Do more than is expected... and then some (cont'd)

Lesson No 7
Know the power of kindness —
Acts of kindness are simply the result of living the Golden Rule, which should be rule No 1 on every leader's list.　

Now what is the Golden Rule? Some of you have heard the term before but have no clue what it's all about. When I was about 18, I got introduced to a great American painter and illustrator by the name of Norman Rockwell and soon found myself purchasing one of his famous portrait called "The Golden Rule" which means "Do unto others as you would have them to unto you".

Throughout my several moves, this frame has always held a special place in my house. It is now on the second floor, close to the bedrooms so that everyone can be reminded on a daily basis of that Golden Rule. I am a firm believer in this rule as it has helped me in my everyday life to emulate more the type of behavior that my Savior would be pleased with.

About the painting —
It was an ideal in Norman Rockwell's world that everyone should treat others as they themselves wished to be treated.

It wasn't until 1959 that Norman Rockwell conceived the idea of a Golden Rule painting. He originally wanted to paint it as a ten foot mural for the United Nations. The United Nations was not interested.The idea of the Golden Rule by Norman Rockwell along with his preliminary sketches languished in his storeroom for more than a year. When Rockwell painted Freedom of Worship in his famous series, Four Freedoms, he wanted to illustrated a tolerance for all peoples and creeds. This proved to be impossible.

After the United Nations turned down Rockwell's offer of The Golden Rule, he contacted his old friends at The Saturday Evening Post. They were of course interested and the illustration appeared on the cover of an issue in April, 1961.

Looking at this wonderful picture you can see all races represented. There are men and women of all ages. There are girls, boys and babies.

What we see here is the Rockwell Golden Rule, the way he saw the world and the way he wanted the world to be. The same year The Saturday Evening Post cover appeared Norman Rockwell was awarded the 1961 Interfaith Award of The National Conference of Christians and Jews.

Rockwell cherished this recognition above all others because it affirmed his stance that, "all men are members of the One Family of Man under God. When Norman Rockwell did return to his earlier idea, he had decided to use illustrations of people from all over the world. He would also depict them in attitudes of worship to make up for the deficiency's he felt were present in his Worship painting from the 1940s.