Stories of Kindness from Around the World

Why Do You Share?


--by warmth, posted Dec 19, 2007
A reporter once asked a farmer to divulge the secret behind his corn, which won the state fair contest year after year. The farmer confessed it was all because he shared his seed with his neighbors.

"Why do you share your best seed corn with your neighbors when you're entering the same contest each year?" asked the reporter.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "Didn't you know?  The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field.  If my neighbors grew inferior corn, cross-pollination would steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbor do the same."

And so it is with other situations in our lives. Those who want to be successful must help their neighbors, friends, relatives to be successful.

Those who choose to live well must help others live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
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Readers Comments

Rec_1991 wrote: Nice story. Totally makes sense. This should be applied to all areas in life. There is a sanskrit prayer, sarve bhavantu shukhinah. , which means may all be happy. One can pray for his or her happiness but, true happiness arrives only when we pray for others happiness. :)
Sydney wrote: I love the sentiment behind this story. It's so true!
sethi wrote: Thanks for this beautiful post. Sharing and caring for one another should be a part of everybod y's life.
ုုုုုုုKoung Loon wrote: I feel very good today and i will tell the people about this story at least once a day and also thanks to lovebug.
Peruse Khachoyan wrote: How true! The last line says it all: ". For the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all. "


Some believe we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. Perhaps a greater realization is that we are our brothers and our sisters, each and all a single entity of innumerable embodiments. To be unkind to anyone, therefore, is tantamount to being unkind to oneself. True self-interest must include care of and for others.


Thank you for sharing this powerful story!
falsemonkeypuzzl wrote: What a lovely allegory.
jaya wrote: Hey you have lifted my spirits.
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story.
Kishan wrote: Fantastic !!!
ecochic wrote: Thats a good way of looking at things! :) Thanx!
Tigerlily wrote: Thank you for sharing. Simply lovely.

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