The Reality of Respect

Everyone has the right to be the very best version of themselves that they are capable of being. And most people spend their life working to achieve that ideal.

Therein lies the key. Reaching a higher level of being and maintaining it – whether that’s physical or spiritual –  takes personal effort. It’s not something any other person can do for us. It’s not possible for us to live another person’s life for them. Despite that certainty it fails to stop some people from trying.

The core theme is respect…respect of others and, importantly, self respect. It’s a mistake to measure our level of respect against society standards. There have been too many times in history where those standards have sunk to desperately low levels. Instead it’s a matter of doing our best to be our best.

Just as there are examples of good all around there are also examples of bad. We are free to choose which one we want to model in our own lives.

Respect is, quite simply, a positive feeling or action toward someone or something considered to be important. It is earned. But it is always necessary to give respect to receive respect.

That’s where a sense of self worth and value are essential. Individuals lacking in those areas should take action to bolster them.

Every individual in society occupies a space in time, family and community. Everyone has worth and value. The error many people make is failing to acknowledge that value and worth in others. But that almost invariably starts with a failure to recognise that same value and worth in themselves.

Both the importance and need for respect is very much a reality. Even so respect doesn’t trump responsibility. We are ultimately answerable for the decisions we make and the actions we take.

A way to improve the quality and value of those decisions and actions is to work on our self respect.