Monday, February 20, 2023
What you give out will come back to you. That beautiful golden rule, however, is rarely applied to the individual who tries to practice it. Remember, it states to love your neighbor as yourself – not more than yourself. Most of us give ourselves leftovers. We give ourselves grief and criticism for what we cannot control. Here’s the key: you cannot fully apply the golden rule to others, if you withhold it from yourself. If you don’t have self-love, self-respect, and self-approval, how can you fully apply it to others? You simply cannot give what you don’t have.
There is only one reason to even care about any of this. It’s because life is a gift, and your particular life is a gift of the highest importance. It’s easy to forget this and think that life’s “important people” are famous philanthropists and extraordinary contributors to society. The universe loves gratitude, and it especially responds when we are grateful for who we are. One word can change a life. So what words and thoughts are you applying to your life?
I think it’s time to apply the golden rule to all people. But don’t forget, you are a part of this charge. I think it’s time to say “Thank you” for who you are, to appreciate what you’ve done, and to be grateful for what you’re learning. We must say “Thank you” to the universe for creating us, and to show respect to ourselves for the great gift of our own lives. It’s time to love, appreciate, and approve of ourselves. To be generous, you must be generous to yourself. To be loving, you must be loving to yourself. To be kind, you must be kind to yourself. The golden rule works best when it’s applied to everyone, and this includes yourself.