Are you Living by the Golden Rule?

The Master Mind secret of giving more than you Receive.

By Cheri Ruskus

"Your kindness is surely to be repaid." – Chinese Fortune Cookie

Sure, it seems simple when you think of the basic essentials of living by the "Golden Rule". You do good, you do the "right" thing for all the "correct" reasons, and it all comes back to you with good karma and light. Period end of story. Right? Or is it?

Perhaps the hardest part about being of the feminine gender type is that sometimes kindness outweighs logic. Thus the reason I think that women tend to make less money than men. Our "softness" and overly active acts of kindness can effect our pocket book.

For those of us in the business world we know that things do indeed change and they can change somewhat overnight when you enter the element of commerce and profitability. You need to have a commercial conscious on top of a human conscious. Yes, a little something that assures not only that you sleep at night but also that your sleep is covered with the security blanket that you are making ends meet. All that needs to happen while you are doing what is right you to create accountability with your bottom line.

Ok, so we know the task at hand. How do we move forward when some days it is much more challenging than others?

According to the Master Mind principles that Napoleon Hill first discussed, it requires looking all around us in order to get the full picture. To assess, the pieces of the puzzle being basically put together in proper order. For example, we all want to get good deals in the marketplace, but what if your "good deal" actually meant a hardship to another who had to make it for practically nothing. Or worse that it was made or sold at a loss.

Who wins then?

On the other side of the coin we want our services to be perceived as a good value to others and be affordable at the same time. Creating that win/win as we increase our bottom lines and increase the bottom line of another.

As with so many things in life it comes down to balance. John F. Kennedy said, "In giving rights to others which belong to them, we give rights to ourselves and to our country."

Interestingly while putting together the words for this article the book, The Guide to Happiness, found its way to this Writer's desk. Written in 1960, author, Dr. Maxwell S. Cagan had much to say about people being miserable and unhappy. Unhappiness indeed can lead one to no longer living by the golden rule. Here is Dr. Cagan's 15 step guide to getting out of that rut that can lead to solitude and loneliness.

1. Stop looking for a "red carpet" or expecting special considerations when someone invites you to a party, a meeting or a gathering.
2. Stop "putting up your nose in the air", showing your disdain or voicing your disapproval if the group you are with or the activity which interests them, is not to your liking.
3. Stop wearing your heart on your sleeve, burdening friends and strangers alike with your real or fancied troubles and expecting their continual sympathy or commiseration.
4. Stop judging people too hastily, jumping to conclusions or making unwarranted assumptions, without allowing for differences in opinion or considering conditions and circumstances.
5. Stop imagining that people are always talking about you or are forever scheming to slight you or belittle you. You are not that important to anyone.
6. Stop being officious in your attitudes, dictatorial in your manner or arbitrary in your decisions. That is hardly the way to gain friends and influence people.
7. Stop making snide remarks, being sarcastic or belittling people just because you do not like them or because they fail to please you for the moment.
8. Start giving of yourself freely, readily, without asking for or expecting immediate returns for your help, your favors or gratuities.
9. Start showing an interest and taking an active part in whatever others are doing for the moment, especially if you are one of the group, even if you have to pretend for the time being.
10. Start offering your help, services or cooperation even when you and others know you cannot do much. Be natural about it and let it not be in the form of a grand gesture or a bid for applause.
11. Start looking for ways to repay favors as soon as you can. Learn to be sociable, amenable, hospitable and be quick to show your appreciation and express your thankfulness.
12. Start overlooking minor discrepancies, a slip of the tongue or an occasional faux pas, when are with others. And, even when such things annoy you or irritate you, pass over them lightly and as unobtrusively as possible, without calling anyone's attention to it or offending the person involved.
13. Start getting into the spirit of things when you are part of a group, even if you have play-act all of the time, so as not to dampen the occasion and spoil the fun or the pleasure of any of the others.
14. Start making your peace with people, with things and conditions, especially if there is nothing you can do to change them or eliminate them.
15. Start looking for oneness with your spiritual self. Build up your inner reserves of sufficiency and independence and cultivate an abiding faith in the one, who is your Creator and Preserver.

If you can absorb these words and combine them with making sure you are meeting your financial commitments you will be on the right track. Look for ways in the year ahead take time out for your own peace of mind. Insure that you have money saved for that "rainy day", even if it seems to be pouring rain right now. The golden rule can be yours to have and to hold.

Cheri Ruskus is a Writer, Business Coach and Entreprenuer. She is also the founder of the Victory Circles. She can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .