The Golden Rule

"Treat others the way you want to be treated."
Simple TRUTH, but no longer true.
I was raised on this truth and held to it. I watched my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents along with our extended family and friends live this out. I will say, I take it too far. I will sit back and allow someone to do something that will be hurtful to me hoping they will turn it around and be the person I see them to be... hope for them to be.

I will have to say though, this week has been one that has really knocked me over causing me to take a stronger stand for me and mine. Left me saying.... "REALLY?"

There are so many people who have poured amazingly into me. Who build me up, encourage me, hold me accountable and who will shoot straighter than an arrow with me. I appreciate these people so much.

At the same time, there have been a few that have really gone out of their way to do the opposite. I remember that a while back there was senior that went out of their way to make sure I looked bad. In team meetings they would talk to the other members of the team and tell them how great they were doing and then get to me and literally say, "Why can't you do what they are doing?" I remember one time when they were chatting and walk up outside my cubicle and said, "Turn around and look at me when I'm talking to you." I was working and they were gossiping. It came down to the point that I was miserable and just decided to resign. I found a new job, but before I resigned another team mate went to the manager and told them what was going on. HR got involved, gave me a great severance package and asked me to go ahead and make it my last day. Today, I received a text from a former team mate that stated that that particular senior look the manager to hr today to complain and was fired herself. The CRAZY part is that I actually felt bad for them. They are a single parent and I know the stress of being unemployed and trying to provide for your child's(children's) needs. All I could do was pray for them.

There is one more person that has really made life difficult. I ended a part of that relationship, but am unable to completely cut them out due to familial obligations. It has been several years and yet, they are still trying to talk about it. This week I finally just said, "I will be unable to give you the answer's you want or need. I will not discuss this anymore." Sometimes you just want to say... "PEOPLE GET OVER IT. It didn't work, it won't work...MOVE ON!" I will no longer be the person you can beat up on (verbally or otherwise).

It is so funny to listen to people sometimes, they accuse you of doing exactly what they are doing... what causes people to be vindictive, manipulative, hurtful, hateful, destructive? Where did it begin?

So what really ever happened to treating others the way you want to be treated? Where did we lose this?