R-E-S-P-E-C-T...Find Out What It Means To Me

Sitting here today I started to think about respect. What happened to it? Let's face it, we can all say that we have respect for others but is that really the truth? If you were able to see yourself during the day would you be happy with how you treated others? Would you be okay with the way you acted? For some of us we show respect to others, whether we know them or not, but for a majority of us we preach one thing and do the exact opposite.

As time goes on, and I continue to grow, I've come to realize that respect for others have diminished and it is rare that you find some that lives by their values. Whether you are working or out with friends the reality is that respect goes right out the window when it isn't convenient for someone. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that there are a lot of good people out there, and I'm blessed to have many in my life, but I'm talking about the world in general.

Growing up I was taught to always have respect for others. I was taught that you should always be respectful in the way you act and talk no matter who it is. It doesn't matter if you don't have respect or like the person, you still act respectful. Today's world is so self-centered that respect doesn't matter anymore. Think about it...when you send someone a text message asking someone a question and they don't reply at all but you know they saw it, how is that respectful? Don't you think the respect that the person had for you is going to go straight out the window? Or if you decide to embarrass someone at work or in public, when the respectful thing would be to talk to them one on one or not say anything, how do you think that is going to affect your relationship with them.

Everything now a days is "when it is convenient for ME" or "ME, ME, ME." People don't think about others. Look back at relationships that you've lost, respect probably had something to do with it. As adults if this is how we plan to continue to act, I feel sorry for the younger generations and our future kids.

My sister and I taught Religious Education at our church. We had a class of 2nd graders. The way that they would take to us and each other was completely disrespectful. If any of you know us, that didn't last very long. We put a stop to it right away and created consequences if they were going to act that way. These kids were learning about respect from their parents. It was clear that the parents didn't even care what their kid was doing, or that's how they acted in their lives.

If people are rude and disrespectful to us, why do we keep them in our lives? Sometimes we don't have a choice. They are co-workers, family, or maybe a friend who you have known for years. No matter how we justify it to ourselves, when they do something that is mean or disrespectful, it still hurts. Even though we are hurt from it, face it, do you really think the other person cares, and even if you tell them you're hut, are they going to change their ways? Probably not! So why keep them around?

One of my best friends, Jenna, is truly an inspiration when it comes to this. She has cut people out of her life who are rude, disrespectful, and don't have her best interest in heart. I wish I could tell you right now that everyone who has been disrespectful to me, I've cut out of my life. The reality is, that I haven't. When I've had the choice to get rid of them, I have. It might not have happened right away, but we all eventually get to our breaking point and can't handle it anymore.

I'm dealing with a situation right now in my life where there are people that I want to cut out of my life, but the problem is that I don't have that option right now. If I had my perfect world, I would love to cut them out and then show them how they have been acting or give them a taste of their own medicine. It isn't in my personality to be rude or disrespectful to someone in return. Sometimes you just have to be the bigger person, and hope down the road they get what they deserve. We've all heard that saying, "Karma is a Bitch." It's only a matter of time until people get their karma.

We all make mistakes and can be disrespectful at times. It's a matter of learning from what we have done and then trying to change the way we act. People are going to make mistakes, no one is perfect. But learn from your actions, and try to show respect to everyone that you come in contact with. Why should anyone be treated less? What makes you better than the person standing right next to you?

All I'm asking is for people to show respect to one another. You never know the difference you are making in someone's life.

Have a magical day!!