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| photo courtesy of tonygentilcore |
I
couldn’t help but share this great story. In 1892 at Stanford University, an
18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not
knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend
decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education.
They
reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a
guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys
began to work to make the concert a success.
The
big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough
tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to
Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a
cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest
possible.
“No,”
said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the
$1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses
you have incurred. Keep the money you need for your fees. And just give me
whatever is left”. The boys were surprised, and thanked him profusely.
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| photo courtesy of youtube,com |
It
was a small act of kindness. But it clearly marked out Paderewski as a great
human being.
Why
should he help two people he did not even know? We all
come across situations like these in our lives. And most of us only think “If I
help them, what would happen to me?” The truly great people think, “If I don’t
help them, what will happen to them?” They don’t do it expecting something in
return. They do it because they feel it’s the right thing to do.
Paderewski
later went on to become the Prime Minister of Poland. He was a great leader,
but unfortunately when the World War began, Poland was ravaged. There were more
than 1.5 million people starving in his country, and no money to feed them.
Paderewski did not know where to turn for help. He reached out to the US Food
and Relief Administration for help.
He
heard there was a man called Herbert Hoover — who later went on to become the
US President. Hoover agreed to help and quickly shipped tons of food grains to
feed the starving Polish people.
A
calamity was averted. Paderewski was relieved. He decided to go across to meet
Hoover and personally thank him. When Paderewski began to thank Hoover for his
noble gesture, Hoover quickly interjected and said, “You shouldn’t be thanking
me Mr. Prime Minister. You may not remember this, but several years ago, you
helped two young students go through college. I was one of them.”
Who knows if you're around for such a time as this?
Whether
you succeed or not, is really in your hands. Remember that when you set the
sails, God sends the wind.
In your success
journey, what insights have you acquired or tips you would like to share? I
would like to hear from you. Your feedback is valued.
 |
| chukwuemeka okereafor |
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