Part 3- Become what you respect
In part 1, we discussed “Attract what you expect.” Part 2 covered “Reflect what you desire.” The next point would like to address from this valuable quote is “Become what you respect.”
Respect is something that we should all expect, not only from others, but especially from ourselves. It is a powerful and meaningful word, and one that should not be overlooked. There are many reasons you may respect someone. Perhaps you respect a neighbor because they are always looking out for others. Or you respect a co-worker or company leader for their hard work ethic, or for their accomplishments. Maybe you respect a religious leader, or an athlete. There are many people in different walks of life that we may respect.
But, no matter how many outside people you might have respect for, the most important person that you should respect…is YOURSELF.
There is a great difference between having respect for someone else, and having respect for yourself. You can respect someone else, even though you do not agree with them, or hold their same beliefs. For example, a vegetarian or vegan may hold the belief that eating meat or animal products is wrong, whereas a meat eater obviously does not. Even though their values are completely different, they can each respect the other person’s way of thinking, and not criticize or devalue what the other person believes is right.
The same goes for religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any other moral or spiritual issue that may have differences of opinion. Just because other people do not hold the same belief system as you does not mean that you need to disrespect what they hold to be true. You values can differ, and yet you can still have respect for one another.
Respecting yourself does not work the same way. In order to respect yourself, your beliefs and your behaviors MUST be congruent. They CANNOT contradict themselves in any way. Your conscience will not allow you to respect yourself if you behave in a way that contradicts your truth. If you sincerely believe something in your heart to be true, you cannot act in a way that contradicts your beliefs without losing respect for yourself.
In order to “become what you respect,” you must define what is true and important to you, and then you must act in a way that coincides with that truth. You must live in a way that you can accept yourself and know that your actions and behavior is synonymous with your genuine principles. As you act in accordance with whatever deep beliefs that you hold, you will continually gain and grow a deeper respect for yourself.
Here are 4 things you can do right now to help you become your biggest fan. 😉
1. Tell yourself every day that you are a person that is worth love and respect.
Now, don’t laugh at the thought of talking to yourself. Maybe your idea of self-talk is that of “Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley” from Saturday Night Live. Stuart would look in the mirror at himself and say, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough…and doggonit people LIKE ME!”
Yes…SNL made it look ridiculous and kind of stupid to do such a thing. But, don’t let that stop you. Positive self-talk is one of the most important things you can do to truly reach your highest potential. Do not fall into the trap of criticizing yourself. Saying things like, “I’m so stupid,” “I hate myself,” “No one loves me,” or “What was I thinking?” can only hinder your progression, not to mention annoy the heck out of everyone around you. You wouldn’t like someone else saying those things to you, so have some respect and DON’T DO IT TO YOURSELF. You must be your biggest cheerleader and when the negative thoughts about yourself start to creep in, replace them with positive ones. If you need help, listen to a motivational audio, read a personal development book, or do something uplifting to get your mind where it needs to be.
2. Never let others opinions about you affect you in a negative way.
You have got to seek your innermost approval from yourself. You must love yourself DESPITE what people think about you. You cannot let your self-esteem hang on whether or not other people show approval for you. There are going to be people who like you and there will be people who may not like you. You might get praises from some and criticisms from others. Take in the positive things people say and appreciate it, but don’t depend on it. Your mom won’t always be there to tell you how awesome you are. Likewise, don’t give haters any attention. Realize they don’t respect themselves and most likely other people don’t respect them either. You should feel sorry for them, not for you. Sometimes, we may receive some constructive criticism from a spouse, loved one, or friend. When this happens, take a loving approach and try to see their point of view. Maybe there is something you need to work on, but whatever they say doesn’t need to make you feel bad. You can try to work on improving yourself and move forward.
3. Take care of yourself.
In order to respect yourself you need to pay attention to your physical appearance. Brush and floss your teeth every day. Make time to exercise and get your body in shape. Dress for success by putting on some nice clothes and having your hair neat. Ladies put on a little makeup and get yourself looking and feeling good. You will be amazed at how much more respect you will have for yourself by just dressing up a bit.
4. Educate yourself. You need to immerse yourself daily in positive things that will begin to empower you. For 30 days, read or listen to at least 30 minutes of something that will motivate and inspire you. You will feel a change begin to take place and it will have an incredible positive impact on your life. Your self-respect will grow each day that you do this.
Part 1 – Attract what you expect
Part 2- Reflect what you desire
Part 4- Mirror what you admire
