Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This saying in its basic form is part of many faith traditions around the world. It has been recited countless times in an effort to promote peace among people and among nations. My question to you is- How do we want to be treated? How do we desire to be done unto? You may be thinking- “I want to be treated well. I want to be loved. I want to be respected.” All worthy attributes to desire. My next question is- Do we treat ourselves well in a loving and respectful way? I speculate that for some of us, if we are truthful, our answer would be no.
Many of us are self-critical and disrespectful towards ourselves at times. We make a mistake, big or small, and beat ourselves up over it. We call ourselves names that we would never think of calling someone we care about. We do not forgive ourselves when we falter in our endeavors. We remind ourselves of each sin we commit, sometimes for years on end. We find fault with our bodies and deny it the love it yearns for. When we do succeed at something, we deny those who want to lift us up. We say it was “luck” or seek to distract the person giving the compliment. We do not appreciate those who encourage us and pat us on the back for our efforts.
The world is a mirror that reflects back to us what we truly believe. The mirror is only as clear and free from distortion as we are. If we believe we are victims, then all the world is a perpetrator seeking to take something from us. If we believe we are poor, then the world drains us of our life and our living. If we believe we are unlovable, that same world sends those to dismiss or to revile us. We are shown through others and through circumstance that we are correct in our assumptions. We receive more of what we expect our life to be.
An amazing thing happens when we clear up the lens from which we look. When we are grateful for the good (any good) life gives us, then we are given more good things to appreciate. When we believe we are powerful, the world gives us things that we easily conquer. When we use the gifts that we have in a loving way, we are given positive feedback that infuses our spirit with purpose. The world does not judge what we put forth, nor does it judge what we receive. It is our responsibility to decide what we desire the mirror to reflect.
To clear the lens of distortion and thereby clean up how the world reflects our beliefs, we must heal our hurts. In healing what has caused us pain from our past we change our present and future. The times we were a victim or felt poor can become a chance for us to find the value of the incident and move forward to receive a greater blessing. To choose to look at what has caused us to suffer may not be pleasant for a short time but ignoring it will surely cause untold hardship for years to come.
In order for us to receive from the world kindness, respect and love we must be congruent with that desire. Awareness of what we truly believe can free us. Our attitude toward ourselves must match what we want from others. When we do this, the lens has fewer distortions and the Golden Rule can truly work for us. We unconsciously teach others how to treat us. For us to have what we desire from this life, we must do unto OURSELVES as we want others to do unto us. We can then show the world in a conscious way how the Golden Rule is a win-win for all.
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Image by StockSnap from Pixabay
~ From my family to yours- Enjoy this holiday season no matter what you celebrate!