From The I Ching or Book of Changes:

A healthy family, a healthy country, a healthy world all grow outward from a single superior person.

All families or clans must have a superior person at their center if they are to prosper and succeed. Therefore, in order to improve our family, company, nation or world community, we must begin by improving ourselves.

If you observe healthy families, you will always see present in them three qualities: love, faithfulness and correctness. When we truly love others, we are naturally kind, gentle and patient with them. When we are faithful to others, we place proper principles and conduct above temporary influences like anger, desire or greed. And when we practice correctness, we spiritually nourish ourselves and all those around us. When all three qualities are cultivated, a healthy clan springs naturally into being.

The difference between paying lip service to these ideals and practicing them is profound. If you advocate high ideals and actions to others but do not embody them yourself, your influence will disintegrate for lack of proper foundation. Therefore, in order to inspire superior qualities in others, you must first instill them in yourself.

Concentrate not upon influencing others or external events, but upon strengthening your inner devotion to proper principles. When modesty, acceptance, equanimity and gentleness become deeply ingrained in your character, they will flow steadily from you. Soon you will find yourself enmeshed in a web of healthy relationships and in this there is great good fortune.

It is actually quite simple to live a good life and create healthy relationships. All it requires is to consistently follow – moment by moment- The Golden Rule; treat others the way that you want to be treated.

Be kind, be gentle and give to others.

May you manifest the Divine Plan of your life, under grace and in perfect ways.

Lee Papier writes the "Have a Magnificent Day" blog on Beliefnet.