Earn Respect and Keep It

Excerpt from Adam Robert

R-E-S-P-E-C-T - what does that mean to you? Reminders about earning respect and keeping it.

Respect is a complicated thing. We all want it but few have it. Most give it too easily and some who deserve it never receive it. It is earned by a combination of strengths – willpower, patience, tenacity, integrity, to name but a few. Some people are afforded a certain amount of respect because of their position – ie, the American President, a Police Chief. But for most of us, respect is not bestowed upon us unconditionally and, rather, we have to learn to earn and keep it.

There are things that you can do to point you in the right direction for earning respect from others. A few changes in certain areas of lifestyle, will go far in bringing you that much desired respect.

• Learn to dress like someone who is worthy of respect. Having a well-polished look in all situations will always get more respect than poor or mediocre styled people. It also gets the much-needed attention to demonstrate that you are worthy of respect on other planes.
• Think before you speak and, in fact, say only necessary things. Do not ramble on about anything. Next time you are introduced to someone for the first time, try waiting a few minutes before starting a conversation. In most cases, the other person will start a rambling conversation in an attempt to impress you.
• Don’t talk about things you know nothing about. We all know these types – the ones we roll our eyes at – don’t be one. Lying, especially about pointless things, is the fastest way to lose respect.
• Contrary to popular advice, don’t walk around with a smile glued on your face. You will not look like a serious person and, frankly, always reminds me of appearing vulnerable or untrustworthy.

• Confidence and humility go hand in hand. Walk tall, speak clearly, have impeccable mannerisms, have good eye contact to portray yourself as someone worth trusting. A dose of humility keeps confidence from growing into arrogance. Do not brag about anything, rather acknowledge others’ contributions to your successes.
• Remember names and dates and details. Make a point of trying to remember names of people you meet, some detail they have told you and the date on which you meet them. Recalling this information later is very impressive.

As you can see, most of these suggestions stem from extending the utmost of respect to others who deserve it. These things are not difficult and, probably, many of us practice these things anyways. But it never hurts to be reminded and you would be surprised how easily we can forget even basic respectful gestures.