RESPECT
What exactly is respect, and why do we all deserve it and should treat others with it?
Let us take a look at the meaning of respect in our Webster Dictionary. Respect: 1. regard to or relation to something specified. 2. High or special regard.
- Daily Wisdom Word Meaning: Respect. 1. a normal way in which we should regard all others. 2. A way in which we treat others and ourselves to be expected.
Respect is something we all deserve from others and should treat ourselves with. Respect is about treating someone not special, but equal. Respect is about being open to others ideas, listening to what we have to say, and them doing the same for us.
In an ideal World, we would all treat each other and ourselves with basic human respect and dignity. No matter what their color is, specific gender, pay would be equal for men and women, your skin could be yellow, and it would not matter. We do not however live in this perfect world I just described and the sad thing is it would require so little effort on our part to show basic respect to others and to ourselves. One thing I think is true: if you do not respect yourself, there is no possible way you will be able to treat others with respect.
Let’s talk about self-respect and why we should respect ourselves. This post is not long enough to list all the reasons, but to start with, God created us in his image with imperfections and flaws. One of the biggest reasons we cannot respect ourselves is we are unwilling to accept that we are an imperfect individual who is perfect just the way they are. When you are picking on yourself about your flaws, please try and remember that every single person you know or see has them too. They just may not be the same ones. I am guilty of that from time to time. Yesterday, after receiving that wonderful award, I wondered if I was deserving of it. Then I thought, I am just as deserving of it as another person who made extra effort in an area of their lives but aren’t as blessed as I was to be acknowledged for it.
Secondly, let us talk about why we should respect others. The first reason should be that they deserve it just as you do. If someone is disrespecting you, showing them respect on your behalf may be the very thing that teaches them what respecting others is really all about. Second, lose the judgement of others. They are a human being exactly like you, and maybe they are a different color, or come from a different socio-economic background but regardless, they deserve respect.
Respect means showing it and having it for others. We are all “imperfectly perfect” and deserve to be respected by ourselves and others. Thank you as always for reading and remember I love comments. You may either leave them beneath this article at the realistic poetry website, voiceofthepoets/respect@realisticpoetry.com , or on facebook at Samantha Leboeuf at
facebook.com or Google plus under my name, and on twitter @Samanylize.com.
Samantha Leboeuf
Community Leader
