daniel chigunwe
Life tips with Charles Mushinga
The difference between a rich man taking a walk on a sunny morning and a poor man taking the same walk is in their attitude.
The rich man appreciates the beauty of the sunny morning.
He looks at the sun rise and would pay a million dollars to always behold that view.
He takes in the scenery and his heart smiles.
To the rich man, the sun appearing on the horizon is a priceless sight. The sun’s glow and warmth is better than any sona or jacuzzi’s comfort. When tired, the rich man smiles, wipes his brow with the back of his hand, stops and stretches.
He feels every joint and muscle as he exercises before continuing with his walk.
The muscles ache, the joints are painful but to the rich man it is all sweet pain. The beads of sweat are a bittersweet reminder that he has lost some calories that will leave him fitter and healthier. He cannot wait to get home to brag about the tens of miles he has covered and how tired it made him and how his hamstring almost gave in.
“Let me take a cold shower for these muscles to heal so I can take another walk tomorrow— and I will add another mile on my distance,” the rich man brags when he gets home.
“After his shower he will look at is image in the mirror and smile.
“He will look up to the skies and thank God for how his morning has started. He will thank God for giving him a body that is fit enough to walk 10 miles.
“He will thank God for the sun and the privilege of watching it come out of the horizon that morning, the eyes that do not need spectacles, the legs that can still carry him, the heart that can cope. . . everything. It is his attitude that is rich. Usually such people also have healthy bank accounts because to the grateful, more is given. The poor man on the other hand, has taken the same walk, on the same path, under the same sun but he hates it all.
When he sees the sun rise he will curse and say, “rise hot sun, rise and scorch me to death even!” He looks at his legs as he trudges through the frosty grass and is mad that they can carry him to and from a five mile rendezvous.
He is busy thinking of people who are in fancy cars and wondering why he has to be the one that walks starring into a torching sun and he blames God for everything.
His legs tire, he sweats and like the rich man, he wipes his brow with the back of his hand.
“This is all I’m born for, to work and walk and tire and sweat and be burned by the sun while others enjoy life’s pleasures!”
Tears trickle and he even sobs as he stands up to continue his walk. His heart aches. The pain in his legs makes him cry and pang. He cannot wait to get home and tell everyone how painful his life is and how he was just born to suffer.
A poor man reckons nothing good ever happens to him. Sometimes he even doubts God’s fairness, or worse still, questions His very existence.
Usually his bank account is as poor as his attitude because whatever he tries, he does so expecting failure. In life we usually have more reason to be thankful than we realise.
Yes we can feel sad and hurt. We can even feel life is not fair on us many times. But this cannot be how we always feel and how we always view life.
Our attitude when we are young and in school usually grows with us into adulthood.
If you want 20 reasons to complain and whine and cry each day, you will find them.
From waking up late for school to the world’s economic depression – there is always a reason to whimper. Everyone can find fault in a day and if you want to live a miserable life, look for problems.
Equally, if you want 20 reasons to smile and be grateful in a day, you will find them.
From that ability to wake up when others die in their sleep, that breath of fresh air we inhale when others are hospitalised and on oxygen, we have plenty to be grateful for. Research has shown that those that concentrate on gratitude are happier, healthier and more successful than the ones that concentrate on negatives.
Who shall you be? Let’s meet next week and remember, “It’s the little things that count.”
Feedback: charlesmushinga7 @gmail.com
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