Be the Best Version of Yourself - 101 Big Principles from the Little Stories of Virtue

Author: New Growth Reading Guidance Committee
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Kindness to Others
In a small town in the United States, one night, the north wind was blowing fiercely, with an icy chill. An elderly couple was stumbling along the street. Due to the late hour and the cold weather, many hotels were either full or had closed early. The couple, cold and hungry, hoped to find a place to stay as soon as possible. When they arrived at a humble inn by the roadside, the young attendant, filled with apologies, said, "The inn is full."
"We've looked at so many hotels, and with the terrible weather, what should we do?" Outside, the wind was howling, and snowflakes were about to fall, leaving the couple very worried. The young attendant couldn’t bear to see the old couple continue to suffer from the cold and said, "If you don’t mind, you can stay in my bed tonight. I’ll make a bed on the floor in the main hall." Seeing that they were starving and freezing, the attendant also brought them hot water and warm meals, made up their bed, and the old couple was deeply grateful.
The next day, they offered to pay double the room fee, but the attendant refused firmly. He said, "I just did what I could. It’s unbearable for anyone to see old people suffer in the wind and snow like this." As they left, the old couple patted the attendant’s shoulder and said earnestly, "Young man, only someone with qualities like yours, someone who runs a hotel with such integrity, is qualified to be the general manager of a five-star hotel."
"That’s wonderful, haha," the attendant replied, not caring at all. "At least the general manager’s salary can better support my mother." He casually agreed and laughed.
Little did he know, two years later, one day, the attendant received a letter from New York. Inside was a round-trip ticket to New York, inviting him to visit the old couple—the very ones who had stayed in his bed years before. The attendant arrived in the bustling metropolis of New York, and the old couple led him to a prosperous street market, pointing to a skyscraper there and saying, "This is a five-star hotel built especially for you. I’m officially inviting you to be the general manager."
Moral Lesson
The young attendant received a better job because he had helped an elderly couple. He was lucky, and his luck came from his noble virtue of being kind to others. Only those who truly find joy in helping others will earn everyone’s respect and receive sincere rewards.
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