ATTITUDE BEGETS ATTITUDE
Every day, as I step out of my house, I try
to remind myself that the world outside is an amazing place to be… and, people
out there are trustworthy. Now, I have to do this, because, just as I step out
of my house, millions of my fellow beings, too, do. Imagine, if the thought
process of the vast majority is this: “The world outside is a dangerous place
to be… and people out there are not trustworthy!”
Life would have been a disaster! But, the
fact that Life hasn’t been a disaster yet – and it is not going to be – is enough
to reinforce in us the truth that, in Life, the good incredibly outweighs the
bad!
They say, our attitude begets attitude. How
true!
This morning, as I was coming out of our Society
gate, I met Mr. Rao, a senior member of our society and a dear friend of mine. “Good
morning sir… How are you? All is fine?” I said with exuberance.
“Oh yes, yes… All is fine,” Mr. Rao replied,
“My grandchildren will be coming today.”
There was a special glow on Mr. Rao’s face
when he said that… His daughter, Pallavi, who lives in America, had delivered
twins two years ago. There were major complications at the time of the
delivery, and Pallavi and the babies miraculously survived. Mr. Rao’s wife, who
is a doctor spent months with her daughter despite her own fragile health. But,
Mr. Rao hadn’t seen his two little angels except via Skype, and, understandably,
his heart was filled with joy, today… It was glowing!
“Wow sir!” I stopped to give a few moments
to Mr. Rao, “It must be a great moment for you!”
“Yes, it is,” Mr. Rao said, almost choked.
Whose joy is it? Mr. Rao’s or mine?
I need to tell you this, even if you do not
believe in it: It’s still noon… and, my day, so far, has gone off very well
today… In my class, I was extremely polite and positive with my students… I
could make it out when they left the class. At my bank, the staff was
exceptionally courteous, today. Even the Kelawala, Peruwala and the Nimbuwala,
from whom I bought bananas, guavas and lemons respectively, on my way back from
the bank… yes, believe me, they were all ‘fair and generous’ in their dealings…
Because, I gladly bought from them without cribbing over the price they had
quoted. In fact, for a change, I did not ask them “Bhaiyya, kela kaisa diya?”
or “Peru kaisa diya?” Or, picking up the lemons from his tokri, “Chaar
le lun?” when he said, “Dus ka teen.”
I received, today, more than what I had
expected… Because, I hadn’t approached them with the mindset: “Before they
squeeze me, let me squeeze them!”
If we expect to see thieves and cheaters in
the world outside, we will certainly see them… Teachers, doctors, bankers,
vendors, accountants, lawyers, politicians, ministers, priests, gurus, police,
society committee, social workers, school-bus cleaners, maid servants, bosses,
staff, colleagues, auto and taxi drivers, co-passengers, nighbours, in-laws,
spouses, children – yes, all of them will be as trustworthy or as untrustworthy
as we expect them to be… The ‘trust deficit outside’, invariably, is the reflection
of ‘trust deficit inside’!
The attitude, therefore, does beget attitude!
GERALD D’CUNHA
Pic.: Azriel D'Souza
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