Respect

Respect...is a term that is not nearly used enough in it's proper context and meaning in my humble opinion. For if one truly were to respect something or someone else...they must first respect themselves. So to me...the term respect starts...it begins...with self-respect...and respect for others flows from there. I've heard the same said about love...and I believe it's true.

To respect one's self is a responsibility...to one's self. It is a right. It is a duty. It is an established act of kindness to one's own development. It is part of our personal integrity. It means to be accountable...to one's self. Respect and accountability do after all...go hand in hand...as they should. They are pieces of each other and found in self-respect is accountability. In accountability...is found self-respect. When one has done something wrong...somehow harmed someone else...regardless of intention...what a person might have meant or wanted...by taking accountability...especially to those that one loves and cares the most for...is showing one's respect for self. Your own personal truth...must have accountability in it...for if you are not accountable to yourself...then how can you possibly be accountable to others?

If one respects themselves...they work at bettering themselves. If one respects the life one has been given....and the multitude of opportunities...the host of chances that come one's way...then taking every day to be and do your best in who you are...and how you live...is making the most...of those chances and opportunities.

Establishing a forward movement in one's life that includes caring for self but also shares caring for others leads to respecting self...because by caring for others we gain our self worth. If all we do is attempt to care for self and our self interests then we are not respecting the contribution that we are capable of making nor are we embracing the opportunities we are given to contribute to the well being of another. In being so selfish and ego driven...we are in a sense jailing ourselves in our own makeshift prison.

We sometimes do not recognize our situation as such...because our perception is awkwardly askew...which may happen for a wide variety of reasons...but the bottom line is...we create our own world. It is "our" world...and in "our" world the way we see things is king. But by a simple shift in perspective...looking at something from a different angle...we can create an "AHA!" moment. A moment that is truly inspirational and pivotal...in our growth. When one takes a look at problem solving...the shift in perspective usually comes when a person can reorganize a problem...and see it from a different place.

Many times...we as imperfect human beings...do not see what is "really" going on because of the place that we stand...our placement for our perspective...and if we do not move...shake it up a bit if you will...then we will only see things in one way...which by definition makes us short sighted...and limits our view.
This also is disrespectful to others...because we are inherently imperfect...we many times do not see things as others might...because of our limited set of experiences that we draw from. We can negate the opportunity to learn something important from someone by dismissing them too quickly...without hearing them out and seeing if what they are saying might have some truth in it. Something we can learn from. Even those with a wide and varied set of experiences in life are capable of short-sightedness and therefore can, if they aren't careful, disrespect themselves and others by being closed to new possibilities. That closed mindedness and lack of vision disrespects ourselves because we limit our opportunities to learn. This also limits God's voice in our hearts because we will stubbornly not listen to a truth being told to us...and many times...it is told to us repeatedly.

As I said in another post...when the truth is told to a person it rings in them like a bell. Sometimes...if it is a particularly strongly held truth...one might even physically feel a reaction as their spirit, energy, mind, or soul...however you might choose to categorize it...recognizes the truth...and the reaction creates an involuntary response because of this recognition.

Truth is...how we see it. But the truth is...what is true...is true...no matter how much we might protest. A simple truth...disrespecting one's self...is all too common...and all too avoidable...which to my way of seeing things...my perspective...makes this element in an individuals life a tragedy...for if one thought enough of one's self to respect one's self...well...oh what a world it could be...what a joy one could bring to others...and thereby themselves. What a blessing we could be to each other...if we only respected ourselves...and by doing so...respected each other.

Maybe...if we respected ourselves...and thereby each other...we wouldn't have to hear so much about things like this other post...and our world and society would be a better place to live in...this is from my other blog which can be found in my links section...about a recent experience of ours...

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May God be with this man and his family...and with us.

And...may we teach...and learn...to respect ourselves...and each other...so that this sort of thing can become simply stories which are told of how things used to be...