Think twice before you speak because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
I came across these words some years back and I never truly understood its meaning until some months ago.
I rarely buy things from boutiques or large stores mainly because I can't afford them. Sometimes when I am buoyant enough, I can get materials and sew dresses for myself but oftentimes I stick to buying fairly used (second-hand goods).
Some of these people who sell second-hand goods have a shop where they display their wares and people patronize them. Others that can't afford a shop hawk theirs. It is believed that people who hawk their goods should sell at lower prices since they don't have to pay for shop rent and other utility bills.
There was a day I was on the balcony of my home and noticed a woman hawking some second-hand bags. I figured I should get one or two since some of the bags I have were no longer looking presentable.
I called on her and she found a cool place away from the scorching sun to drop them so that I could choose the ones I wanted. I was in the process of selecting when another woman passed by and saw the opportunity to also get some bags for herself.
The seller told the woman the price of the bags she had selected and I scoffed as if it were my business. I asked for the price of the ones I had picked and she mentioned some amount I pretended to find unreasonable. I asked her to reduce the price and the new price still doesn't sit well with me.
I knew deep in my heart that the amount the seller gave me was still reasonable but I was trying to see if I could still beat down the price to the minimum. The woman lamented that she would have no gain if she gave it out for the price I was asking as the hike in the price of fuel made everything more expensive than before but I didn't budge even after listening to how much she had to pay for transportation to get her wares.
I noticed that the other woman was about to pay for the ones she selected but I signalled to her to beat down the price or leave it if the seller does not budge. She withdrew and asked her to sell it for a much lower price. My words and actions influenced the other woman and she didn't end up buying any of the bags.
I thought the seller would have no choice but to sell them but she arranged them together and placed them on her head with a pained expression on her face. It was as if I was possessed with a stone heart that day as I am usually not like that.
After she left, I went back to the balcony trying to play music on my phone but I couldn't as my conscience couldn't make me concentrate. I knew it was my fault the other woman didn't buy any of the bags and I felt even if I wasn't going to buy I shouldn't have influenced the other woman.
I tried looking for the seller after some minutes of self-reflection but I didn't see her as she was long gone. I went back home with various thoughts in my head. "What if the trader has to feed her children from the sales she makes that day? Will they go hungry if she's not able to make any other sales that day?", I wondered.
At night, I couldn't sleep as her face kept popping up and that moment she packed her wares with a pained expression on her face kept haunting me. I told myself I must find a way to buy from her to make up for what I did.
I waited on my balcony hoping to see her pass by again but I didn't see her for weeks until I ran into her when I went to get foodstuffs at the market. I called on her and apologized for my words the other day and luckily for me I was with extra cash so I bought two bags from her without beating down the price. She thanked me and as I saw the smiles radiating from her face, my heart leaped for joy.
I learned my lessons ever since then and I promised myself to always try not to influence people in a bad way.