© Photography by ~CC
© The more I search for things that have meaning in life, the more energized I become when they begin seeking me out. Have you noticed that when you enlighten yourself by reading an article on a particular topic that inevitably you are keenly aware for weeks, if not months, each time the subject is brought up in conversation by others? I.E. In January I read an article on a news website regarding starting the year with less clutter in your home. The article went on to explain when our home is cluttered, our minds are cluttered. Purging items used infrequently, or not at all, was the answer to uncluttering both my home and mind and becoming better organized. Great! Just what I needed, a fresh start for the new year.
It took me less than five minutes to read the article, three minutes for me to process the information as a new found revelation, and two minutes to whisk through my home like a mad woman pulling this and that from closets, shelves, and cupboards to take to my new found favorite consignment shop, Emma's Attic, on Duncan Corner. In a total of 10 minutes, I had went from becoming "aware" of new information to "processing the idea recommended" and ultimately to "putting into action" what I now believed to be truth. The article won me over, and I bought into the concept! I'm not quite sure it even took me two full minutes for the processing to complete. When one is content with what is written as truth, it all begins to make sense! We trust it! "What do we have to lose?", we tell ourselves. Regardless, I was at least going to get payed for helping myself unclutter my brain and start the new year feeling much better about me and my home. I did it, and I did... get my first check, that is, from the consignment shop!
What does any of this have to do with respect? Hmmm...an easy question to answer. It has "everything" to do with respect. When we become "aware" of anything, we now have a choice to either " totally dismiss it" or consider "taking it in" to process a little bit more. Once we take it in and process, we either become an enthusiast of the concept or a cynic. Obviously, I became enthusiastic about uncluttering my brain and my home because I identified with what I had just read and immediately put it into action.
Last week I couldn't get "Respect" out of my thoughts. It's a "buzz" word... everybody uses it! Probably more than the word respect we hear the opposite, direspect. More than ever, we all desire to be treated respectfully. Respect goes a long way in helping to define who we are. Everyone both wants, and needs, to feel valued, appreciated, shown courtesy, and approved of; especially in the workplace!
The buzz word continued to swarm in my thoughts. I decided to forget my own definition of what it meant and went to my trusty online dictionary. It's easy to put our own slant on how we define a word. Even easier to totally misunderstand the "greater" meaning of a principal. To me, respect is a principle. When I researched "principle", I found it even more eye opening. Check it out with me... <conscience is the noun meaning 'a sense of right and wrong' while conscious is the adjective meaning 'aware of something, being awake'>. CLICK ~ The snapshot is becoming much more vivid!
Respect ~ a deeper dive: The Wickipedia describes it as such: Respect is an assumption of good faith and competence in another person or in the whole of oneself. Depth of integrity, trust, complementary moral values, and skill are necessary components. 2)Respect adds general reliability to social interactions. It enables people to work together in a complimentary fashion, instead of each person having to understand or even agree with each other every time. Respect is very important to communities because it helps people get along with other people.
Aha! It found me... the buzz word now has new life! "It enables people to work together in a complimentary fashion, instead of each person having to understand or even agree with each other every time. Respect is very important to communities because it helps people get along with other people." The "awareness" I was searching for now made it's entrance into my consciousness. Now it's up to me as to whether I will "take it in" and put it into my conscience so it now becomes 'a sense of right and wrong' to me.
I'm sure you've heard the clich`e that one must give respect in order to get respect. In an ideal world that would be nice if it were true, but we don't live in an ideal world. I can personally attest to the fact that one can work in an environment and be totally disrespected in varied ways by their manager, yet the appropriate expected behavior on the employee's part is to respect the manager regardless. That's a tough pill to swallow, but many people swallow it day in and day out. I guess we then decide if we will take the higher road. Giving respect is that higher road, whether warranted or not warranted. Will we live out our conscience of what we now believe respect to be, realizing we may not always have our ideas and suggestions accepted? Learning that respect can be about "not agreeing and not being understood...but be able to agree to disagree" and walk away with a mutual respect for one another just made R.E.S.P.E.C.T. bigger than life to me.
Respect to me is now so much more! I read the research, I processed it, and even though I didn't run through my home grabbing this and that to put in my friends consignment shop, instead I began to see where I could "pay it forward". Respect no longer to me is just about admiration or appreciation...it's so much more than that. I'm embracing it! I Got It! It's ok if I share my view or opinion and it's not agreed with by my manager, spouse, or friend. Not seeing it as rejection, disrespect, or that the person in question has little value or appreciation for us wil be growth. For me, I'm going to take the higher road and act on my new found conscience that it's "OK" to have disagreements in life and not feel disrespected. Even more OK for me to follow whatever it is that my manager requires of me, regardless whether I see it as the wrong direction to take. Many times the bigger lesson for us in life is to see if we are willing to give up what we "think or know" is right to take that other slant in the brick for what "is" right, R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Now, if I could just package this and sell it at Emma's Attic, I'd be rich! I'd rather be rich by you reading this article, processing it, and taking it in as your own. By you too understanding the full principle of respect and paying it forward; that will give me all the dividends I could dream of if you decide to invest in it! All my life I've thought of myself as a person who respects God, life, my husband, children, family, friends, and employers. I did, to the best of my ability with the limited knowledge that I had of "respect" at that time. Now I'm responsible for the "entire" lot! I've now been made aware of all that respect encompasses. I'm now interested in giving it, regardless if I get anything immediately back in return! Just saying that empowers me to know that I'm learning how to respect myself a little bit better!
Staying in the Day along with you and Paying It Forward... ~CC
Proverbs 3:4
Then you will be respected and will please both God and people.
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