Lintas Media Group Chairman and CEO Lynn de Souza says mentors, bosses, colleagues, clients, friends and family have been a great source of advice

The business of advertising and media is built upon creating and managing perception. Talking the walk may sometimes be considered more advantageous than walking the talk. Impressions are as important as expressions. Sometimes the truth can, and does, get lost along the way.

For a simple, fairly down-to-earth, nature-loving, god-fearing person like me, marrying my personal values with professional niceties and trappings can be a little difficult. Mentors, bosses, colleagues, clients, friends and family have often been a great source of advice, comfort, inspiration and applause. However, the one unwavering guide for every action of mine, particularly in a crisis, is this poem entitled "Always" attributed to Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata, which she based on the paradoxical commandments penned by Kent Keith in 1968. I have found that whenever I act upon these tenets, growth and satisfaction become inevitable.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centred; forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it was never between you and them anyway.