You may be able to fool others, but you can’t fool yourself. If you want self-respect, it’s important to set high standards, remain true to your beliefs and values, listen to your conscience, and never stop trying until you do yourself proud.
Sure, you’ll make mistakes and you may even fail along the way. But at least you’ll know, in your heart, that you gave it your best effort and you lived your life the right way. And that has self-respect written all over it.
Now think about the people with whom you come into contact each day. Some of those folks demand respect because of their age, wealth, or position. Others feel entitled to respect because they’re popular, have a big office, or because they’ve won awards. And still others think that everyone deserves respect regardless of their actions. The truth is, many of them don’t even respect themselves.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, work on the top floor or down in the basement, everyone earns respect the same way. You can’t require respect or demand it. You can’t cut deals or take shortcuts. You can’t buy respect or even place a price tag on it. And that’s because respect is priceless. Earn it every day!
This is adapted from Follow Your Conscience: Make a Difference in Your Life & in the Lives of Others By Frank Sonnenberg © 2014 Frank Sonnenberg. All rights reserved.
Frank has served on several boards and has consulted to some of the largest and most respected companies in the world.
Kimunya — Thanks so much for the guest post opportunity. I appreciate it.
I am so delighted to serve Frank. Thanks for creating meaningful connections 🙂