The Golden Rule

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you"

Mt 7:12 - NIV

We've all heard the golden rule, but do we really understand it, especially with regard to our daily interactions with others?

We've read discussions on the "golden rule", as presented in Chapter 16 of Napoleon Hill's "Law of Success" and has had an Epiphany! we always took the golden rule, which suggests that you will receive the same (or similar) responses from others in similar manner to the way you treat them. Treat people nicely, and people will treat you nicely (and who does not want to be treated nicely?). Treat people poorly and expect to be treated badly.

However, this is what is meant by "do unto others ..." and more importantly, who does it really benefit the most?

Day to Day Interactions

In our day-to-life, we all interact with people, family, friends, business associates and strangers.And so much of our day is affected when the results of those interactions, or more specifically, how we react to these results.

If we take the system or, as an even greater extent than, say, to an elevator work, we are very familiar with the way we live isolated in our separate world, interact as little as possible with those around us. We have our protective barriers raised against possible interaction. We read books or newspaper, you must put ourselves into our iPods or work on our lap-tops. No end to the ways we can announce that we do not want to ... well, communicate.

If we have an exchange with a taxi driver, selling or just bumping into someone on the street, depending on both their response and our own, such an event can make a "mood" for a whole day if we let it. Some days, just to get up "on the wrong side of bed" tomorrow can spoil a day if we let it.

That is, we suggest examples of how we can "manifest what we visualize in our life" examples of how the "attraction" and "magnetism" colors our interaction with other people, how the "Law of Attraction works when dealing with "humanity". Our mindset, our disposition to dictate how we treat the world, and in turn how the world deals with us.

"Such as are your habitual thoughts, which will also be the nature of your mind, the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with a continuous series of such thoughts ..."

Marcus Aurelius

Classical examples

As an extreme example, let us consider the character of Scrooge in Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The story begins with defining Scrooge's character as "... a squeeze, twist, grip, scraping, grip, covetous old sinner!" ... until he meets Jacob Marley and the three ghosts.As Scrooge moves through all aspects of every day, his interaction with one and all are confrontational and distasteful. He is a very unsavory character with whom to associate and overpower everyone he meets with his own, or more precisely, money-centered consciousness.There are some exceptions, the most remarkable is his nephew, who smacks of Christmas cheer in spite of his uncle's nasty disposition. Joakim exemplifies the ultimate bad attitude toward his fellow man. It is very informative, that his disposition is a direct result of his money-centered consciousness.

He treats everyone he meets with the character because of his money-centered consciousness, every human interaction is based on an extreme "cost-benefit analysis". In return, he receives careful, cautious, thoroughly cowed response from his staff, disbelief and disappointment from business people (seeking charitable donations) and contempt from his business peers, when informed of his death (Ghost of Christmas yet).

At the other end, so let's look at another Christmas classic - "It's A Wonderful Life". George Bailey goes through his life (which is discussed in Clarence, his guardian angel) always gives of himself for his family, friends and "Building and Loan" clients, even going so far as to lend to its customers immediately after his marriage in response to a desperate economic crisis. He has presented in many cases, as Resen things his relationship (but aptly, not Resen things those he has helped). These reactions are consistent with the fundamental beliefs of his character.When life presents him with his own desperate individual crisis, his family, friends and even strangers all come voluntarily, even eagerly, rather than to provide the necessary assistance, far exceeds his actual needs.

"A man reaps what he sows ... Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up"

Gal. 6:7 and 9

Admittedly, they are carefully constructed plots for history purposes, but they do portray opposing examples of human experience and, more specifically, the examples of the "golden rule". Both characters get back answers from their contemporaries in accordance with fundamental beliefs about their characters, which dictates the nature of their interaction with their fellow man.

When Scrooge presents a miserly disposition of those he encounters, he receives a similar negative response in return. In contrast, George Bailey, where an example of a generous and loving spirit in her daily life, he has offered respect, admiration and, when desperate need for generosity. This generosity, which I mentioned above, there were far exceeds his actual needs.

So when we go over our lives on a day-to-day basis, what is the nature of the character we exemplify to others, and our family, friends, business associates and strangers we meet. If we typically offer the world an unfriendly act, we should not expect, over time, to develop an unfriendly character? On the other hand, if we actively try to greet them, as we encounter a friendly way, we do not expect to develop a friendly disposition in our nature?

"Manifest Change you want in the world"

To be clear, all I suggest is a simple smile, and possibly a "Hello" to the people we meet during our days. A little everyday courtesies to sell coffee in the morning. Only small acts of courtesy and kindness in your day. It has been said that smiling is contagious. Maybe smiling like love in that it can be very difficult to give them away as they always returned.

"... Our brains become magnetized with the dominating thoughts which we have in our minds, and ... these" magnets "attract us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life in keeping with the nature of our dominant thoughts" .

Napoleon Hill

If we are on our day with a cheerful mind, we should reasonably expect to be cheerful response from those we know. We can not get a cheerful response from the strangers we meet, however, offer some thoughts on how a person you did not know passed with a smile, may have been a ray of sunshine in your day. Furthermore, it is difficult to have a bad day, if you're smiling.

Who Really Benefits?

In the scenarios presented above, all those involved in the proposed exchanges achieve some emotional reaction out of the exchanges. But I suggest that you are the greatest (or worst) to receive exchanges. I believe we reap what we saw. If we present a pleasant and outgoing (positive) appearance to those we encounter in our day, we will be pleasant and outgoing, and develop a similar positive attitude.

If, on the other hand, we are a nasty, negative demeanor to the world, we will drive people away, and develop a negative attitude towards the world over time (to match our negative demeanor - a negative response feedback loop).

To take this argument further in order to develop the character traits we want for ourselves, we need to be actively exemplify them in our daily lives. If these traits are foreign to us, so we must first act "them out with a view to eventually hold them. I think this is what Napoleon Hill suggests in" Think and Grow Rich "and" Law of Success " .

If we walk around, day in and day out, with a grin on our faces, how long before we develop a grin on our hearts (if you want to allow the metaphor)). Conversely, if we pass our days with a smile on our faces, recognizing and relishing the good things we encounter every day, how long before we develop the same smile in our hearts.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"

Gal. 5:22

At the very least, begin and end your day with a smile and good words for members of your family. A smile from your wife or husband that you are going to work and smile from your child goes a long way to ease stress and tension in one day.

We reap what we saw. With these words in mind, I propose that we go out and sow a good day.This will place a cheerful mind of our souls, and with time we will reap good mood from those we meet.

"A man does what he is worth. What he has engravers on his face, his form, his fate, in letters of light, which everyone can read but himself. ...".

Emerson.