A Note From The Editor...

“The balance on my savings account statement is wrong.  Will you fix it?” 

It seemed like a reasonable request to make to a bank teller.  But, oh no!  The woman who asked it literally cut in front of three people waiting in line, strode right up to the front, and demanded that someone fix her account statement.  When the teller politely said, “I’ll be with you in a moment, ma’am,” the woman kept demanding that the teller fix the problem immediately.  Others in line looked away in embarrassment.  I stood transfixed.  I couldn’t wait to see how this Rudeness Drama would turn out.

I’ve become enthralled with rude behavior lately.  It’s so against my ethics and moral code to treat others badly that I’m fascinated with how rude people can behave.  Not to mention the amount of pain they cause themselves and others in the process.

To continue the story…The woman continued to demand immediate attention, and the teller continued to politely tell her that she had to wait.  Her comments escalated to the point where she was loudly explaining to the teller (who was helping someone else at the moment) exactly how much money the statement was missing ($50) and how she would take it up with her lawyer (yikes!).  Finally she walked away.  Oddly enough, she walked away when there was only one person in line in front of her.  I tried not to giggle at this dramatic scene.  As my grandmother would have said, “Such carryings on from a grownup woman!”

This may seem like an isolated and silly example.  But what if everyone did it?  What if we weren’t willing to wait patiently in line for our turn?  What if we demanded attention immediately every time we wanted something?  What if we all felt it was okay to be rude to someone else just because we felt like it?

Ethicists often use the Universal Law question, “What if everyone did it?” to help to determine if an action is ethical or not.  For instance, people “taste” grapes in the supermarket while strolling through the fruit section.  Is that really stealing?  If you apply the question, “What if everyone took grapes from the fruit section?” then you could convincingly argue that tasting one grape IS stealing, and therefore unethical.

How do we combat rudeness?  First, we combat it in ourselves.  We decide that we will treat others with respect and dignity and never veer from that course of action, regardless of the provocation.  Second, we stand up against rudeness by pointing it out in others.  When someone is acting rudely, tell them gently what the appropriate action is, especially if you are in an official position to do so.  For instance, the teller could have said, “Ma’am, there are three people in line in front of you.  After I handle their business, I will be glad to help you with your problem.  Kindly wait in line.”

There are many “daily” ethical or moral dilemmas, like:

In all these seemingly small actions we are asked to be ethical and moral.  It can be argued that most people want to “do the right thing.”  The conflict arises when we value ethical actions but also value the outcome of unethical actions.  We don’t want to lie but if we lie we can get a better table at a restaurant.  We don’t want to go into debt but we want the fancier car.

When comparing your wants versus your values, it is crucial to be dead-honest with yourself about your true wants and your true values.

And always ask yourself the question, “What if everyone did it?”

Peace,

Karyn 

Copyright © 2003. Karyn Greenstreet.  All rights reserved.

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The act of acting morally is behaving as if everything we do matters.

--Gloria Steinem

Common experience shows how much rarer is moral courage than physical bravery. A thousand men will march to the mouth of the cannon where one man will dare espouse an unpopular cause.

--Clarence Darrow

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.

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Everyday Karma & The Golden Rule

by Asoka Selvarajah

Does it sound like nice advice, if you had the spare time, or if you are planning to be a saint? If so, it may astonish you to discover that not only does this make sense from a spiritual and altruistic viewpoint, it is also good advice if you are acting from purely self-serving motives. It actually makes sound business sense too, although very few businesses operate that way.

The reason for this is that the universe operates according to strict law, and not according to chance or luck. One of those laws is that of Karma, also known as the law of Cause and Effect. In the material world, it has its equivalent, and this is enshrined in one of Newton's laws of motion; namely, "To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction".

Thus, the Golden Rule is not just nice advice, if you can find the time and energy to get around to it. It is actually essential to your long-term success, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and materially. Let us examine why this is, and how exactly the law works.

You may have heard of Karma, and believed that it only deals with reincarnation and past lives. Actually, it has a much more direct application here and now, and that is what the Golden Rule is really all about.

At its essence, the universe is pure energy; the energy of creative intelligence. Moreover, YOU are a thinking center, and can form thoughts that radiate out into this creative ocean of intelligence. You are like a magnet, drawing to yourself whatever circumstances and people are in harmony with the vibration of your dominant thoughts. Your mind is like a broadcasting and receiving station for thought waves; of specific vibrational frequencies that you are fre*e to choose. It is much the same as tuning your radio to a specific channel.

