PureInsight | September 6, 2007
[PureInsight.org] Everyone
loves flowers because they bring people beauty and warmth. Flower
lovers like to think that people are similar to flowers in beauty,
purity, and innocence. People who are enlightened or possess great
wisdom usually have a smile on their faces. They like to smile
because they understand the open-minded, carefree, and meaningful
nature of flowers. In ancient poetry, the smiling beauties were often
praised together with flowers. The elegance and beauty of a smile are
hard to describe. The people who like to link smiles to fresh flowers
in life are the ones who appreciate joy and happiness.
There are many people who have some intelligence and are intertwined in
their own sentimentality, so they are troubled by personal interests
and are worried about gains and losses. They cannot be carefree
and joyful. They may have fame, money, and a powerful position, but
they do not have peace and tranquility within. A well-known
psychologist said once, "A smile is a great yardstick to measure
whether people can adjust to their environments." In our daily life,
more smiles can bring forth joy, peace, and harmony. A sincere
smile is natural reaction from one's inside toward outside and it
encompasses empathy and approval. Smile also brings warmth, joy, and
understanding. Therefore, a smile is also called "an understanding
flower."
I was told this story:
Once, before an airplane took off a passenger asked for a glass
of water to take his medicine. The stewardess politely told him: "The
plane is going to take off immediately. For your safety, I would ask
you to wait for a few minutes. After the plane takes off and
stabilizes, I will bring you the water."
Fifteen minutes passed, she forgot the water because other matters
until the passenger rang the bell for help. She carefully brought the
water to the passenger and apologized to him with a smile. However, the
man was very angry and pointed to his watch and said, "What kind of
service is this? Do you know how long I have waited?" The
stewardess felt wronged. However, no matter how she explained to him,
he would not forgive her negligence.
In order to make up for her mistake, she made an effort and asked
him smilingly whether he wanted water whenever she passed him during
the entire flight. Unfortunately, this persnickety passenger was not
receptive to her efforts. Before the plane landed, this passenger asked
for the guest book to leave comments. She thought that this
passenger was going to complain, so she smilingly said to him, "Please
allow me to apologize one more time. I will accept your criticism
and suggestions no matter what they are."
The passenger did not say a word but wrote down a few lines that said,
"During the entire flight, you have expressed your sincere apology. In
particular, you smiled twelve times, which touched me deeply. I
have decided to write a letter of appreciation instead of a letter of
complaint! The quality of your service is excellent and you are the
best stewardess in the world! If I have an opportunity in the
future, I will take the same flight again!"
Indeed, smiles are like flowers. They are the fragrant flowers
from the universe of a pure heart. They do not require additional
decoration and yet they can move Heaven and Earth. Smiles are the
sources of endless happiness and joy. Without them, your heart will
feel like an icy river. When you can smile at slanders, crises,
tribulations and hardships, your misfortune will soften and
disappear. Smiles can bring forth your sincerity and your
openness which will enable strangers to approach you and your relatives
to feel joyful. A smile is an everlasting sacred flower from the soul!
Translated from:
http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2007/9/2/48121.html
