5 simple steps to help you live Golden Rule

Kendra Ruth Guest columnist

International Golden Rule Day has been celebrated on April 5 since 2007, when several notable organizations, including the United Nations, made the proclamation. There was a strong resolve by individuals such as Ambassador Mussie Hailu, who believed a focus on the Golden Rule would benefit citizens around the globe.

In gratitude, the Arizona Golden Rule Educational Experiences (AGREE) issued a challenge to the citizens of Arizona inviting you to “Experience the Golden Rule” in five simple steps.

High school student Shriya Shah took the Golden Rule Challenge and went “big” with her efforts. In an interview with youth reporter Kirra, she shared, “The Golden Rule means being able to recognize the little things that people do for you.” Shriya likes being able to go to school and have the resources for a good education. She decided to reach out to her community and identified a school lacking the resources that she personally feels privileged to have. With help from community partners, she was able to collect $3,000 worth of school supplies, including headsets, WiFi hotspots, tablets and hand sanitizer. In the process, Shriya was able to touch over 500 students’ lives! She shared how meaningful it was for her to see the gratitude expressed by school staff for the donations. Shriya stated that it was an “incredibly humbling experience.”

How can I make a difference with my friends? Youth Reporter Kirra also took the challenge! She likes when other people make her things. So decided to make a bunch of cookies and delivered them to her friends. She created a work of art that depicted her experience, and because she took the challenge, she now understands more fully what it means to live the Golden Rule.

Both Shriya and Kirra took the challenge in their own unique way, with that “golden” thread being how good it feels to live the Golden Rule. Imagine the impact if Arizona citizens took the challenge and flooded our great state with Golden Rule actions this month!

How does the challenge work? The five simple steps are as follows: 1 Write. Write about multiple ways that you like to be treated.

2 Plan. Make a “golden” plan to do something for someone else by treating them in one of the ways you like to be treated.

3 Take Action. Take action on your plan! Remember to take pictures and write about your experiences, reflecting on how they responded.

4 Create. Create a work of art to share your Golden Rule experience. It could be a poem, a drawing, a song, anything to help the experience become more meaningful to you and others.

5 Share. Youth may choose to submit their writings and art at experience@ azgoldenrule.com for the opportunity to be interviewed by AGREE youth.

Reporter Kirra Abplanalp is featured on AGREE Social Media. Adults may choose to post about their experience on social media #AZGREE sharing how they took the challenge and inviting others to do the same. In essence, you would be both creating and sharing your own golden moment.

The Golden Rule is a rule of action. By reflecting, you begin to develop an inner compass to help navigate all your social interactions based on how you like to be treated. May we each live the Golden Rule, focusing not on what others can do for us but focusing on what we can do for others.

Kendra Ruth is an AGREE Development/ School Liaison.

Golden Rule Moments

PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK Copyright © 2021 The Arizona Republic 4/28/2021