Only 1% of your Annual Income

Please try to spend at least 1% of your annual income for others. You may consume 99% for yourself and for your family members. You can bring smile on the wrinkled faces of many helpless old persons and elderly mothers in your society during the coming festivals season. There are many people in our society who are literally helpless. At the same time they are also old. They are unable to earn anything. If you spend some money for them from your income, it will be fruitful. You can purchase some essential commodities and distribute them during this festival season. You can purchase some sets of new garments and distribute them to the needy. Yon can feel unlimited joy as you are expanding yourself. Real happiness will come through this seva (service) as you are going to worship man as God.

This is also one of the duties of the householders. Swami Vivekananda said: ``The householder is the basis, the prop, of the whole society. He is the principal earner. The poor, the weak, the children and the women who do not work – all live upon the householder; so there must be certain duties that he has to perform, and these duties must make him feel strong to perform them, and not to make him think that he is doing things beneath his ideal.`` ₁    

1. CW. 1 , page 45

The Qualities of Character

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Please look at the number. It is meaningless. But if we put 1 before the number then it will be 100000000000000000000, which is a meaningful number. Similarly, if we ignore the main task before us, then the other works will be meaningless. What is the main task before us? We are observing our society today. The outer world is gradually improving, considering the primitive age. But we are not concerned about our inner world, our human life. Human life is precious and it is a gift of God. We can make our life beautiful. A beautiful life can feel the joy of life. To him, life is not a load, rather it is an opportunity.

We have to make our character perfect, neat and clean to taste the joy of life. It is very tough job, but possible even in this present scenario. Generally, we are working as per our thinking. Repeated actions make a habit and our character is a bundle of certain habits. If the habits are good, we possess a good character. If the habits are bad, we possess a bad character. If we want to re-shape our character, we have to cultivate seriously the good qualities of human character. All we have some good qualities. We are not zero. But constant practices will develop the qualities of character. We can make our life better by building a sound character. Please read the following list of qualities of character. There are some qualities, this is not final list.

The Qualities of Character v     Self respect v     Self confidence v     Truthfulness v     Courage v     Sincerity v     Diligence v     Tolerance v     Courtesy v     Sympathy v     Self control v     Patience v     Spirit of service v     Unselfishness v     Sense of Discipline v     Cleanliness v     Common sense

We can test any one of these qualities in our life whether it is possible or not to assimilate it in the laboratory of our life.

The present society needs the men of character in every field. We are busy with the problems of our society. But what is the solution? Character is the answer. A man of character can contribute more and in positive way for the real development of the society.