Alternative Way of Living
Members of the Golden Rule Organization commit our lives to an alternative way of living. We work in one of our many departments, committees, and businesses as a way to practice our values and the mission of service and stewardship.
The core group of members who are dedicated to the mission share the many responsibilities involved in managing Ridgewood Ranch, and in exchange have our needs taken care of by the organization in a communal living setting. The work we do is spread between caretaking, agriculture, construction and maintenance, administrative, hosting and outreach, among much more, and all members who commit to this work are considered equal and valuable. No work is ever done with the goal of compensation, the purpose of the work is to give us an opportunity to practice our values in relationship to each other and the world that surrounds us. Members work for the good of the whole to the extent they are able, and are then supported into retirement. The model for this community is similar to monasteries where members are working together to manage and support communal life while generating income in mission oriented businesses.
We share a commitment to living, practicing, and sharing the values below:
Golden Rule in Action
For our community, the Golden Rule means living with the understanding that it is both blessed to give and to receive. We live every day with the goal of caring for all life around us knowing that we are all connected. When we treat others with a generous spirit and understanding love, the reverberating good that emanates is the foundation of co-creating a peaceful world.
Equality
We believe that all humans innately have equal value. Therefore, all members are equal in the Golden Rule Association. No one person’s work or opinion is valued above another. Our individual selves are valued but the overall identity is of a Whole, of which we are all equal parts. We hold property in common and work to support the collective needs of the members.
Work as a Form of Prayer
We are a working community, and the purpose of our work is not the product or profit, but the opportunity to practice this way of life with each other. Work is defined very broadly: production work, relationship work, caregiving work, and land tending work are all equally important. All member’s needs are met equitably without regard to our position, age, or ability. We do not receive compensation proportional to our work or production and we are motivated by our beliefs and values rather than monetary gain. We support each other in our projects through close collaboration, and all income goes back to the common good.
Service
We believe in the importance of service to the greater community. We commit to share our resources, skills, and values whenever possible.
Relationship Tending
We believe in maintaining right-relationship with ourselves, each other, and all living beings. We do this by creating spaces where we can work and interact as a community to build strong relationships. We tend our inner relationship, we actively steward the land in a way that supports its health, and finally, we practice conflict engagement when our relationships are in need of mending.