The Golden Rule

Not so long ago, the Golden Rule was seen as a guiding principle of right human relations.

It is a very simple basic way of determining behavior toward one another. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is simple. And, it provides a litmus test of what is right and fair in a myriad of situations. Because we all share the experience of our humanity, this rule has guided behavior from schoolyards to the halls of Congress for hundreds of years.

This simple yet profound moral compass pervaded decisions of determining right from wrong in a way that affirmed our unity. Embedded within that quiet determination were principles of responsibility for our interactions that presumed an interrelationship of a community. Inherent in posing the question at a decision-making juncture were absolute values that pervaded our thoughts and determined our interactions with one another down to very mundane and uncomplicated actions.

The very posing of this rule in determining our behavior toward another presumes a valuing of the other on a level of importance that is equal to our importance in life. This very act of valuing the life and experience of another on a par with our own already begins to correct the underlying problem we see in so many of the issues in our modern society –issues that seem to be insurmountable.

As the power of thought and intention are recognized, we find ourselves able to shift our paradigm. We return to considering that this ancient basic rule has far-reaching consequences in how we interact with others and with the world. I was taught that this rule, this “Golden Rule,” comes to us from the “Code of Hammurabi,” from time as ancient as that of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Is it possible that what was once kindergarten wisdom has been lost to our society, to both our danger and our detriment? Take five minutes to consider the world in which we currently find ourselves living, and the many little ways life would be vastly different if those in positions of power and authority put their decisions to this test.

Our Kids Understand The Golden Rule

Consider your family members, your neighbors, your coworkers, your employees, your customers; and think about how your life would be different and changed if, in those regular interactions, you made your decisions based on treating others as you want to be treated. Although the Golden Rule seems both straightforward and simplistic, if we as a society and a world would return to living this ancient wisdom it would have far-reaching consequences, righting much of what seems to be wrong in our modern times.

The principles of right action toward one another are often
simple to see but are not simple to do.
~ Genevieve Gerard

They require a valuing of others and a code of behavior that transcends much of what has in our modern times been elevated to acceptable behavior. Look at all of the damage that greed in business is doing to our world. The fact that there is even a business principle called planned obsolescence speaks to the ways our society has strayed from the logical results of living by the Golden Rule. The medical crisis, the housing crisis, the foreclosure crisis, the education crisis, and the unemployment crisis are just a few of our social problems that would be approached differently if the time-tested evaluations of the Golden Rule were applied.

The moral justifications that are moving away from this simple principle have created a slippery slope. Embracing this Rule once again will lay the groundwork for much of what must change in our society if we are going to thrive and survive into a future in which any of us wishes to live. History has demonstrated time and time again that selfishness and greed do not stop themselves. People must take a stand. They must choose. There is right action in the world and laws that help to maintain balance. This old rule, this Golden Rule, has within it the truth and wisdom to help us transform the world.

To bring the Golden Rule back into the collective thought-form of society has great power. In a civilized society, a principle of how it is right and more importantly how it is wrong to treat others is critical to maintain.

Since the Golden Rule has fallen away from being a standard of behavior that people demand and expect from one another, we have seen a rise in selfishness and greed that is both shameful and shocking. Somehow “looking out for number one” has developed into “it doesn’t matter what I do as long as I get what I want.”

This shift in our countries and our society’s moral compass has led to public servants serving their personal interests instead of considering the greater good of society as a whole. As I write these words, I remember as a child I was taught the quote below.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil
is for good men to do nothing.
~ Edmund Burke

As truth has become subverted by “spin doctors” selfishness and greed have been dressed up and disguised as success. Somehow those who were entrusted as the guardians of our society have fallen prey to the lies that what is good for business is unfettered freedom, without consideration of how the practices of the business affect the society as a whole. No longer does Wall Street believe that “what is good for Main Street is good for Wall Street.” Somehow, there is the illusion being propagated that what is good for Wall Street is good for the world.

We can look around us and see the disastrous results of this kind of governance. People have lost faith and confidence that the government serves the greater good. Special interests and the interests of only a small percent (the often discussed top 1%) seem to have bought and paid for those who were elected and designed to be the guardians of the people.

As I consider a whole array of society’s dangers from the stripping of the planet of the rainforests to the science of global warming, I realize that the failure to teach this ancient moral code of the Golden Rule has left our world in a dangerous place.

You can look around you and see the disastrous results of our civilization having forgotten this simple moral test. I know that I could create a long list of dangers and problems that seem to stem from this failure to consider the consequences of destroying the nature that has sustained humanity since time immemorial.

Today, as I consider the many problems that cry out for a solution I ask that this ancient simple moral code is brought back into the collective consciousness and conscience.

I ask you to “do unto others as you would like them to do to and for you” in your daily life and interactions with others. I ask that you use the Golden Rule as a standard you demand and expect from those who lead our society.

I call upon every member of Congress, every member of the Senate, local and national, every judge, and every leader of business and industry, to consider their decisions based upon this simple principle of “The Golden Rule” and become agents of the transformation our world requires.

