Hello everyone! Welcome to my space. I'm glad to make my first post on this amazing community. Today I want to share with you an incident that occurred between me and a bike man.
Many times in life we come across people trying to make us angry. This morning I was sent by my boss to the town to get some work done and so I took a public transport bike. Before getting on the bike, I told the bike man, if he has a charge of 1000 to give me, because that's what I have with me, He said yes he have. Now on reaching to where I was going, I gave him the 1000 naira, waiting for him to give me my charge back but he didn't. He step down from the bike and began to look for the charge else where. So I asked him, but sir you told me you have a charge before I get on your bike, how comes you are looking for charge now, and he replied harshly, "if I don't want to wait for him to look for the charge, I should go now" and I was like, is that what you're supposed to say sir, can't you just apologize, probably you thought you had some charge within you. And he replied, why should he apologize, God forbid if you can't wait for me, go your way.
I was beginning to feel angry inside of me and decided to walk away from the place without collecting the charge.
When I was done with the task I came to do, about taking a bike back to my place of work, I saw the same bike man who took me the first time. He rushed down to me and pleaded that he was sorry for what he reacted and was actually waiting for me to finish what he was doing. His conscience couldn't allow him, seeing the way I quietly walk away from his presence without creating a scene or uttering a word. That he had a serious quarrel with his family before going out of the house. That it was in anger he replied me rudely. He gave me back my charge and offer to take me back to my place of work, free without accepting any transport fee from me. Why did I share this experience?
Many times in life, people face situations that make them angry. It could be that someone says something rude to them or they had a quarrel with someone else. In such moments, the first thing those people often do is to react. They are prone to transfer aggression to you that knows nothing and is innocent, they may shout, argue, fight, or say hurtful things. But these quick reactions, especially those driven by anger, can make things worse especially if they come in contact with someone who is also quick to anger. Like the case of what happened to me, if I had responded with anger at that moment, it could have resulted in a conflict. That is why silence is such a powerful weapon. It helps us stay calm and protects you from saying or doing things you may regret.
Many are times people say unkind words to you. But if you stay silent, you take away their power. They want a reaction from you, they want to see you upset but when you say nothing, you give them nothing to hold onto. You become like a wall they cannot climb. That silence becomes a shield. It becomes your greatest weapon.
Normally, anger is a natural emotion and everyone feels it sometimes. In as much as feeling angry is normal, the way we handle it is very important. If we allow anger to take control of us, we may hurt others and even ourselves but if we learn to pause and stay silent, we give ourselves a chance to think and respond wisely. When people are angry, they often speak without thinking. Words come out quickly from their mouth and sometimes those words can cut deep causing huge conflict but silence helps us avoid saying things we do not mean.
There is always a wisdom in silence. People who stays quiet during a tense moment are not weak but are choosing peace over trouble. That is self control. Most times people often regret their actions during moments of anger and some who later feel guilty about their actions tend to be sorry afterward. But if they had stayed silent, they would have avoided that guilt.
Silence does not mean ignoring the problem or a situation but taking a step back before reacting. It means waiting for the right time to speak, when emotions are calm and minds are clear. There are times when silence speaks louder than words and the best way we can solve some problem is not by reacting quickly, but by staying calm and silent.
Even in our relationships with friends, families or love once, silence during anger can save the bond. So instead of shouting or reacting when angry, take a walk and staying quiet. It can make all the difference. Later, when the heart is calm, talking can happen.
Picture used is properly source