There is a beautiful young man out there who shares his knowledge freely with the world because giving is the fuel that gives his life its fire. You can find him on television shows all around the Middle East speaking of cures for every disease. He spends his days and nights researching, arranging and cataloging information. To date, he has managed to heal so many people from fatal sicknesses that many doctors claimed were hopeless.This beautiful man is one of the most fragrant flowers on the earth; for he gives so much of himself so selflessly -- without wanting anything in return. He never sought any payment from anyone for his precious time, knowledge or resources -- even though the heavy cost for his obsessive passion to help others led to his own deterioration. He's in his forties, but looks sixty and wears a wig. Yes, years of handling calls for help from families unknown to him have made his hair fall out.
Ironic isn't it? How the man who was so fired up to help others regain their health is now the sick one? And the woman who spent every minute of her time and every single drop of her strength writing to add something to the global betterment of humanity is now sick and being attacked by those she was fighting for? The opportunity cost turned out to be so great. Yet had they chosen to be selfish and steered only by the buck, then maybe they would have still had their good strength and health. Instead of guiding others on how to care for their castles, they neglected caring for their own. For mighty hearts and minds like these could have accomplished anything -- castles made of stars and diamonds! However, they chose to serve by giving their all, instead of simply choosing to exist to keep taking without sharing.
Is this a bad story? No. In fact, I would take the man who serves humanity for nothing over the man who strives only to be served, or exists only to build the highest castle without giving anything of himself or his bounty to serve humanity at all.
I share this beautiful man's story because it is a reflection of my own. Being extreme in any religion is a bad thing, even if that religion is just LOVE. We exist to love, yet sometimes giving too much of ourselves to others also creates a serious deficit in what we have left to give to ourselves and our own families. This is why the middle way is the right way for all belief systems. Giving everything away is beautiful of you, but those same people taking from you are not guaranteed to give back to you in the same way as you were generous with them. In fact, not many people are willing to give away anything of themselves at all without expecting to be paid or compensated in some way. So take care of your castle first, then share from your table. If you can show people how to build castles, make sure you do not neglect building and nurturing your own.
Suzy Kassem
Suzy Kassem — 'If you can show people how to build castles, make sure you do not neglect building and nurturing your own.'
Suzy Kassem — 'Selflessness. Humility, Truthfulness. These are the three marks of an honorable human being.'
Suzy Kassem — 'Priorities are determined by values.'
