The fragrance that clings to the hand that gives roses

Reflecting on yesterday's blog, I realised that, of the five things I said I would do for others, the 'benefactors' of four were actually people I will always be grateful for. Here is why:

• "helping a friend edit a report before he submits it to his boss" - This friend does not know that it was his revelation a year ago that he had the habit of writing a blog a day which gave me the motivation and determination to do the same. Without his example, I definitely wouldn't have kept it up.


• "helping a friend who asked for ideas for a presentation do some research and then make some PowerPoint slides" - This friend is my former boss who has now retired. In a world where good bosses and colleagues are harder to find than Osama bin Laden, this great guy gave me more guidance, tolerance and, dare I say, love than I could ever dream of.


• "preparing for a lesson that I will teach as a volunteer teacher tomorrow" - The organiser of this volunteer work project is the priest who officiated my marriage in his home country when he was on holiday there.


• "helping my wife's friend figure out how he can upload things to the website that he paid someone to build for his business" - This person has been giving chiropractic treatment to my wife on a weekly basis.

So the realisation that, in helping them, I am actually paying them back in a small way has made the effort even more satisfying. To quote from Robin S. Sharma's The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari yet again, "when you work to improve the lives of others, you indirectly elevate your own life in the process."