"Life is a balance between holding on and letting go." – Rumi
Dear Michelle,
Life is a journey filled with all kinds of twists, turns, and unexpected detours, but if you embrace it with the right mindset, it will reward you with wisdom, strength, and joy.
I had a whole bunch of words I was going to use in today's letter, but I decided to focus on just one... R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Respect is a balance between honoring your own values and allowing others the freedom to live by theirs, even when they don’t align. It begins with understanding your own principles and setting boundaries that protect your ambitions and inner-peace. It often requires difficult choices, especially when it means distancing yourself from those close to you in order to stay true to your principles and mental well-being. I don't even know how I figured this out but it was pretty early in my life and it is has been a total game-changer for me. It has motivated me through lots of challenging times and given me an inner peace as I worked to move forward. Someday, when we're chatting over a nice meal, I'll tell you some of those stories.
Often the difficult part is respecting others when they don't seem to deserve it. This means treating people with kindness, patience, and empathy, even when you don’t agree with them. If you can build connections based on trust, where people feel valued and heard it's wonderful. It fosters a world where collaboration thrives over conflict and where misunderstandings are handled with grace rather than hostility.
However, when you can't build that with collaboration, if you think you're doing all the "giving", it just won't work. You'll end up feeling frustrated and you will continue to enable the behavior of the other person. That's not going to lead anywhere you want to be, and it's not good for the other person either.
This letter about respect wouldn't be complete without a reference to the Golden Rule, would it?
The Golden Rule reminds us:
"Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Luke 6:31).
This principle transcends cultures, faiths, and backgrounds, serving as a universal guide for fostering relationships built on honor and dignity.
The Golden Rule has always been a wonderful guide, as it encourages us to treat others with kindness and respect. However, it does not require us to maintain relationships with those who do not reciprocate that respect. Living by this principle means acting with integrity and grace, but it also means recognizing when it’s necessary to step away from those who consistently disregard your values and well-being. Setting boundaries and choosing to distance yourself from toxic relationships is not a violation of the Golden Rule; it’s a reflection of self-respect.
The real bonus when you are true to yourself is that you naturally attract like-minded people into your world and these are your people.
With all my love,
Grandma Carol
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