From Anthony de Mello – The Heart of the Enlightened

    An ancient legend has it that when God was creating the world, He was approached by four angels. The first one asked, “How are you doing it?” The second, “Why are you doing it?” The third, “Can I be of help?” The fourth, “”What is it worth?”
The first was a scientist; the second, a philosopher; the third, an altruist; and the fourth, a real estate agent.
A fifth angel watched in wonder and applauded in sheer delight. This one was the mystic.

And this:

Little Johnny was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother knew that he had set his heart on it but she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were given out, Johnny, back from school, rushed into his mother’s arms, bursting with pride and excitement. “Mother,” he shouted, “guess what! I’ve been chosen to clap and cheer.”

We all have our part. It may be that we don’t see the value of what we offer because our definition of what is valuable is too small. We perceive that we fail because our definition of success does not encompass the things that we most deeply care about.