The key to respecting others is to respect yourself first.

If you can’t respect yourself, you’re not going to be able to respect others! That’s why laying down the groundwork for being able to respect yourself is going to help you respect other people. This is going to benefit you both personally and professionally!

So with that said, here are four ways to respect others through respecting yourself:

1. Make good, healthy choices for yourself.

Going to bed at an appropriate time, eating healthy foods, staying active, meditating, doing yoga – whatever you need to do to make your body your temple, do it. Set boundaries that you’re comfortable with… and know how to say “no”. You can’t please everyone, so be mindful of this. Remember, you are responsible for your actions and your feelings. Be aware of your triggers.

2. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

If we all did this, the world would be a better place. I’ll take my daughter Faith as an example. The kids want me to do a “last call for food” before bed, which has to be announced. Faith needs to eat right before bed – this is her thing! So last night, we were upstairs and Faith said to me, “Mom, I want a Yogurt squeeze and a cheese string to watch the opening of the game…”, so I went and got them for her, which I felt was the last call for food. After she ate, I then announced that it was time to jump into bed.

This is when she looked at me with the blankest stare and just started yelling at me, “Mom! You didn’t give me ‘Last call for food’! You know I need ‘Last call for food’!”

And so, I looked at her and spoke quietly and calmly.

“Faith. Why are you yelling at me? I already went downstairs and brought you up some food.”

But she was so upset and really felt like it was an injustice because I didn’t use the words, “last call for food”. I didn’t give in to her because I didn’t think she needed more food in her belly before going to sleep. I could have flown off the handle and yelled at her, but I just kept very calm and relaxed. It could have been a much worse outcome had I not kept with this approach.

With that said, it’s so important to treat others the way that YOU want to be treated.

3. Put yourself into other people’s shoes.

You need to have empathy in your life. You need to be able to take yourself out of your life, your path, your shoes… and place yourself in other people’s shoes. For example, some of my girlfriends aren’t married and are having guy drama… but this is the same kind of drama they’ve been having since 19! So naturally, to be listening to the same stories about dudes for this long – it can be really challenging for me to empathize with them.

It can be clear that a guy isn’t interested… so do you continue to give them your energy? No! But when I tell my girlfriends this, it’s like they’re not hearing me or understanding that OTHER people are going to want your energy, and it’s time to focus on something new.

Empathizing is so important, and it’s something I still work at every day.

4. Acknowledge that each person you deal with is a human being.

Do you need to like everyone? No way! You don’t need to like anyone else’s opinions or advice… but you do need to give them respect. You do need to hear them out, and then decide. If you’re talking to someone and they’re making you so angry and frustrated, walk away, and take a few breaths. Don’t let these people get to your gut, and especially, don’ show them that they are.

If you can be in professional surroundings and listen to someone else’s advice, listen respectfully, and give back your opinion in a respectful manner (you can still disagree in a kind way).

Respect starts with you.

I hope this blog has been helpful in teaching you just how you can respect others by starting with respecting yourself! Both your personal life and your professional life will open up in so many ways once you learn to truly respect yourself, those close to you, and all that is living and breathing around you.