We hear throughout our lives, “Treat others the way you would like to be treated.” This is usually referred to as The Golden Rule. The idea behind it is to encourage us to consider how we would like to be respected and then respect others accordingly. There is a lot to be said for this “rule” of life. In fact, most of us would not have made it through kindergarten without knowing it!
What if we took this rule to a whole new level? What if we tried to apply a different version of this rule to those around us? What if we took the Golden Rule and made it go Platinum?
The Platinum Rule: “Treat others the way they would like to be treated.” So, what’s the difference? The Golden Rule is “me” centered. How often do we hear about teens being selfish, only caring about their needs first? The Platinum Rule takes us from a self-centered mindset (“How would I like to be treated?”) into a new mindset focused on the other person first (“How would he/she like to be treated?”). Just like the Golden Rule, the Platinum Rule can be applied to any relationship: parents, friends, teachers, siblings, and even the random person on the street!
I would like to challenge you and me to step away from our self-centered perspectives for just a week, try the Platinum Rule, and see how it works. Think about the other person first. Consider how he or she would like to be treated and give it a try. I think we will probably find that the rule will catch on and soon be applied back at us…Think about how that could look in our daily lives!
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