Self-Respect

When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you admire the reflection there? Or are you filled with negative self-talk, criticizing everything that you can find wrong? And as a result, what do you project when you're out there interacting with the world?

Perhaps you're full of negativity. You're far from alone; there are so many people who are filled to the brim with negative thoughts and emotions. It spills over into everything they do and say (and even how they look!). They criticize themselves and they often feel free to criticize others. But if you're this person, you've got to take a closer look at yourself. Are you respecting yourself? Or are you still wearing your pajamas out in public? Why are you not presenting your best self to the world? Could it be that you're stuck in a space where so many people were several years ago when COVID-19 was scaring people into almost complete isolation?

It's no wonder why you feel poorly and you're besieged by negative thoughts. You've got to respect yourself enough to present your best version to the world. It's important to do that. I'm not suggesting that you have to dress expensively, nor that you have to go to supreme lengths to make yourself over. I can only say this: grooming and dressing appropriately to go into the world will make you feel differently. It will afford you the self-respect that you need to interact with other people in a much different way. I believe that it all translates. I think that if you're feeling your best, you'll treat people your best.

But there's a flip side to this coin. There is a growing obsession with appearance, especially among a certain segment of young people who are slaves to "influencers." Don't get me wrong. There's always been a group of people who have been overly concerned with looking a certain way. I could write a dissertation here regarding what has caused this and why it has grown. We used to refer to people like this as conceited and they were also known as "mall rats," people who were on this constant search for the perfect clothing and the perfect scent and the perfect shoes. The list goes on. But here's the thing. Back then, the mall would power down. The internet never powers down.

And the problem with this is also a lack self-respect, believe it or not. I can put things to you fairly simply: self-obsession is not the same as self-respect. It's just not. I would go as far as to say that self-obsessed people are as bad off or even worse than people walking around unbathed and in PJ bottoms. They see no one but themselves. It seems like another form of entrapment, doesn't it?

I bring this to the table so that you might think about how looks translate into behaviors. Do you treat people disdainfully because you feel like you're more together than everyone else? Do you treat others poorly because you feel you're lacking? These are the things I've been thinking about lately because I'd love to see more hope (naturally) and I feel that it can happen by changing our mindsets. I believe that if you approach things with a different headspace, dressed and ready for the world to see you, really see you, your confidence will grow and your mindset will change.

And so, today's lesson ends.