A poor man passed through his life with more burdens than opportunities, doing little daily jobs and earning unpredictable income tightening his fists over his values and dignity. When he discovered a lost wallet full of money and crucial documents, he was presented with a choice that would on one hand challenge his character and one day later a choice that he made silently, got the ball rolling in a chain of events that would forever change his life in ways he was never anticipating.
Finding a wallet on the road
He saw the wallet lying in one of the corners of the road, a little battered, but evidently lost by some one to whom money was the least loss involved. He hesitated a bit, conscious of his personal difficulties, and how readily this discovery might be made to alleviate them.
Temptations in Hard Times
His condition weighed heavily upon him, and he was reminded of bills to pay and of day-to-day misery, which did not appear to cease. However, he could not succumb to the temptation of taking what was not his and instead did what was right in front of him.
Searching For The Owner
No immediate contact information was in sight, so he took the contents apart, hoping to be able to give it back. His ambition was an unobtrusive integrity that informed his course of action despite the uncertainty of the future.
Days Passed With Effort
A few days passed, and with questions here and there he sought, and by an occasional hint pursued, and never gave in, despite the impression of slowness. His determined nature had been more than mere honesty.
Finally Meeting The Owner
The relief and gratitude on both sides were both suffused with relief when he finally found the rightful owner. The owner had almost given up hope of ever in life seeing the wallet again.
No Immediate Reward Refusal
Given a reward of doing what is right because he was truthful, the man refused without blinking because he felt that doing what was right needs no consideration of individual gratification. The owner was permanently impressed by his reaction.
An Opportunity had presented itself
The owner was impressed by his integrity and offered him a much better thing than money. This chance was accompanied by the possibility of altering his future.
Trust Built Through Honesty
What started out as a mere gesture of handing back a wallet, escalated into a mutually trusting and respectable relationship. His integrity was the basis of new opportunities.
Life started changing bit by bit
His conditions began to ameliorate gradually, as a steady employment secured his life, and the confidence that had been destroyed was restored. Every move forward was an influence of every decision made.
A Story Of True Integrity
This experience taught him to always remember that, even in the harshest of circumstances, doing what is right may yield results that are much greater than what one may realize at that time.