Namaste,

Genevieve

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Last updated 10-16-2019

About the author:
Genevieve Gerard teaches Transformational Consciousness – from first awakening to enlightened Soul awareness. She helps you experience the joy that results from the spontaneous “touch of your soul.”

Open Yourself To Being Guided By Kindness

Genevieve Gerard

Open Yourself To Being Guided By Kindness

A standard can be applied to life’s many little decisions that can help you choose what is right and help you create a better world.

That is to let kindness be your guide.

It does not matter if others believe what you believe; you can be a teacher of your truth, without words, by simple acts of kindness.

Kindness demonstrates and teaches more than your words ever can. As the adage simply states, “Action speaks louder than words.”

Kindness is a gateway to compassion.
Compassion is a gateway to Love.
– Genevieve Gerard

For most, to live a spiritual life, to follow the teachings of Christ, can be a challenge as circumstances and events present themselves.

Anger, frustration and judging others as wrong or lacking in some way, are all too easy to do. Deep in your heart and Soul you know that is not what Jesus would have done. His teachings speak of forgiving many times, yet this may seem to be too hard to do. To respond with kindness is somehow more achievable.

Therefore, I suggest simply allowing the concept of kindness to be your guide.

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.
– Lao Tzu

Somehow, kindness is a simpler standard to achieve in your relationships with others. It can be communicated in a smile or a random compliment to a complete stranger. That simple act, even a random act of kindness, can have a profound influence on someone else’s life.

Often it costs you nothing to give. Frequently, it does not require planning or forethought. Kindness can provide hope to another that has become hopeless, or encouragement to someone who is lonely or discouraged.

A kind word and a kind act most often cost you nothing. It is a small way that you can make the world a better place.

None of us can ever know the secret burdens in the lives of others. However, when we practice kindness we can have an impact and influence to ease their way. Even though we may never know the result of our little gesture of goodwill, at times it may have a dramatic and transforming effect.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
– Aesop

Kindness is a cornerstone of right human relations that builds and grows as it moves from one person to the next. It ignites energy that can then be passed along.

Kindness requires no belief system. It is a way to demonstrate your love and your joy with total strangers. Although you may never know the influence a kind word has in someone’s life, it is a powerful way to share the spiritual blessings you have received. It is a way that you can be an instrument of grace and compassion in the world.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.
– Dalai Lama

When you consider how you can emulate the lives of the great spiritual teachers of the world, it is easy to feel that they are so far beyond you that you have no chance. You know your limitations. Kindness is so simple and so easy that it is a way that you can be a spark of Divine Light and an emissary of Divine Love as you walk through your daily Life.

When you let kindness be your guide, many of the spiritual teachings are fulfilled. It does not require deep understanding of theology or philosophy to practice kindness, yet it has a powerful influence.

Kindness is a way to demonstrate the qualities of Love and grace for others. The wonderful thing about kindness is that it becomes contagious and when it becomes a habit blesses your life in return.

A kind act or a kind deed brings Light into an environment. It helps dispel sorrow. It loosens the bonds of fear. And amazingly this happens spontaneously.

Kindness brings a response in others that emerges naturally.

Think about a time you may have been feeling a little down or insecure and a complete stranger offered you a very simple compliment. Something said to you as simple as remarking “you have such beautiful eyes.” Did that random comment by a stranger not give you a gift of support and encouragement?

Kindness is a way to pass that good feeling on.

Download your copy of the Gift of Love Meditation MP3.

I encourage you to try an experiment of noticing the lives of strangers around you as you engage in a practice of random acts of kindness this week. Observe the way that it makes you feel to be kind to others. Notice how their body language might change after your act of kindness.

Most of all, notice how the generosity of a kind word or kind act makes you feel. For me, it is happier, more relaxed and less isolated in the world.

It is by giving we receive. Through kindness, you can be the change in the world that you wish to see. Remember to be guided by kindness, practice acts of courtesy, good will, graciousness, understanding, and tenderness.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All That You Do!

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Principles of Goodwill

Genevieve Gerard

Principles of Goodwill:

Start With Harmlessness and Right Speech

Goodwill has been called, a saving force in the midst of world need.

Its keynote is liberation of the human spirit, releasing consciousness into more creative livingness.

The Ageless Wisdom teaches that there are some essential principles to guide the actions of men and women of Goodwill.

They are Harmlessness and Right Speech.

It is significant to note that even before considering doing good in the world, is the instruction to do no harm. This principle of Harmlessness has far-reaching implications.

In order to live by this principle you must consider the consequences of your actions. Those consequences are often far-reaching and can be unintended. In order to live without doing harm, it is necessary to be conscious of both yourself and others.

Perhaps that is why the masters of old instructed by emphasizing this principle. It is significant that in the ancient teachings this principle is paired with the important concept of Right Speech. It is interesting that the principle of Harmlessness requires that you consider not only what you say but often what you leave unsaid.

Words are powerful. They are alchemical aspects of the process of creation. Right Speech is a basic tenant of the similar principles of Right Action and Right Relationship. These are wise guidelines for conscious living.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain – and most fools do. But it takes character and self-control to be understanding and forgiving…

Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance, and kindness.”
– Dale Carnegie

It is certainly easier to avoid damage than to heal or repair it. I have often thought that this fact is the greatest significance of this guidance. The awareness that focusing on these two principles requires accomplishes a great deal in creating a happy life with successful relationships.

