Two Things Stand Like Stone

Manifesto: (n.) a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer. Under this fairly loose definition, I ascribe to the following manifesto, a quote written by poet Adam Lindsay Gordon:
"Life is mostly froth and bubble;
two things stand like stone--
kindness in another's trouble,
and courage in your own."
A friend once asked me what the meaning of life was, wondering why it mattered. I spent some time thinking and Googling, and at some point I came across this brief verse. It was exactly what I was looking for. In a simple yet poetic way, Gordon expresses a philosophy which essentially defines my existence. In my belief, the meaning of life is to help others (provide "kindness in another's trouble"). That doesn't necessarily have to happen in some epic earth-shattering way, but in the small ways that add up more than we often realize: listening to a friend with compassion, giving a compliment to cheer someone up, doing something nice for one's parents after a long day, etc. Meanwhile, we need to face our own troubles bravely as well. This is the philosophy I try to live by--dealing with others' problems compassionately and dealing with my own problems courageously. Of course I often fail, but I learn from those failures and thereby become better able to help others and myself. If everyone strove to follow a similar manifesto, I think the world would be a much happier place.