英语励志美文精华 13

How to Give Your Money Away

By Dr. Samuel Best

Many years ago I met a man whose unique psychology 1 helped me to shed a life of struggle and uneasiness for great happiness, for peace of mind, and for a measure of success I otherwise would not have attained 2.

His name was George Robert White, a man who was orphaned 3 and impoverished 4 at a tender age. Yet, a man whose God-given beliefs made him both a material and a spiritual millionaire at thirty.

My path to success, and to what I had considered its natural result- happiness-was the ordinary road over which most American businessmen travel, namely, endless hours of hard work, social contacts, wise investments, headaches and heartaches.

To be sure, in a materialistic 5 sense, I had traveled a long way from my father’s farm in Nova Scotia. I had become an executive in a multi-million dollar drug firm. But where was the resulting happiness that my material gain was supposed to have afforded me?

In my private moments of mental inventory 6, I discovered that I had no more peace of mind, nor was I less afraid of the problems of life and death, than many years before, when I planned my road to happiness and success by the flickering 7 lamp in my father's tiny farmhouse 8. The reason was, I had neglected spiritual values in my anxiety for material gain.

It took the kindly 9 advice of George Robert White, to open the pathway for me to happiness and freedom of mind. The important lesson Mr. White taught me is this: If we are to be happy, if we are to be successful in every aspect of the word, if we are to live truly full lives, we must share ourselves, as well as our material gain, with our fellow men.

As a young man, Mr. White took over the leadership of a small soap-manufacturing plant in Boston, and throughout his career he gave away to charity a large part of his net profits.

Yet, despite his unusual business practices, Mr. White built that tiny concern into the world-famous Cuticura Corporation, and became the multi-million-dollar manufacturer of Cuticura Soap, Ointment 10 and Shampoo.

I shall never forget Mr. White's words: "Personal success, business success, built upon materialism 11 alone, are empty shells concealing 12 disappointment, saddened lives," which he epitomized by saying: "Cast your bread upon the waters and it will come back in abundance."

Since Mr. White's death, I have endeavored, as his successor, to adhere to his code of ethics 13. Two dollars out of every three dollars profit earned by our corporation is shared with others in helping 14 to make our nation a better place in which to live.

We, in our corporation, believe that it is not sufficient only to manufacture as fine a product as is possible-millions of dollars over the years are being shared by our corporation for the advancement 15 of medicine and science, for chemical research, for art and for beauty.

In my personal life I have adopted Mr. White's beliefs, and, in doing so, I have become much better equipped to serve humanity.

My reward, my blessings 16, have come to me in the form of personal satisfaction and peace of mind that had been substantially foreign to me.

Yes, I believe that spirituality is the needed seasoning 17 to America's materialism. But it must be that kind of spirituality that takes the form of help and service toward our fellow men.