Respect. It is a word that according to word analysis has declined in usage. I am not surprised. At the moment, I am on a delayed plane because a passenger ignored flight attendants requests to take her seat. Not only did she ignore their requests but she even failed to acknowledge that the flight attendant was even making a request. It was as if no one else existed, not the crew of the plane or the other 300 people on board whose lives were being impacted by her behavior.
Inconsiderate People
How would you like to be surrounded by people like this? Would you like to go through life being that person? Personally people like this cause me to cringe. Can you be that oblivious to those around you? Can you not care about how you impact the people around you? I often wonder if people realized what was occurring would they change their behavior? I would like to believe they would if they began to appreciate the bigger picture.
Let’s Work Together
The reality of the real world is that we are all in this together. By being respectful and acknowledging the needs of those around you ultimately get more of what you want. Yes, give the people around you more of what they want and you will get more of what you want. If you want to make more money at work, give your bosses and customers what they want. If you want your partner to be nicer at home, then find out what it is they want and see if you can accommodate them. That's when all the magic happens.
The Value of Respect
I believe that respect is one of the most important words in the English language. Respect means acknowledging the existence of and being able to appreciate what is around us and value our relationship with those things. You can have respect for people and also things. You should also have respect for yourself. My belief is that it is tough, if not impossible, to have respect for your outside world if you don't have it within your personal world. If you don't respect your body enough to take a bath, then you will have little consideration for the stench that you are inflicting on others.
By giving respect, you also get respect. The funny thing is that by giving respect, you can get more of most of the things you need. When people feel respected, they are more likely to give you more of whatever they provide.
How to be Respectful
Being respectful starts first with acknowledging the existence of the individuals who are around you. That can be with a hello, a smile or even just eye contact and a nod. Have you ever been in a room where someone failed to acknowledge you? How did that make you feel? A little uncomfortable inside? Would you ever want to make deliberately someone feel that way? We also need to be aware of the space others occupy as well as their time constraints. I find that there are time stealers all around us. People who fail to realize that time is the most precious thing we have. You can get more of anything else in your life, but you can never get more time.
Showing Respect
Respecting someone or something means actively engaging in positive efforts in the relationship. There is no connection we have with anything in our life that is maintained long-term without positive energy applied to it. Our cars need gas, or they stop. Our teeth need to be brushed, or they rot and fall out. The effort even needs to be put into our relationships with people or those relationships cease to exist. I shudder when I consider man's relationship with the planet over the last 200 years. For this is a relationship I would like to continue.
How I Respect Others
For me, being respectful is one of my operating principles as I go through my life. That doesn't mean I am perfect in my relationships, but it does mean that I try to acknowledge the needs of others. In my dental practice, I believe respect plays a major role in my success. I respect my patients’ time by running on time. I appreciate my patients' money and tooth structure by saving as much tooth as I can, achieving results that are esthetic and durable. And most important, I have respect for my patients' emotional state, as many patients come in fearful because of poor previous dental experiences. Respect drives the choices I make in my life and my professional recommendations to others.
Respectful Solace
One final thought, living respectively of others has its benefits when you lay your head on your pillow at night. You rest easy at night knowing that you have taken good care of those around you. Respectively living means you have been kind to yourself and those around you. It means living with fewer regrets. If you think not, when was the last time you felt you should have been meaner to someone?
Getting back to that passenger, it just so happened that she requested my wife and I switch seats to accommodate her needs, and I just couldn't do it. Ordinarily I would, but in this case, I could not reward her bad behavior.