1. Think of "spots of time" in your life "when somebody went out of their way to help" you. Share some of those stories (p. 112).
2. Also, share "the effects of the unkind remarks that have been a corrosive presence" in your mind (p. 113).
3. How often are you conscious of thinking or behaving in a hurtful way? Has this consciousness helped you to stop or shift your thoughts or actions?
4. How often are you aware of or do you act on the positive or negative version of the Golden Rule? How might you incorporate it more consciously in your life?
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| Pick up a stone to carry with you this month, to remind you to take action. |
1. "Make a resolution to act once every day in accordance with the positive version of the Golden Rule: 'Treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself '" (p. 114).
2. "Resolve each day to fulfill the negative version of the Golden Rule: 'Do not do to others what you would not like them to do to you'" (p. 114).
3. Visit charterforcompassion.org to read other's stories of compassion and/or add one of your own.
Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life ~ by Karen Armstrong, 2010
4 comments:
Sorry I'm late reminding you this month's post is up. I set it to post automatically because I'm in Chattanooga where I'm (now) using my daughter's wi-fi to write this comment. Come one, come all, here's another set of questions for another chapter of our book!
The restatement and emphasis of the Golden Rule is a good reminder of the importance that such a supposedly simple concept can make in our lives. I was especially struck by the restatement of asking before making a comment, "How would I like this said about me and mine?"
I was just talking with a friend at church about how central the golden rule needs to be in our lives, and how living it is the best way to teach our children about our faith. She had just commented to me about what a good job I did in raising my children to respect others. I do not think that I 'did' anything - they just turned out to be really good people cause the golden rule is what we lived.
1. Think of "spots of time" in your life "when somebody went out of their way to help" you. Share some of those stories (p. 112).
Sandra and David, two of my children, worked hard to help me move from Chattanooga to St. Louis. Two of my friends did, as well: Emily, who (like my children) came more than once, and Joanne, who "gave me" her weekly day off. David directed the loading of the U-Haul truck, lifting and moving boxes to fit in like a 3-D puzzle. On the last day, when someone from the office would do the "walk through" to determine if I was leaving the apartment in good shape or not, Sandra made herself sick (literally) in the heat (in the 90s, with heat index higher) and had to lie on the carpet to cool off. Joanne invited me home with her for the spaghetti supper with salad prepared by her husband and came back to the apartment with me to work some more. Emily kept carting things away for me — to the dumpster, to storage, to recycle, to pick up things I needed. And for those who made sure I (and those with me) had sustenance and hydration or a place to sleep, I need to add Sandra (again), for both; Brad and Lisa for a place to sleep; and Georgia and her husband Dave for food and drinks.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the helpers who went out of their way to help me get moved.
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