But I don’t see them every time. In fact, if I kept a record of it, I’m sure I only see the benefits less than half the time. Or perhaps that’s just a skewed impression of reality. Sometimes it feels as if living within my principles kicks me in the butt more than it hugs me.
But it’s not about the physical math. There is no scoreboard for this. Because failure and success, honesty and deceit, fulfillment and dissatisfaction are not opposite sides of a coin, they are different fruits from different trees. You’ll note: Both provide nourishment. Or can rot if left unharvested on the branch.
Living by the Golden Rule is not a promise that you will be treated as you treat others. There are no guarantees built into that tidy spiritual maxim. There is no quid pro quo. The benefits of living by that ethos are more indirect than that. And far more fulfilling.
Don’t make the goal of living according to a life of principals be that you are suddenly handed a perfect life. Don’t be lured by that. You might just get what you ask for, God forbid. Lots of people have a perfect life. Their ability to be happy has nothing to do with it.
Doing the right thing is more about you than anyone else. Others will benefit from it, of course. And those benefits will reflect back upon you in their own ways and times. Being mindful about what occurs within you when you do the right thing (meaning being aware of the real reason behind why you’re doing it) will directly impact your ability to receive that returned blessing.
Make a point of nourishing yourself through the act of doing the right thing. Choose to feel good at the point of doing it. Place no expectations on the return of your investment. Be nice just for the sake of being nice even in the face of those who are not-so-nice.
The impact that this mindful practice makes within you will engender an inner peace which will be far more receptive when that blessing returns to you threefold. What good is wearing a blindfold when throwing a boomerang? Since you don’t know where the benefit will come to you, you must be open to it. Your view must be 360°.
Some threads of Christian theology state that it is not good works themselves which get you into heaven, but your faith which accomplishes it. I feel I can hear residuals of the spiritual intuition which resulted in that theology. But it perhaps has been misunderstood.
There are three ways to do a good deed. The first is because you have been told you should. The second is because you should fear the consequences otherwise. The third is because it benefits everyone, including ourselves.
When put like that, I know which one I would choose. But it requires the relaxation of our ego. It’s surprising that such an impactful thing is represented by a word with only three letters.
Our ego, or rather the portion of it which feels need for retribution and revenge, does us no favors. It is a relatively powerless thing of its own, but our personal traumas prop it up so strongly it may as well be a giant within us. It becomes entangled with our sense of safety and therefore gains a strength bordering on supervillain. Thankfully it’s all a lie and can blow away like a feather with your breath. You just have to make the choice to breathe.
[Again, so simple a word for so complex an act, breathing. But try it sometime. I’ve lately taken to the practice of twelve deep breaths every time I’m angry, or stressed, or afraid, or anxious. I especially do it when I am beginning a project around the house and keep stubbing my toe or hammering my thumb.]
Doing the right thing is a life practice which takes practice, and good coping skills. But I can personally vouch for it. It doesn’t require a belief in God, but you might find one in the process. It doesn’t prove the existence of divine messages sent to earth for its benefit. It doesn’t disprove it either. But good advice is still good advice.
Be mindful when doing the right thing. Let it be for the benefit of your heart on purpose. Don’t do the right thing because you fear going to hell, or simply because you have been told you must. Or because you expect that others will always treat you the same. Do unto to others as you would have them do unto you because you know that it rings a bell within the universe whose sound is heard in places of which you know nothing.
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