HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?



Aboko usually purchased his weekend newspapers from Agya Nsiah, whose stand was

about 200 meters away from his house. It was Aboko’s habit to walk leisurely every

Saturday morning to the stand, getting there earlier than even the earliest of

customers for the day. This way, Aboko could have his usual uninterrrupted chat with

Agya Nsiah before the customers came trooping in. Agya Nsiah was a fount of wisdom,

and he always had a story to illustrate an important lesson for Aboko. To Aboko,

Agya Nsiah was not just a news vendor, but a sage and Aboko bought more than

newspapers from him – he also bought wisdom; just that the latter was pro bono

service from Agya.



Uncle Thomas was the greatest sore-head Aboko had even seen in his life – Mr. Thomas

was always angry and unpleasant to deal with, and this was the same no matter the

weather, season or time of day. Saturday mornings seemed to be the worst. Aboko

could never forget greeting Uncle Thomas “Good morning” one day. The man nearly spat

in Aboko’s face. He blurted right in the face of the young boy: “What is good about

the morning, eh? What is good about this morning? It is a bloody morning, an awful

morning!!” Aboko learnt to keep at least a kilometer away from him from that moment

onwards!!



Except at Agya Nsiah’s stand, where Uncle Thomas was a regular customer. Mr. Thomas

was at the stand every Saturday. And with his negative attitude, which he wore next

to his skin. Surprisingly, Agya Nsiah treated Uncle Thomas with the same demeanor he

treated every customer with, if not better. Agya Nsiah was ever courteous, replying

each of Uncle Thomas’ stinging words with a kind one, and with a smile as well. Only

the obvious dissimilarities between black and white could describe the opposite

extremities of expressions of Agya Nsiah and Uncle Thomas – a smile verses a stone

wall, painted black. Aboko never ceased to be amazed. One day, he asked Agya Nsiah

how he managed to keep his composure with Uncle Thomas.



“My son,” Agya started, “you are responsible for how you feel and how you will

behave. You should not be like a chameleon whose color will become red-hot because

the fire in the other person is burning. You decide how you behave – absolutely –

not anyone else.”



Many of us are reactive, not proactive. We react. We hit back. We are “an eye for an

eye” practitioners. We attack when we are attacked, with good measure. Our barometer

reads from the environment and makes us act accordingly. We are mirrors who reflect

the anger in others, the bad attitude in the other person, and the negative comments

of others. Let me show you a higher level of living.



Be controlled from the inside of you. Be controlled by your standards. Be motivated

by your decisions. Have high standards of behavior that rides over the negative

noise of others. Laugh with those who laugh, mourn with those that mourn, but don’t

mourn when you don’t want to, and laugh at those who laugh at you if you want to.

Determine not to be a photo-sensor that brightens the lights only when people are

nice to you.



Why? Because there are lots of negative and irritable people in our world. Sometimes

you wonder whether they are sorted out and specially packaged for your pleasure! You

must learn to ride above the noise.



People will doubt you, but do you doubt your own self? People will insult your

integrity, but do you trust yourself? If you are at peace with yourself and with

God, you can be at peace with the world.



So, how do you feel today? And is your feeling under your control? Is how you feel

today your own doing?



Quotes

“We do not what we ought,

What we ought not, we do;

And lean upon the thought

That chance will bring us through;

But our own acts, for good or ill,

Are mightier powers.”

- Matthew Arnold (1822 – 1888)

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what

happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A

positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and

outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.” Anonymous

“Attitude might not catch fish, but it helps when you don’t.” Anonymous



Action Exercises



1. Decide to maintain a positive attitude, in spite of the environment.

2. Review yourself each day, to ensure you are controlling yourself from the inside.

Ask yourself: Today, was I a slave to someone else’s attitude?

Source: Nana Awere Damoah



Author, Tales from Different Tails/Through the Gates of Thought / Excursions In My

Mind

Contributing Author, African Roar

Books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nana-Awere-Damoah/e/B003NJ3E7Q

Website: www.nanadamoah.com

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