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The Golden Rule – with a twist!

Often stated as: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” the golden rule is a fundamental moral principle found in virtually all major religions and cultures, which simply means “treat others as you would like to be treated.” According to Wikipedia, it is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. Very likely, your parents quoted the golden rule often during your childhood in an effort to help you learn how to treat people well and be socially appropriate.

That’s all well and good but, at the risk of being entirely misunderstood and branded as selfish, consider this twist on the familiar rule:

Do unto yourself as you do unto others.

What? Yes, do unto yourself as you do unto others. Two things can happen here. Perhaps you treat others very poorly, you never consider their feelings, never gift them with your generosity, time, kindness. If this is you, try treating yourself that way for awhile. How does it feel? Are you willing to continue this experiment for long? What has the “golden rule” taught you? Continue reading “The Golden Rule – with a twist!”

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Tell A New Story

Your neighbor or coworker has stopped you again and you can hardly believe your ears: isn’t this the hundredth time you’ve heard that story? Yet, when the very next person you see asks how you are, you, also, find yourself sharing again about the difficulties that the economy has made for you and how there simply is never enough money to go around.

How can we possibly move beyond present circumstances if we merely rehash the old ideas and never entertain new ones? And, if we only entertain them, allowing safe passage in one ear and out the other, but not incorporate them into our lives, have they done us any good at all? Continue reading “Tell A New Story”

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In My Heart of Hearts

In my heart of hearts
I want nothing more
than to reach beyond the wall:
walk straight through the door.
In my heart of hearts
I am standing tall.
Facing possibilities,
I have no fear at all

Funny how I’ve stood
so many times before
face to face unto this wall
and never seen a door.

The wall’s a line unto the sand
that limits what I see.
I focus on the life in view:
reducing possibility.

I’ve drawn this line unto the sand,
turned my back so I’ll not see
the realms that stretch before me:
life’s true immensity.

If but one breath I’d blow
across the line that I’ve embraced,
In just that instant I would find
the line to be erased.

So simple yet I hesitate
my line now to release.
Yet when I do I’ll find myself
enfolded in sweet peace.

By Jeanne Loehnis, 2007

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Each Day A New Beginning

Another new year has begun! Once again, we begin a cycle of 365 days during which we will:

  • change the number with which we measure our years on earth
  • receive another evaluation at our job
  • create a budget to manage our finances and trust our income will keep up

For many, January 1st is yet one more chance to start anew the diet or exercise routine that promises to be the perfect fix. For some, it means hope; for others, the beginning of another round of hopelessness.

What does January 1st mean for you? What would you like it to mean? Would you like to try something different this year? Continue reading “Each Day A New Beginning”

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The 12 Steps For Spiritual Growth

  1. Became open to the possibility that I am not alone in this world and that I was created with intention and for a purpose by a master creator.
  2. Came to believe that the master creator made me special, whole, and complete and has planted within me all that I need to blossom into my fullest potential.
  3. Made a conscious decision to accept this great gift of life and to live each day to the fullest.
  4. Completed an honest evaluation of my personal strengths, seeing each as a gift from the master creator, and knowing that it is my privilege and responsibility to develop these gifts and to share them with the world.
  5. Honoring my truth as a spiritual being created with purpose, discussed my personal strengths with those persons who would encourage me to grow my talents and to share them freely.
  6. Sensing my own fear and hesitation surrounding owning and developing my strengths, learned that true humility is not merely admitting our mistakes; rather it is the egoless and joyful expression of our personal gifts as we walk this planet.
  7. In true humility, made an agreement with the master creator to explore, develop, and release the gifts I’ve been given into the world.
  8. Became aware of the ways in which I have abandoned my spiritual self by rejecting or ignoring the gifts that are mine to give.
  9. Through action, sometimes in the smallest of baby steps, began to develop my gifts and to see in myself the beautiful, glorious creation that I was made to be!
  10. Regularly reviewed my personal gifts and the progress I have made toward their fullest expression, noting where adjustments were needed for continued growth.
  11. Sought through direct connection with the master creator to learn where I was to share my talents and to receive the necessary courage and strength to do so in true humility.
  12. Having learned to love and respect the magnificent creation that I am, shared myself and my gifts with others in every area of my life.

By Jeanne Loehnis, 2006