You might have read the story of a person working with a freezer plant. It was almost the end of the day. Everyone had packed up to check out. A technical snag developed in the plant and he went to check. By the time he finished, it was late. The doors were sealed and the lights were off. Trapped inside the ice plant for the night without air and light, an icy grave was almost sure for him. Hours passed thus. Suddenly he found someone opening the door. A security guard entered the freezer room with a torch and helped him out. The person asked the security guard, “How did you know that I was inside?” The guard said, “In this office, you are the only one who greets me in the morning and says bye to me in the evening. You had wished me in the morning. But you didn’t go out. That made me suspicious.”
A small gesture of greeting someone proved to be a lifesaver.
‘Life treats you well if you greet well’ is a famous Serbian adage. When we greet someone, we send out positive energy and also receive positive vibes from those whom we greet. A smiling wish goes a long way and demolishes all differences, perceived or palpable. Talmud states, ‘When you greet a person, you greet the whole Universe and it bestows upon you the celestial blessings.’ Only 10% of conflict in the world is due to difference in opinion and 90% due to delivery and tone of voice. As a Hadis says: ‘Baatcheet mein narmi paida keejiye. Lahje ka asar guftaar se badhkar hota hai’- speak softly, the way of conversation is much more important than the conversation itself.
