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InspirEmail No 213 - August 8th, 2011 - Rule No 1 . . . It's Golden
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

Rule No 1 . . . It's Golden

I grew up in Trenton, a west Tennessee town of five thousand people. I have wonderful memories of those first eighteen years, and many people in Trenton influenced my life in very positive ways. My football coach, Walter Kilzer, taught me the importance of hard work, discipline, and believing in myself. My history teacher, Fred Culp, is still the funniest person I've ever met. He taught me that a sense of humor, and especially laughing at yourself, can be one of life's greatest blessings.

But my father was my hero. He taught me many things, but at the top of the list, he taught me to treat people with love and respect . . . to live the Golden Rule. I remember one particular instance of him teaching this 'life lesson' as if it were yesterday. Dad owned a furniture store, and I used to dust the furniture every Wednesday after school to earn my allowance. One afternoon I observed my Dad talking to all the customers as they came in . . . the hardware store owner, the banker, a farmer, a doctor. At the end of the day, just as Dad was closing, the garbage collector came in.

I was ready to go home, and I thought that surely Dad wouldn't spend too much time with him. But I was wrong. Dad greeted him at the door with a big hug and talked with him about his wife and son who had been in a car accident the month before. He empathized, he asked questions, he listened, and he listened some more.

I kept looking at the clock, and when the man finally left, I asked, 'Dad, why did you spend so much time with him? He's just the garbage collector.' Dad then looked at me, locked the front door to the store and said, 'Son, let's talk.'

He said, 'I'm your father and I tell you lots of stuff as all fathers should, but if you remember nothing else I ever tell you, remember this . . . treat every human being just the way that you would want to be treated.'

He said, 'I know this is not the first time you've heard it, but I want to make sure it's the first time you truly understand it, because if you had understood, you would never have said what you said.' We sat there and talked for another hour about the meaning and the power of the Golden Rule. Dad said . . . 'If you live the Golden Rule everything else in life will usually work itself out, but if you don't, your life probably will be very unhappy and without meaning.'

I recently heard someone say, 'If you teach your child the Golden Rule, you will have left them an estate of incalculable value.'

Truer words were never spoken.

Written by Mac Anderson   
What you just read is one of 28 short and inspiring chapters in The Power of Attitude written by Mac Anderson, to find out more about him please visit . . . Mac Anderson >>>

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How to demonstrate RESPECT

Here are some good reminders about how to demonstrate RESPECT:

Recognize the inherent worth of all human beings.

Eliminate derogatory words and phrases from your vocabulary.

Speak with people . . . not at them or about them.

Practice empathy. Walk awhile in others' shoes.

Earn the respect of your co-workers through your behaviour.

Consider others' feelings before speaking and acting.

Treat everyone with dignity and courtesy.

Written by Steve Ventura 

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Our attitude towards others determines their attitude towards us
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A monthly positive inspirational story and quote to refresh your spirit and boost the emotional bank account. InspirEmail was first published in November 2005 and each issue can be viewed in the Archived InspirEmail Directory located below the latest issue of InspirEmail


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