Pastor Marvin Arnpriester

I recently read of a well-known freelance writer who was visiting a top executive for an article. The writer was following the executive for the entire day. On the way to work, they stopped at a newsstand for the morning paper. The vendor was curt, almost insulting. The executive greeted him with a cheery, “Good morning.” The vendor growled out an indiscernible response. The paper was paid for with a $5 bill, and the vendor made his change with another growl. As they walked away, the writer asked, “Why do you do business with a guy like that? Why not get your paper somewhere else?” The executive then revealed one secret of his success. “Well, I’ve learned there are two things you can do when you meet somebody like that. You can act the way you’re feeling or the way they are feeling. Why should I let him pass on his mental climate to me? If I went down to his level, it really wouldn’t help him. It wouldn’t help me. It wouldn’t help the other people I am going to meet today, would it?”

Good question for us to ponder. Do I act or react?