The current theme – which began on a global scale about two months ago – is ‘Respect’.
I have heard this from every person’s team that I have encountered as well as hearing it from Mother Earth’s team.
The Respect that the teams are talking about is not the ego-driven, self-important respect.
The Respect that the teams are talking about asks you to step out of one’s self-absorbed universe and honor the energy of those you encounter in life – and seeing and honoring those beyond your visual awareness or visual universe (those beings you cannot see – in the oceans, skies, other side of the globe, etc.)
Respect is honoring other life forms/beings and their rights to thrive and survive in a clean, healthy environment.
Respect is honoring others environments, property, boundaries, feelings, beliefs, and/or experiences.
This doesn’t mean you have to follow someone else’s beliefs, etc. It doesn’t mean you approve of someone else’s choices or decisions.
It does mean understanding, and allowing, their right to their choices, beliefs, etc.
Golden Rule
I am a big fan of the Golden Rule.
Do to others what you would have done to you.
Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Not A Saint
I am – by no means – a saint, but I do work hard to treat others as I want to be treated.
Sometimes, though, I get frustrated when my efforts, words, and/or deeds go unnoticed, unheard or unseen, and I will then treat the person the way they have treated me.
Just a note – that rarely turns out well.
The person often comes back angry and/or hurt, and demanding to know why I “turned” on them.
So why did/does this technique of treating someone – in a negative or disharmonious manner – the way you were treated by them, fail?
Some people just don’t get it. They don’t think they are doing anything wrong. Belittling, berating, misusing, and/or abusing others feelings, belongings, environment, seems perfectly acceptable to them.
I don’t believe it is acceptable, from anyone on any scale. Personal, city, state, region, country, continent, globally, or universally.
Respect Starts with Self
Respect actually starts with self. I believe that if you don’t respect yourself, then how can you know how to respect others?
Think about it – our society shows us disrespect from grade school on. We are taught from day one that everyone else knows what we need and what we should do. We are taught that we – as individuals – don’t count…our thoughts, or feelings do not matter.
Okay, that was a gross generalization – but we are programmed from a early age. As we grow, many have to find respect for themselves. Sometimes it comes easily; sometimes they had it all along; and some still haven’t found it.
This is my belief – but it does not excuse one from their behavior.
So What Can We Do?
There may be no clear cut answer. I can only recommend:
– Following the Golden Rule.
– Respect yourself first. You cannot always change others, but you can change self.
– Do not allow yourself to become a doormat – allowing others to walk all over you, so to speak.
– Remove the person/energy from your space and/or remove yourself from the disharmonious environment.
I respect myself enough to not become mired in the muck of disrespect. And I work hard to not disrespect others – two-legged; four-legged; winged; finned; furred; or Mother Earth.
by Jan Toomer
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