The Golden Rule of Life

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One thing we try hard not to do at New Insights is to be overly rigid about expecting our trainee life coaches to embrace the principles that we advocate. After all, one of the foundation stones for effective life coaching is having a deep tolerance and appreciation for the different values and beliefs that people may hold.

That said, there are a few important principles that underpin our philosophy.

One of these is that all of us were born into this world with a two-part precious gift, namely an open mind and a free will.

But this wonderful gift comes with a ‘condition of use’ – and that is what I like to refer to as ‘The Golden Rule of Life.’

“We know what we are but not what we may be.”

– William Shakespeare

Before I reveal this Golden Rule, let me explain the gift that I refer to above.

An open mind

An open mind, quite simply, is one that is free of external programming.

By contrast, think of man made computers and robots that have been programmed to ‘think’ and act in a certain way and in accordance with certain boundaries, algorithms or rules.

Although our parents, carers, educators and role models may try to instil certain beliefs and values when we are young and impressionable, adulthood frees us to accept or reject what we have been taught and, should we wish, to choose new beliefs and values that better suit the lives we wish to live.

We have the choice to place restrictions on our thoughts about what is possible … or not.

We can choose to walk with our heads down and with a narrow, limited perspective on life, or we can look up, breathe in the awe inspiring beauty and complexity of our environment and universe and embrace an ‘anything is possible’ approach to life.

Free will

The precious gift of a free will imparts to us the freedom to choose who we want to be, what we think about, what we prefer to believe, what we feel is important and less important, how we act and behave, who we associate with and where we want our journeys through life to take us.

Of course we live, not alone, but in a collective called society that encourages orderly living through the imposition of certain norms, rules and regulations with consequences for stepping beyond the agreed boundaries.

Nevertheless, although this may influence our choices, it does not limit or take away the total responsibility we carry for choosing our individual paths.

Wondrous though the gift of free will may seem, not all of us find it easy to embrace the fact that we are completely responsible for our lives. When things aren’t going as well as we would like it is easier and more convenient to find something or someone else to blame, or to put everything down to fate, luck or the whim of a higher power.

Still, for those who come to terms with their responsibility, the outcome is both liberating and immensely empowering!

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule of Life is nothing more than a simple yet powerful caveat on the manner in which we are expected to use the wonderful two-part gift that we have been born with.

Choose to think, believe and behave in any way you wish, as long as this in no way undermines the right or ability of others to do the same.

Some of you may recognise parallels with a principle that is to be found in most religious teachings. For example, Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, said: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

The important difference is that our Golden Rule of Life goes beyond prescribing how we should treat other people, by offering a constructive win-win approach to living our lives in general.

It is our birthright to live with freedom of choice in a world of infinite possibility. But we should do so constructively – in a way that upholds the birthright of others, by committing to hold our thoughts and actions up to scrutiny in terms of the Golden Rule.

This is a surefire way to promote greater understanding, love, appreciation, joy and fulfilment in the world.

What more could we all want?

10 thoughts on “The Golden Rule of Life”

  1. Pieter Engelbrecht

    So true what you said, Bill. When everyone on earth except each other as each individual is, what a WONDERFUL WORLD will it be then.

  2. Your inspirational piece of writting make me feel proud to be part of your team.
    Indeed it is instilling new breath of life in me.
    Thanks, Bill.

  3. Nice piece on the golden rule, it exists in pretty much every successful society, it is this that brings about the golden age of living.

    However we are moving back into the dark age, where to moon rules the age of darkness, so the lesser silver rule becomes the platinum rule. It’s still the same sun that finds it’s way to us even during the darkest of night, but deceptively so through the moon’s reflection of the sun’s light.

    We need to survive the nightfall of darkness in order to enjoy and appreciate the rise of the sun again, as it surely will rise again.

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