The third principle
of life
to be discussed
is
Respect.
What
is
Respect?
Who
do you
Respect?
Why
do you
respect
them?
Do you
Respect
yourself?
What
is
Respect?
Respect
is
admiration
for yourself
or another.
Respect
is
having regard
for what
someone
says
or does.
Respect
is
saying
one thing,
and doing
the same.
Respect
is
listening.
Respect
is
honouring
a commitment.
Respect
is
owning up
for your mistakes.
Respect
is
acknowledging
successes.
Respect
is
acting true
to your word.
Who
do you
respect?
Respect
can extend
to parents,
siblings,
and relatives.
Respect
can include
friends,
colleagues,
managers,
and leaders.
Respect
can stretch
to companies,
organisations,
institutions,
even government.
Respect
can involve
animals,
trees,
birds,
plants,
anything.
Respect
can be
as diverse
as life
itself.
Respect
for one
can be
totally different
to respect
for another.
Respect
can be
as fickle
as existing
one moment,
and gone
the next.
Why
do you
respect
them?
Respect,
first
and foremost,
is
earned.
It is not
freely
given.
Respect
is
connection
between
two entities,
through words,
through actions,
through cooperation.
Respect
can be
from
reputation.
Respect
can be
from
status.
Respect
from reputation
or status
is easily lost
on first meeting,
if the hype
does not match
the action.
Respect
can be
from
deeds.
What
you do,
how
you do it,
why
you did it,
equal
respect.
Do
you
respect
yourself?
It is easy
to respect
others,
the challenge
is
to respect
yourself.
Who
are
you?
Where
are
you?
What
are you
doing?
Are you
happy
in yourself?
Are you
confident
in your actions?
Do you
believe
you can
do it?
Are you
acting
out of
obligation
or desire?
Are you
being true
to yourself?
Self-respect
is
essential
in anything
that you say
or do.
Believing
in yourself
is vital
in being
confident
about yourself.
You
can do
anything
that you want,
respect that.
The only thing
stopping you
from doing it,
is yourself,
respect that.
Choose
what you want,
believe
you can do it,
and go out there
and do so.
That
is
self-respect.
Respect
yourself,
and see
how others
will also
respect you.
Be respectful
in your actions,
and watch
what happens.
Now,
here is
a challenge.
What happens
when someone
is disrespectful
to you?
Do you
change
how you act?
Do you
act
disrespectfully
back?
Do you
lower yourself
to that person’s
level?
Do
you
retaliate?
Do
you
play
their
game?
Respect
is not
conditional,
it is
always.
Respect
is
accepting
that others
may act
contrary
to you.
Respect
is
understanding
that such actions
may be
beyond
your control.
If you
can help
to change
the situation,
do so.
If you
cannot,
move away.
Respect
is
not attacking
another
in retaliation.
Respect
is
stepping aside,
stepping away,
and keeping
your cool.
Actions
contrary
to your interests
are based
on fear
and misunderstanding,
respect that.
Seek
to find
a solution,
that empowers
both of you.
Seek
to clarify
the misunderstanding
and remove
the fear.
In doing so,
you change
confrontation
into
cooperation.
You change
fear
into
empowerment.
You change
misunderstanding
into
comprehension.
What
you say,
what
you do,
how
you do it,
dictates
who
respects you,
including
yourself.
Respect,
a principle
of life,
a choice
for you.
What
do you
choose?
© Gary Dodd 2009
