The Prophet

by Kahlil Gibran

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward. And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.

IT is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live.

And knows that yesterday is but to-day’s memory and to-morrow is today’s dream.

You are good when you are one with yourself.

You are good when you are fully awake in your speech.

You are good when you walk to your goal firmly and with bold steps.

You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.

For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking you shall not receive: And if you should enter into it to humble yourself you shall not be lifted: Or even if you should enter into it to beg for the good of others you shall not be heard. It is enough that you enter the temple invisible.