Everything That's Sweet

A group of fisherwomen on their way back from a distant market were overtaken by heavy hailstorm in the middle of their way at midnight. They had to run and take shelter in the nearest house, in which a florist resided. 

The kind florist invited them, offered food and dry clothes and offered his store room to them for sleeping. 

This room was filled with fragrances of different fresh flowers stored to be sold and delivered in the morning. However the fisherwomen who were used to the foul smell of fishes since childhood did not find it sweet or attractive. Rather, they were complaining of how the selfish man sent them to a room having such an unbearable odour. They could not sleep for a long time, until one of them had an idea- "Let us keep our fish baskets near our heads so that this strange smell is subsided and we can at least sleep!" Hence they brought their fish baskets near their heads and in a few minutes they were sleeping soundly, some of them were even snoring!

Just like these fisherwomen, there are many people we come across in our lives who love to think negatively and find faults with everything around, and they are so used to it that they don't even realise that this thinking inculcates in their habits and these habits develop their character. For them this is the only way to perceive the world around. The challenge comes when the fisherwomen and florists are no more two different communities and they are living together, working together and sharing businesses and other engagements together.

The florist might be satisfied with his act of kindness and hospitality as he offered all the comfort he could and had good intentions, but the fisherwomen left his house in chagrin, considering him as selfish. 

Isn't this the same thing that happens when we are utterly sad and clueless why someone we care about or try to help takes it otherwise and responds negatively? But now you know that it was not your fault, it is the poor fisherwoman who has never experienced this positive gesture and does not value it to appreciate it. 

Why do we get hurt when we do something with good intentions but they are perceived negatively by a negative thinker? Why do we change ourselves if our bouquet was rejected or our garden was abandoned? It is unfortunate for them and not for us. We should either be sympathetic and leave them with their loving foul fishy smell, or be empathetic and strong and try to change their perception and make them experience the aroma of different flowers (which is going to be a roller coaster ride). The option of changing yourself from florist to fisherman  is not even required.

There is a difference between a honey bee and a house fly. Honey bee sits on flowers and makes its own sweet honey from the nectar. The house fly might sit on a sweet shop for a moment but the moment a garbage man passes by with a basket of smelling garbage, it runs to that. This is exactly how a negative thinker is attracted to negative thoughts, complaints, judgement and entitlements and then their perception is blinded like the fisherwomen.

Hence if your intentions were good, your efforts were divine, never be disheartened even if they are disregarded or derogated. Because 

As long as you are the florist, the aroma is with you, 

As long as you are the honey bee, the nectar is with you

You have everything that smells and tastes sweet,

Be Sweet, Be Happy