Relationships: Respect & Trust
WHY ?
Whatever relationship you are working on, the first step towards the success of any relationship is gaining respect and trust of the other. Whether it is your sibling, significant other, friend, parent, child, colleague, boss, etc, you must gain their trust and respect.
HOW ?
In order to gain respect, you must follow some simple life lessons:
1. “Always do the right thing.
Do the right thing even when no-one knows. You will be rewarded by peace”. (Oprah Winfrey)
2. Speak the truth and say what you mean.
You don’t have to be offensive in your honesty but you have to be honest.
If you fear you still haven’t mastered the art of constructive criticism or polite honesty, then don’t say anything at all. But never ever say anything you don’t mean. You will lose integrity.
3. See the good in everyone.
Try your best to see the other person’s positives and ignore the negatives. Especially, if that person is someone close to you.
4. GIVE respect.
My dad always said, you must give respect to earn respect. Respect other people’s views and feelings by listening to them and not immediately dismissing their views.
You don’t have to agree with people on everything, you just have to try to understand where they are coming from.
Never ever talk behind a person.
Anyone !
Not the janitor, not the neighbor, not your friend. Just nobody. There are different way of disagreeing with that person than talking behind them. These words will ALWAYS come back to haunt you.
5. Speak less, Act more.
Let your actions speak louder than your words. In every single thing you do.
Everyone has an idea, a goal.
Write your idea down, then stay quiet. Work hard in silence. No need to broadcast it. Most people will talk and talk, and talk and waste time. Just get to action and get it done.
6. Stop complaining.
Complaining all the time sucks your positive energy as it sucks others’. Here’s a great article by a stress management expert.
7. Practice being the last one to speak. (Nelson Mendela)
It is definitely not easy, and it needs practice every day. In every meeting, every opinion.
8. Be able to laugh at your own self. (Will Smith)
Before someone else laughs at you for something silly that happened to you, do it yourself !
9. Always strive to do better.
Strive for excellence. If you think, you are perfect just the way you are, you’re not. That person is not trying to change. Everybody out there needs to change for the better. No one's changing you, but you have to change yourself. (Inspired by @evancarmichael)
10. Help !
Help others. Help, if asked or not. Volunteering help is always better.