Susan Wang (Winning Essay in IPI essay competition in 2010 – 1st Place)
A Smile and a Word
My family and I moved from Japan to the United States in the spring of my second grade year. Because I did not speak English, things were tough for me at firs t; I felt lonely and frustrated for not being able to express my feelings and thoughts with my peers. Today, when I look back to those days, I truly believe that the things that helped me over come those obstacles were words encouragement and hope from my friends, family, and people around me. “Making the World Happier – A Smiling Face and a Word of Kindness” by Takamori, Kentetsu reminded of how the people who gave me a smile or a word of kindness cheered me up and gave me the hope and strength to keep going. Those words and smiles are what helped me reach where I am today.In the story, the applicant is not hired by John Wanamaker because he does not use the word “sir” when answering Wanamaker’s questions during his job interview. This shows that words are extremely powerful because they can influence how we feel, think and act. I can use words to hurt someone’s feelings or to restore hope in someone’s life; it is up to me how I use them. In the applicant’s case, the lack of a word, conveyed impoliteness. I have to be thoughtful and responsible for my words so that I do convey the wrong messages. More importantly, this story helped me realize that I have the power to bring happiness to people around me just with words.
One person does not seem to be able to make a big difference when trying to accomplish something as big as making the whole world happy. The truth is, it is the small differences that make the biggest difference. If we all make a commitment to make the world a happier place, the world will be a much happier place. A runner is not going to get to the finish line if he or she does not run. The steps that a runner takes are what helps him or her get to the finish line. To accomplish something as big as making the entire world happy, we have to start with small steps. I am going to start taking my small steps by making the effort to spread hope and cheer to the people around me – one smile at a time.
The story helped me realize that I do not have to have billions of dollars to help make our world happier; a genuine smile and a word of kindness can make a huge, positive impact on the lives of the people around me. There are other people out there who feel lonely or frustrated just like I did when I just moved here. I can help those people be helpful and strong, just like what others did for me. I am a fifteen-year-old freshman with the hope of becoming a person who will make positive changes in society. I have goals and things I dream of doing, two of them being sky diving in Taupo, New Zealand and becoming a politician. But the one thing I promised myself I will do is leave this world knowing that I made a positive impact in our world.
Takamori helped me realize that I can start doing that right here, right now and make 3,650 people happy. One word at a time. One smile at a time.
Felix Crosser (Winning Essay in IPI essay competition in 2010 – 2nd Place)
Promises Shouldn’t Be Compromised
Promises to Be Kept gently reveals a valuable life lesson of staying true to your word. When we read it, our hearts unanimously resound in agreement for the scholar’s selfless act of keeping his promise; yet looking into our own daily lives and changing the story’s elements to match our modern lifestyles, would we be able to make the same decision so easily, so quickly? Could I skip a meeting with my professor for a makeup exam because I told a homeless man the day before I’d buy him lunch? Suddenly, I’m faced with a similar choice as in the parable, but it appears to have more weight than before. Once it becomes my problem, breaking the promise may seem not just more appealing but the only choice I can make. So what then could be the motivation behind’s the scholar’s deed?For me whether or not to honor a promise brings to mind Buddha’s fundamental teaching of the Law of Cause and Effect: “Good deeds bring good results. Bad deeds bring bad results. Your own deeds bring your own results.” Life may have with it its many ups and downs, just like our rising and falling karma. But just because the convenience of the world shifts and tosses us back a bad condition doesn’t mean we shouldn’t follow through with our promises. Keeping our word is still planting good seeds for the future, despite however negative or persistent the present adverse situation may be.
Likewise, this concept also builds up a wealth of trust in others, as the story’s conclusion states. By planting the seeds of trust with everyone, strangers, family, and colleagues alike, one is also preparing for the ability to reap the benefits of their promises. In this way, another major point of Buddha’s teachings become clear, that in helping others I’m helping myself.
Every day of our lives we have our own broken milk jugs, or the occasional wealthy patron arrive at our door at the wrong time. Yet, it’s the strength of our word that builds who we are and in keeping those promises who we will be in the future. Because if we’re not true to our word today, how else can we expect someone to bring us a new milk jug milk tomorrow?
