Respectfully Yours, or Maybe Not

Not sure where this Blog will take me but I am sitting here on Christmas Eve wondering about the word respect. Certainly is it interpreted differently by those who do and those who don't demonstrate respect as it is interpreted differently by those who are or are not respected.

I would like think that the general consensus is that showing respect and treating one another with dignity is a given but, I have learned over my life time that it isn't the norm for most people. Unfortunately, the lack of respect for one another is one of societies rooted problems. The fact that most folks don't start out respecting someone in the beginning of a relationship; business, friendship or significant other. (just for the record I hate the label, "significant other").

In business, employees should demonstrate respect for the positions held by those they work with. I have had many bosses that I didn't respect personally but, I did show respect for the position they held. I may not have agreed with their behavior but they were the one I reported to and therefore I was respectful of that position. I never held back my opinion and the has done me in a few times but I didn't compromise my standards and couldn't be a "yes-woman" without at least depositing my 5 cents first. Yes, 5 cents! For those of you who know me well, you will understand why I am so generous with giving out 5 cents verses the standard 2 cents worth of opinion.

As a friend it seems to be a no brainer that you respect your friends. As I stated before not all folks interpret respect in the same manner. I do like to operate on the premiss that I respect all of my friends. Now, let me add a caveat to that. I do not respect all of my friends with equal weight. For me the weight of my respect is directly related to the degree of intensity and depth of the friendship. Obviously, those of you out there that are my friends know who you are and how much I demonstrate respect to you and to the friendship. I recommend that you all take a moment and think about who are your friends and what level of respect is present within the friendship itself. You may find that you too have various weights of respect for different friends.

The most difficult relationship to understand the reason for a lack of respect is the one between two people who are walking the road to the end together. Now, of course the emotions typically run high in a relationship that has been one of a lifetime commitment. There is much invested in the relationship in so many ways; time, energy, love, exposure, pain, joy... Why all of that doesn't always add up to respecting one another has always been a foreign concept to me. I have been in many love relationships that have resulted in hurt feelings, painful betrayal, or just complete disregard for ones security. I haven't been the one to end most of those past relationships with the exception of the last two. Regardless of the reason for the break up I have always demonstrated respect for the person I once loved enough to have that deep of a commitment to. I may have demonstrated respect by completely severing the tie once held in an effort to prevent the continued deterioration of the relationship. I may have demonstrated respect by gracefully stepping aside and remaining out of the way. I most often demonstrated respect by trying to hold onto the friendship that initially drew me toward the one I committed to. The biggest disrespectful action one can take is through the act of betrayal and for that I am guilty. I should have done the right thing because I do have a incredible amount of respect.

It is really simple don't you think, when you really think, hard and serious. Give me one good reason why folks can't do a better job demonstrating more respect?