While it seems like certain circumstances and events in life are completely out of our control, most of us agree that we do have a choice of how to respond to them. This is not to say that the choice is always easy. Typically, we call upon our key advisors---reason, emotion, gut instinct and peer pressure---and listen to the one that's screaming the loudest at the time. For those moments when the call of "get that dirty bastard where it hurts" is in a shouting match with "I feel sorry for that guy, he must be pretty desperate to have sunk so low," wouldn't it be great to have a litmus test to help us decide which way to go? Well, we've found one. The next time you're trying to decide on the best course of action, even if you think you've found it, ask yourself "What would the world be like if everyone did that?" Suppose you had a friend in need, and helping them was inconvenient, but not so hard to do. What would the world be like if everyone were flexible when a friend needed them? Great, all systems go. This question transforms our attitude as well---suddenly those inconveniences seem like a small price to pay to create a world in which people are there for each other. But suppose the pattern repeats itself a little too often and your own duties are starting to suffer? What would the world be like if everyone were martyrs? Full of depleted individuals who couldn't take care of themselves , let alone anyone else. Stop right there!

"What if everyone did that?"---sounds like something your elementary school teacher told you---that's because it is---and it really works. Here's why: It goes back to that One Life Principle we're always talking about. If we're all connected, then how we act individually affects Life as a whole. Whatever we do---whether it's happy, helpful, vengeful or angry---sends those vibes out into the universe, and that "right back at ya" policy of life, otherwise known as cause and effect, keeps us operating in this mode. So we may feel we are justified in seeking revenge, but what would the world be like if everyone sought revenge when they were wronged? Pretty damn scary, huh? And, unless we've been perfect angels, we'd better watch our own backs. So start creating the world you want by acting how you want the world to be. Someone's got to take the first step, and the One Life Principle tells us that that someone is always you!