DRINK THE MEDICINE OF SWEETNESS
If you are suffering from the indigestion of unkindness or choleric crabbiness, drink the medicine of sweetness. If you make up your mind to change, start by speaking sincere, kind words to those to whom you have been unjustly harsh. Make yourself attractive by wearing the fine garment of genuine courteous language. First, be courteous to your immediate relatives. When you can do that, you will be habitually kind to all people. Remember, you may not have realized it, but it is true that real family happiness has its foundation on the altar of understanding and kind words.
Your intimate friends do not criticize you openly for fear of offending you, but do not forget, they criticize you inwardly, as you do them. If you want to know what your friends think about you, behave yourself perfectly and keep constantly improving yourself by being unselfish, wise, calm, meditative, fearless, sweet, sincere, courteous, methodical, true to your word, unafraid to be firm and Just, so that your friends will be so overwhelmed by your goodness that they will think, and talk loudly, about what you are. Then you will know, if you want to know, what they think about you.
Paramahansa Yogananda