As I write these words, I am reminded of Dale Carnegie’s famous teachings in his book “How to Win Friends and Influence People.” His book was one of the first best-selling self-help books, selling over 15 million copies and was certainly an important guideline for success. It not only focused on business success but personal right relationships with others. Check out a free pdf copy of the book using the link at the end of this post.

Fill your mind with thoughts of peace, courage, health and hope.”
– Dale Carnegie

Being successful in life is a key to manifesting your life purpose. Being in right relationship with others and successful and mutually supportive and having loving relationships is a cornerstone to that happiness. Note: Being aware of the factors of harmlessness as you observe and consider your behavior can be a powerful guideline for you.

These are active and dynamic principles. When you add your scrutiny of the factors of your behavior and consider Harmlessness and Right Speech as the desired standard by which you live, a myriad of pitfalls and possible future problems will be avoided. I think everyone would agree that it is easier to prevent a problem than to have to fix it later. This is one of the benefits of applying these principles of consciousness to your life.

Applying the principles of consciousness to your life can have far-reaching implications as it affects the life you create for yourself. The principle of energy follows thought is woven into these profound consequences. Managing your expectations of yourself and others can have a profound impact on your personal happiness and success. Conscious living can be its own reward.

So many of the tools that can enhance your life are found in striving for an understanding of the fullness of your life. Being a happy and successful human being is empowered by increasing your awareness of all that you can bring to your life by the integration of your body, your mind, your emotions and ultimately, your Soul.

It is this intention to live consciously that considering the principles of Harmlessness and Right Speech empowers. There are many ways you can influence your life and gain and maintain a happier and more prosperous life that are included in the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom. There are meditation tools and techniques that can help you transcend your fears. In fact, there are practices in meditation to resolve most of the challenges of living. Learning to use them and apply them in a variety of situations and circumstances can give you a real advantage over life.

Key issues of successful living can benefit and be brought into mastery through meditation. The range is as vast as life itself. I believe that life does not create challenges that cannot be resolved. The very fact that you are facing a particular issue or challenge is a sign that there is a lesson, method, practice or technique that can be applied to bring you to a definite solution. This goes for even some of the most difficult issues.

Life is a school, and the curriculum is custom designed to
teach what I need to know exactly when I need to learn it.
– Genevieve Gerard

Miraculously, each lesson builds on what I have learned before. I am given the opportunity to demonstrate what I have learned and to avoid mistakes I have made previously. This is a dynamic, ongoing process. Ponder on this!

I have found along the way that some of the life’s lessons are simple, once they have been learned. Even if they are simple, does not make them easy. Simple and easy seem to be two very different things. To apply what I have learned and then integrate it into action and relationships makes it real.

Not surprisingly, I have found that my personal struggles, issues, and challenges are also the struggles, issues, and challenges of others. Therefore, what I have learned through trial and error can be provided to help others gain mastery and success. This motivates me to create, write and teach on an ongoing basis. When what I have produced in my body of work helps you and serves others, it gives me a sense of great satisfaction and joy.

Joy, delight, and fulfilling the purpose of your Soul are a significant part of why the adventure of life was created. It seems that we are each on a quest to enlightened awareness. Although it is a personal journey, we travel it together for our mutual success and advantage.

That makes these principles of Harmlessness and Right Speech of paramount importance. It makes forgiveness, of others and as important forgiveness of ourselves essential. It makes releasing unrealistic expectations significant.

It makes eliminating negative criticism of others and oneself important. It focuses us on issues of Right Relationship and all that it entails crucial. It makes it essential that we understand the implications of how what we do affects others paramount.

In the human experience, a fellowship is available for mutual support and mutual benefit. That is the source of many of the greatest challenges and the greatest successes. It is in the awareness of our unity and common humanity that we can fulfill both our personal destiny and our group destiny as humanity.

Harmlessness and Right Speech are just rules of the road to help you live a happy and successful life. Therefore I suggest that you consider your actions and your speech in light of these principles and then observe how much happier and more successful you become.

Plato is said to have recommended this test to consider before you speak.

Is it true? Is it kind? Is it beneficial?

Apply this standard and incorporate these principles of Right Speech and Harmlessness as a test to what you say and do.

The supply of goodwill in the world today is limited only by the minds of human beings. According to the Ancient Teachings as shared by Alice A. Bailey, part of the Plan for this cycle is goodwill for all people, and through all people, goodwill.

The energy of the Will of God serves to awaken the latent Will-to-Good in the souls of all men and women. When dynamically awakened, this Will-to-Good will stimulate the expression of goodwill in all receptive hearts and minds.

Living consciously and incorporating these ancient wise principles can be cornerstones of your success and happiness. Please don’t forget that Goodwill is contagious, and once set in motion it will permeate the world consciousness so that right human relations can be more rapidly established.

Namaste,

Genevieve

The Blessing of Love on All That You Do!

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