InnerSelf

The Golden Rule: Love, Light, and Compassion

Imagine... a world where everything you did to others was immediately reflected upon you. Any time you inflicted pain, whether physical or emotional, unto any other being you would immediately feel the same pain. 

Such was the situation that was brought to earth by an extra-terrestrial in a science fiction story entitled Rule Golden by Damon Knight. The character Aza-Kra, from a planet in the galaxy of Aquarius, explains that all life beings are able to feel each other's pain but that this sense has been squelched and buried deeply within us in childhood. Yet he is able to activate it -- and he does. In the book, every time someone acts in a way to cause another pain, they feel the same pain they caused. 

As The World Turns: Feeling the Pain We Inflict

This is indeed the way that our world operates, but many have built a hard scale shield covering their sensitivities in order to "protect" themselves from these feelings. We all have the ability to empathize with others when we allow ourselves to truly feel. But we have lost touch with it. We have become tough, reacting to being hurt by building a wall that says "You won't hurt me", "Nobody can hurt me".

Unfortunately, the wall may keep out pain, but it also keeps out love. It keeps out recognizing the cry for help that is coming from the soul of our brothers and sisters. It stops us from feeling the pain that we inflict on others by our words, our actions, or our lack of caring and compassion.

I recall when I was younger, being termed "a cry-baby" by my siblings. I would cry watching sad movies, choke up watching a moving episode on Bonanza, and was unable to watch horror movies or any violent ones. My brother and sister would laugh at me for being so sensitive. So I tried to squelch it down. Tried to not be so sensitive, not to let others see me cry, not to show my emotions...

Feeling the Feelings: Reaching the Heart of Our Being

Could it be that we all have this sensitivity, and had it coaxed or ridiculed out of us? As children could we feel the pain of others around us? Could we recognize within ourselves when we did something that was not loving? Or is it something we need to learn, to develop? Maybe it is another layer that we need to remove before reaching the heart of our being... the truly loving entity that we are meant to be.

Are we now willing to open ourselves up completely to feeling our own emotions and those of others around us? Instead of protecting ourselves by barriers of harshness, shyness, aloofness, sarcasm, or even of white light, how about being a beacon of love radiating peace and understanding into the world? Rather than projecting fear, we can choose to project love and compassion. Seeing the world and its people as needing love, not needing judgment and blame.

The Golden Rule: Blanketing the World with the Love Frequency

Instead of closing one's self from receiving bad vibes, we could blanket the airwaves with the love frequency... If the atmosphere is filled up with the positive vibrations of Love, there is no room for the negative ones of fear and anger. If your Being is radiating Light and Love out into the world, there is no room for darkness to penetrate you. 

Instead of being on the defensive, let's be on the offensive! Let our ammunition be Love, Light, and Compassion rather than defense, judgment, anger, and retribution. 

We are the ones who can make a difference in the world. We are the masters of our own fate. We control what goes in and out of our brains, of our mouths, and of our hearts. 

Let us tune in to the inner voice of Love and follow its directives. Do unto others... 

Let Love shine and heal the world and ourselves. It's all in our hands, and our heart.

Marie recommends this book:

The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict
by The Arbinger Institute.

Through an intriguing story of parents struggling with their troubled children and with their own personal problems, "The Anatomy of Peace" shows how to get past the preconceived ideas and self-justifying reactions that keep us from seeing the world clearly and dealing with it effectively. This book offers more than hope -- it shows how we can prevent the conflicts that cause so much pain in our lives and in the world.

For more info or to order this book, click here.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.