**Editor’s note: This is part of an ongoing series on generations in the workplace.
Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes will probably know how big of a Bob Dylan fan I am. I have the posters, bumper stickers, books, CDs, DVDs, shirts. I’ve seen him more than half a dozen times in concert.
Sometimes I wonder what attracts me, being born a couple decades late of Dylan’s “prime”, to this folk-rock legend. In high school and college, I thought, “Man, this guy really understands love.” But now that I’m a little older, I’ve realized that his wisdom doesn’t end with love, rather, that’s where it begins.
Today, I was reminded of a lesser-known 1979 song of his called Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others). It stresses the Golden Rule, especially in its chorus:
But if you do right to me, baby
I’ll do right to you, too
Ya got to do unto others
Like you’d have them, like you’d have them, do unto you
At first, it seemed to be a simple song based on an easy concept. But the thing is, sometimes being respectful and doing the right thing are difficult actions to follow through on. This is especially true when times get tough and work or home life (or both!) get stressful.
I will be the first to admit that I lose my cool from time to time, but it’s nice to have a reminder from someone I view as wise and inspiring that my behavior is entirely based on me. No matter how angry I get, I always have a choice:
How would I like to be treated?
