Relationships and the Power of Respect: 5 Areas to give more Respect in our Lives

"R.E.S.P.E.C.T find out what it means to me...All I'm asking is for a little respect." sings Aretha Frankliln. From romantic relationships, to our children or even our bosses, we could all use a little more respect, but how do we give and get more of it? Here's 5 ways to show respect in different areas of our lives.

1. Personal Relationships

Whether it's a romantic relationship or a casual friendship, we want to feel valued by those we chose to spend our time with. Limiting the amount of criticism, improving the way we communicate, and showing appreciation to those we care about can go a long way in creating a loving healthy relationship. Do something nice for someone you care about for no reason other then to let them know that you appreciate them and enjoy having them in your life.

2. Employees

For most of us, the majority of our time is spent trying to support all of the other expenses we have in life. When we have to spend this time in a place where we don't feel appreciated or where we have to deal with negativity on a consistent basis, it can put added stress on our already hectic lives. People will work harder for a little recognition or praise than they will even for money. If you find that your employees are unproductive, unmotivated, and just don't seem to be performing at the level that need or want them to, you might have to take a hard look at your own management style, and remember that respects starts at the top of the chain.

3. Self-Respect (It starts with you)

If you want more respect in your life, a great place to begin is with you. Many times we seek validation or approval from people around us because we lack a certain amount of self esteem or self confidence in ourselves. Figure out what your own unique talents and skills are and build a healthy core value system for yourself. What is something that you are great at? What makes you happy? How do you enjoy being treated? Use this as a model for how you treat others around you, and don't be afraid to cut people from your life who are "energy and dream stealers." Surround yourself with people who are like minded and who will help you continue to grow.

4. With kids

Sometimes it's hard to remember that children are really just little people and deserve the same amount of respect as any of our adult peers to. Taking extra time to listen, validating, and showing them appreciation, can go along way in getting cooperative respectful behavior from them. Be patient as they are still learning and developing, and might need some extra help or attention in certain areas. They don't need to be controlled or forced into doing something. Instead, give them positive attention and they will crave it more than candy! If they are given respect as children, they will grow up into more cooperative teenagers, and eventually become more helpful members of our society

5. In Our Community

We are all unique individuals, and accepting each other and learning from our differences can go a long way to showing more respect to people around us. Opening a door for someone, letting them through in traffic, or even just smiling at a stranger can make a huge difference in the quality of someone else's day. It's funny how little effort it takes to be a little more curtious and accepting of others. Random acts of kindness or "paying it forward" are ways we can show respect for each other, just on a very basic or human level.

No matter what your life has given you, we can always make it a little happier simply by making the choice to give a little more respect to the people around us.

What does respect mean to you? How have you been able to improve relationships in your life?