52. Respect
To engender respect in young people is to grow respect in the world. All relationships can only benefit by the mindful presence of respect. It begins, as is true of so many things, with you! Respect in oneself to oneself.
Respect is to love something for what it is!
It is allowing someone or something to be itself. It is the wish for things to be as they are meant to be. It is a state of mind, an attitude, a stillness, watchfulness and sensitivity.
Respect is allowing things their natural timings (whether that is convenient for you or not). It is the wish for things to be able to be in the naturalness of themselves.
Natural respect waits until the time is right!
It requires a special kind of sight.
To see things from the ‘the eyes’ of another, rather than to judge them, engenders understanding and respect.
To see things from the same ‘light’ as another; to ‘look again’; to see things from a different vision of the world grows this special property of respect.
It is knowing where you are coming from, what is motivating you to do what you do – with clarity and transparency, insight and introspection.
Respect grows respect!
Respect is distance that can allow the greatest intimacy! It is a courtship! It does not invade, interrupt or intrude – it cannot by its very nature. Respect assumes nothing but anticipates the magic that can happen in every encounter.
Respect is a special love and value for that ‘third thing’ that can grow and be present between people. It is honoring the agreements (spoken or unspoken) that live between you and others.
Respect defies assumption, erosion and familiarity!
True and natural respect cannot be engendered by threat of punishment or stigma. Behavior of this kind only breeds resentment and deception. Better to look again, to think again to enter the realms of respect and value by means of understanding and consideration and humanity.
Respect is open to new learning, by definition. How well do you really know yourself? How well do you know others? How you regard life itself, in you and in others, is a measure of respect.
To proceed at the expense of other lives is to disrespect and dishonor life.
Natural respect attracts respect!
- Merit brings respect.
- Confidence brings respect.
- Character brings respect.
- Maturity and experience bring respect.
- Genuine courtesy, humility and understanding bring respect.
- So many qualities – honor, honesty, integrity, dignity, stature – grow and attract the substance of respect.
Yes, respect is a substance, an essence, a quality and property that lives at the heart of our humanity.
Slow down. Give to the kaleidoscopic richness that you are, the acknowledgement and value of a life lived in respect. All will benefit by it – your loved ones, your students and colleagues. Slow down, look again. It is there in the spaces and moments you leave empty for the essence of life itself to fill.
R E S P E C T
~PAZ
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