During dinner, my children will sometimes play the "jinx" game.
That's when you say the same word as someone else at the exact same time, and then call "JINX!" on the other person before they can call it onto you.
So if Aidan calls jinx on Charlotte, then Charlotte isn't allowed to speak until Aidan says her name three times. And if you ask Aidan, he's the only one who is allowed to break a jinx he's successfully made.
But I disagree, and routinely "free" my jinxed children (by saying their names three times), mostly because they're muffled pleas to be freed can be extremely annoying.
As the inevitable protest of my rule-breaking ensues, I just smile and say, "Hey, remember the Golden Rule..."
The Golden Rule from the Gospel of Matthew (7:12) states, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”
In this context of the game, you might think I'm asking my children to remember that if they were the ones who were "jinxed", they would want to be freed too; you might believe I'm asking for their understanding.
That would be a reasonable interpretation. But it wouldn't be accurate.
My children know that in these instances, I'm referring to the other "Golden Rule".
The one that says, "If you have the gold, you make the rules."
In our house, Mama and Daddy have all the gold, which means we ultimately get to decide how things will operate. That's not to say we don't consider our children's opinions when figuring out what we're going to do or make many of our decisions together as a family.
It just means that in the event of a disagreement or difference of opinion, Mama and Daddy get to decide how things will be. If our children don't like it, they know they can write down their official complaint on a piece of paper and submit it to the large, black, plastic canister sitting in our garage.
The other "Golden Rule" often applies in our everyday life far beyond a game of "jinx".
You agree to follow your company's policies because they have lots of gold, and you'd like them to continue giving you some of it every two weeks.
You agree to pay your mortgage on time because your bank has lent you some of their gold, and if you don't, they can decide to suddenly take it all back.
Entrepreneurs intuitively know this. They often choose to start their own businesses not only for the chance to be successful but also so they can do it on their own terms.
One big reason we strive for financial freedom is that it enables freedom.
Collect enough gold, and you can start to make your own rules.
What will you do today to increase your treasury?
- dp
Comments