The Golden Rule

If you cannot treat yourself properly, don't expect respect from anyone else

But what do I mean by that rather broad (if interesting) statement?

Well consider the Golden Rule

"do as you would be done by" or "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"

A quick search of the Internet will show that this universal law applies as a basis for every religion (though the words vary of course) though Benjamin Franklin is perhaps one of the most commonly quoted in terms of success principles.

I would just like you to consider it as a mantra for your way of living from this day on ...

For example:

• Why should we abuse our bodies, fill it full of inferior fuel day after day and then expect someone we don't really know to fix us when we go wrong ... And what happens when they can't, who is to blame? "The System" or ourselves?
• If we don't take care of our appearance - why should we expect anyone to tell us we "look nice"

But it is not just about our "personal side" though I do believe if we can get this part right, we are well on the way to living the Golden Rule, but -

Consider:

• If we don't take care of our business - why should we expect anyone else to give too hoots about whether we go under or not?
• You cannot turn up at work late every day, unkempt and looking like you slept in the clothes you went to the club in, wreaking of stale tobacco and alcohol - and expect either your employees to respect your decisions or expect those businesses you deal with to respect you either.
• If you fail to follow through, yet demand to know where something us

Little things that may not seem like very much - but as leaders we need to consider everything we say as well as everything we do. In other words - we simply cannot deal in double standards.

Why?

We all have someone looking up to us. That may be younger siblings, our children, the youth groups we look after, the sports teams we coach, our students, our readers, our employees. I can tell you now with absolute certainty they can tell you every single one of your character traits - better perhaps than you know them yourselves. Don't believe me? Well can you remember being in High School - I bet within a few weeks of going to class on a regular basis - most kids will be able to do a passable imitation to their friends of their teachers within a very short space of time. I know mine can. So what are they saying about me? Something to think about.

You can ask for respect - but in reality the only way you can receive it, is to earn it by living it.

With many thoughts

Elle

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