Now you can better understand why it is that what you put out into the universe must come back on you in the end. That is the "selfish" basis of the Golden Rule. It's not just about "being nice". It's got a hard-edged reality about it. You see, WHATEVER you put out - for good or ill - comes back on you eventually by infallible law. That is one excellent reason why you definitely want to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Let's take a practical example. Let's say you are angry with someone, either at home or at work. According to this rule, you would do best to treat that person with kindness and forgiveness, and NOT engage in retaliation, back-biting criticism, revenge or character assassination. The reason for this is twofold.

First, even if the person is wrong, and is fully aware of the fact, no one takes kindly to being attacked. No one lies down and plays dead. Hence, your own attack, however justified, will only provoke a similar or greater reaction. If you speak ill of this other person, you can bet that person will find something bad to say about you, even if it is a lie. From the Golden Rule viewpoint, what you put out on that person will directly and pragmatically return to you.

Second, consider the effect such behavior has upon you. In truth, regardless of external consequences, whatever you put out comes back on you directly via your internal psyche. Every thought you think modifies your psyche, and hence your essential character, for good or ill. You have a choice between a base response or one that is noble and high-minded. Whichever you choose will modify YOU accordingly. The next time you meet other such situations, you will be more likely to react in the same way. It will happen more naturally and more swiftly until it eventually becomes automatic.

These are the reasons you must do unto others as you would have them do unto you. In a very literal sense, you ARE doing unto yourself whatever you are doing unto others in thought, word and deed.

If you react negatively, you modify your inner psyche in a negative manner. This sets up negative vibration in your thoughts. If you do this often enough, the negative vibration becomes coherent, laser-beam focused, and begins to attract into your life other things, people and circumstances of harmonious vibration to itself. Karma does its work.

Conversely, reacting in a positive manner, as dictated by the Golden Rule, sets up a positive vibration within you, and this attracts other positive vibrations into your life. So, in a sense, you could say it is good, practical, SELFISH advice.

This explains another matter that often confuses people. They expect that if they help another person, a positive return should result from THAT person. No. That is not how it works at all. You may get nothing back from that specific individual. However, you do modify your own psychic vibration in a positive manner, which in turn attracts other vibrations of similar frequency. In turn, that manifests from the universe many circumstances and events of like vibration. You benefit, but not necessarily from the one whom you benefited.

In other words, the good you will receive is guaranteed. However, the Infinite Intelligence will deliver it from a source of its choosing.

Hopefully, this has helped you to see that the Golden Rule is not some sort of naive, wishful thinking theory. It is an essential and key secret to life. Imagine what the world would be like if nations could practice this attitude, as well as individuals.

In truth, the Golden Rule is the fundamental spiritual law by which the universe works. If you live in accordance with it, you will manifest all the good that you desire, now and forever.


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--Lionel Goulet

The most important human endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.

--Albert Einstein

Let us not look not back in anger, or forward with fear, but around in awareness.

Managing The Fear Factor

Taming feelings of fear can be challenging, especially because they can seem overwhelming at times. Maybe you feel fearful more often than you’d prefer, and aren’t sure how to make those thoughts of gloom and doom go away.

Remember that everyone has to face fear in his or her life. Some people are fearful often, while others have learned to keep those thoughts of apprehension at bay through mental discipline. If you are one of the many individuals dealing with thoughts that are keeping you from going after your own cherished dreams, you may want to follow these tips.

Focus on the Bright Side

Just as there are two sides to every coin, so are there two ways of looking at the world. When you catch yourself with a thought that something awful may happen if you go after your dream, gently ease it out of your mind by replacing it with a positive statement instead. Rather than saying, “If I change jobs, I might fail,” say to yourself, “I’m open to new opportunities in my career. I’m successful in whatever I do.”

It isn’t mumbo-jumbo to change your negative beliefs. Focusing on the positive and optimistic side of life actually will result in an increased ability to create, and take advantage of, new opportunities.

Follow Your Heart’s Message

Your deepest feelings are clues to the next road you may need to take on your way to personal and professional success. By listening to your heart (instead of just taking the advice of friends and relatives), you can begin the process of making your goals happen. Other people often are more than happy to tell you what you should be doing, but they may not have the best suggestions for your situation. Pay attention to your own feelings and you’ll have the finest guidance you could ask for.

Do Your Homework

Having said the above, it’s up to you to do the research on how to make your objectives a reality. Blindly going after a goal is not the best approach for success. The fear factor tends to evaporate when an individual has complete information at his fingertips, so along with trusting your own gut feelings, use your common sense and find out the methods you can use to achieve your goals. A combination of a practical and intuitive approach to reaching your dreams generally will offer the best chance for success.

So there you have it—some effective tips to manage those pesky thoughts of doubt and fear. Don’t give fear the power to prevent you from achieving your life’s goals! By staying on top of your own thoughts, you can pave the way for career and personal fulfillment that lasts a lifetime.

--General Omar Bradley

Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for reaping. Self-discipline helps you know which is which.

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