Treating others as you want to be treated does not mean waiting for them to go first. – Regina Cates

One day I heard a woman screaming at someone on the street in front of my apartment. I went outside. She was upset because she thought that a van was too big and she could not get past it in her car. She was letting the driver have it saying he should not be driving down the street. I watched as he stopped the bus, got out and patiently directed her safely past.

As she went by I overheard her say, “You are so irresponsible I just can’t believe it.” And I heard him say, “Have a blessed day ma’am.”

I went downstairs in time to catch the driver before he got back into the van. I held up my hand and gave the man a big high-five.

“Have a blessed day sir,” I said as he briefly took my hand in his. “You too,” he said with a huge smile.

The fundamental principle of all world religions is to do unto others as you want others to do unto you. Here is the part our ego just can’t seem to come to grips with. We cannot control how other people behave. That means we do not have any control over anything or anyone but ourselves. If we allow our ego to lead, by waiting for other people to treat us with respect and courtesy before we extend respect and courtesy to them, we’ll wait forever. However, by not ego-boxing we don’t stoop to the same level of their negative behavior.

That is the enlightened action that keeps us peaceful and loving just like the bus driver. We choose to treat others as we want to be treated by volunteering to go first.

For more from Regina check out her podcast.  Click the image below.