Do you really want to be happy? Everyone says yes, but the gateway to happiness makes some of us frown.

The gateway to happiness, is giving to others. Think about this: If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - The Dalai Lama

Some of us may feel that, if we give too much, our generosity, will be taken advantage of by others. This is true, and a few very selfish individuals can possibly perceive your good intentions as weakness.

However, people who seek to take advantage are in the minority. To quote Gandhi, We must be the change, we wish to see in the world. Think about it, change has to start somewhere, so why not start with you and me, right now?

You can donate anything randomly, without seeking reward, and anonymously, without telling anyone. This is good for you, the universe, and those who receive your acts of kindness. Every time you give, you will receive even, if you are not looking for a reward.

Try it, and you will see, what some call, karma, the law of cause and effect. It works like this: For every action there is a reaction. Lets make sure the reactions to our actions are good ones.

Danny Thomas said, All of us are born for a reason, but all of us dont discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. Its what you do for others." Kindness is the single most important factor to success in my life. Building strong personal alliances, mending bruised spirits, and taking unfamiliar people by surprise are just a few of the benefits of kindness. Man is a rational animal. He differs from the other animals by the possession of a quality called rationality. His rationality enables his to distinguish between right and wrong. That is, by virtue of this rationality he can know what is right and what is not. Man is, therefore, superior to animals. But his treatment towards them does not show him as such. He is superior to animals in knowledge. This knowledge, in which lies his power, has enabled him to make the animals subservient to him. So it is desirable that he should be kind and considerate to them. Different kinds of animals serve us in different ways. The farmers cannot do anything without oxen. The cows and buffaloes give us milk which is the best of all the nutritious foods. The people who live in desert cannot do without camels because they are used for travelling and carrying loads.

The horse is another faithful animal. It draws carriages and carries load. In some countries it is even used in plough and the land. The dog is another faithful animal. It guards our house at night. It makes us alert about the thieves and any other danger. The people who live in barren areas where crops are not grown, rear sheep and goats for their earning. Of the wild animals, the elephant is used for riding and drawing heavy loads. Even the ferocious tigers, lions and bears are used to earn money for men. But do we show our gratefulness to them through kind treatment. The answer is a categorical No. It is the children who are the unkind to the animals for the sake of their sport. They often treat cruelly with animals, specially the domestic animals, such as dogs, cats etc. They do not understand that what is sport to them is extreme torture or even death to others. The children should be made to understand that it is highly wrong to be unkind to animals. The grown up people are no less cruel to the animals. They are often found to inflict inhuman cruelty to animals. The drivers of the bullock-carts and horse-carriages and the tillers of the soil are some of the living examples of inhuman cruelty to animals. These people are sometimes found to lash their bullocks and horses so cruelly that blood comes out of their bodies. The animals are so serviceable to us. They cannot even protest because they are dumb. So we should always be kind and considerate to them.

Aesop among many other prominant authors wrote tales of animals taking on human characteristics, but none is so prevelant as the reputation of the mighty lion. Known as the king of animals, the lion appears as an object of strength and nobility in countless aspects of life including history, literature, art, astronomy, movies, and dance.

Who is this amazing creature? According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the lion (Panthera Leo) is a flesh-eating animal that live cheifly in sandy plains and rocky places where there are thorn thickets and tall grass. Male lions can reach a length of 2.50m (8ft), and a weight of 250kg (550lb). They can live for 15 years, but in captivity some have reached an age of up to 30 years. They mainly eat larger herbivores such as buffalo, zebra, and in cultivated areas an occasionally human. There strength is amazing, and both parents take great care in tending to their young, often referred to as cubs (168-69).

Much is to be said about the mannerisms and personalities of lions, and no one has summed this up as well as Aesop. There are four fables listed in our textbook dealing with the qualities humans believe to be true about lions. These assumptions may have begun with Aesops fables, but really knows.

In the first fable, The Lioness and the Vixen, the saucy personality of the lioness is shown. When denounced for the birth of only one cub, the lioness quickly snaps back aat the vixen, Only one, she said, but a lion(Aesop 607). This answers the question of quality over quanity; and for most the lion is considered the best in quality the cream of the crop as some would say. Aesop iterprets here that the lion knows he is the best, and doesnt mind sharing it with the rest of the animal kingdom.

Aesop again illustrates the lion as being king in The Lion, The Wolf, , and The Fox. Aesop clearly writes all the animals came to pay respect to their king, (Aesop 607). Even in the title of the fable Aesop lists the lion first before the wolf and fox. This could just be by mishap, or as seen in other fables the animals could be listed in order of appearance in the text. Regardless of the title Aesop gives the lion dominating powers of the other animals. He writes the lion demanded to know at once what cure he had found,(Aesop 608). Demanding things and getting them done is defenetily not an attribute the lamb generally has among fellow beasts.

Next, in The Lion and the Mouse who Returned a Kindness, a different side of the lion is shown. The lion showing pity is seen when the lion lets the mouse live and go free. This is the opposite from the previous fable when the wolf is taken away and flayed alive. Also a vulnerable lion is illustrated; when the lion is trapped by a hunter, and then set free by a mouse. This fable raises an interesting question to its readers. Who is the real king the lion or man? In the times of gladiators and the Roman Colosseum lions devoured humans in the arena, and were awarded for it. Although still greatly respected by humans, I think it is fair to say human beings rank above lions in the long run. It is noteworthy to say that biologists and other proffesionals have noticed some qualities of lions that wouldnt be asssociated with a king. Encyclopedia Britannica states that studies have shown that lions do sleep for most of the day, and on occassion use their intimidating factor to steal food caught my other animals

Kindness. What is it? Kindness is characterized by the quality or state of being kind. Kindness is a major element of, do on to others as done on to you. Most of Gods gifts come to us as Grace and often it is not necessary for us to ask for these gifts. He has given us the gift of being able to overcome the difficulties that face us. We have much to be thankful for because of Gods kindness to us even from before we were born. Kindness is needed in life because we need to be grateful for what we were given and help others who arent stricken with the same abilities, kindness results in a more worth while life, and everyone needs kindness to live. People havent always been grateful to God for his gifts. I know I was very grateful when I learned what I was born with, for example, I was born with apnea, a disease stricken in infants that causes their breathing to stop while they are sleeping. That most be the reason at the current point in my life that I enjoy sleeping so well. But Gods love and grace pulled me through and kept me safe through my early childhood. Certain dependability is necessary to practice kindness. Kindness is our way of imitating lifes true meaning. Kindness is always something special. For example. On your way to work you notice an elderly man struggling to cross a busy street. He is surrounded by so many cars, he doesnt know what to do. He reaches the pedestrian crossing and pushes the button but the cars and trucks keep coming. Being a kind person you take the man by the arm and help him across the avenue. Thats kindness! Your kindness may be the difference between a "good" and a "bad" morning. Look for these opportunities! Some people do not like to be assisted. They feel able-bodied enough to tackle street crossings even though they are elderly. When people tell us that they do not need help, wish them a pleasant day anyway and let them do it by themselves. Its good to keep an eye on them anyway, from a distance, just in case. Kindness matters in life because without kindness we have nothing. Love is a result of kindness, and without love life is worthless. God has given each of us great qualities, and we must embrace our qualities to help others that are in a time of need.