People who live the Golden Rule in a genuine way are happier and more successful. As you treat others kindly, you will have more peace. You will feel more confident and satisfied with your life. Your opinion of yourself and your belief in what you can accomplish will grow. You will be more likely to earn more money. Napoleon Hill said, “The Golden Rule both equals and transcends in importance all other laws of personal power and achievement.”
One of my children told me about a life-changing experience he had years ago. He recounts, “One sunny afternoon we were leaving the parking garage, where we had parked for a couple of hours. As I pulled up to the attendant, I had some cash in hand, ready to pay the $4. However, the attendant said with a smile, “The person in front of you paid for you. Have a nice day.” That driver made my day and instilled in me a desire to do the same for others. As a result of that incident, one of the things we love doing as a family is to pay for someones parking and then speed away. Or, pay for the car behind us when we’re going through a drive-through. We’ve had great experiences doing this and have hopefully passed along some happiness. The simple $4 act of that person years ago has literally changed my life. Reciprocating these types of acts has now become a family tradition.”
What about in business–is it still important?
Your individual happiness is inextricably tied to the happiness of those who surround you everyday. Recently, scientists have begun to quantify the impact of kindness at work. For example, the epidemic of workplace stress, anxiety, and depression costs U.S. businesses an estimated $200 billion to $300 billion a year in lost productivity, employee turnover and legal, medical and insurance bills. It also costs individuals lost income and lost opportunities for growth and advancement.
On the other hand, showing kindness (and even seeing kindness) leads to happiness, satisfaction, and confidence.
There are many ways to show kindness at work. Here are just a few:
- Send someone a hand written thank you note.
- Make a card at home and send it to someone for no reason.
- Put some coins in someone else’s parking meter.
- Buy a soft drink for someone.
- Treat a friend to the movies for no reason.
- Give a huge tip to someone when they least expect it.
- Compliment a work colleague for their excellence.
This is a powerful Principle that can bring wonderful experiences to you. As you lift others, you will be lifted!
-Steve Shallenberger