what we don't want we get more of it, whereas when we focus on what we actually want we get more of that. We must be sure to strive towards what we desire, rather than struggling to shed what we don't want. It seems like a trifling difference, but the energy we generate around those sentiments are polar opposites. In the first instance we are emotionally bound up with a problem or negative issue, in the second instance we are emotionally connected with a positive outcome or goal, focussed on what we desire rather than fixating on what we despise. I love what Mother Teresa lived by, that if she was criticised or discouraged by others she shrugged it off, that if her success was resented or her kindness she showed it anyway, and if people were jealous of her peace and happiness, she did not allow it to be diminished. If no one notices any good we do, it should not be a reason not to do it, neither to build towards a future for fear that it may fall apart or fail. Mother Teresa's whole life was focussed on what is good and positive and she moved towards it and gave her very best, as she advised others to do.