Set Intentions of Respect With This Inspiring Acrostic Poem
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Athena Stuart.
Copy by: Ashley Macha
Model: Athena Stuart
Editor: Jeni Fjelstad
Creative Direction: Catie Menke
The feeling of deep admiration for someone or something. That sounds nice, right? Choosing to show and share respect is an important quality as humans. In life. In our careers. In our relationships. In line at a coffee shop.
Self-respect should be held as high priorities in our minds. For years, I personally lacked so much self-respect. Anxiety, past trauma, pain, all caused so much passive behavior from myself. I became a people pleaser. I went along with things because I was afraid of loss and of being rejected. Of being left out. And in the end, I disrespected myself and the person I love the most. And worse: I ended up with loss and rejection anyway.
I’ve learned to think of self-respect as a balancing act of being fair to multiple sides of a situation or for multiple people. It requires pause, thought, empathy and understanding, loyalty, and a lot of love and admiration. I know I’ve been at fault for reacting and not pausing to think about where I could possibly be acting unintentionally disrespectful. We’ve all been there. But it’s something I’ve made a priority of mine. Because I respect myself. I respect my loved ones. I respect my choices.
Many times, the action you can have to take to respect yourself overlaps with a potential disrespect or pain for someone else. The choice isn’t always so easy, but the approach can help. If the act is coming from a place of kindness, from good intentions, from love, and mostly, if it involves open, honest communication, there will always be a path toward equilibrium in the situation. Where both sides feel heard, valued, and safe.
If you find yourself in a situation where you are unsure of how to approach or act, the acrostic poem below is a great way to think about respect. Toward another person, a situation, or yourself. And soon, these will become innate and ingrained.
R – espond: When you or someone else has shown an action or speaks to you, or you are about to speak to someone, in any manner – calm, passionate, angry, sad – take a second to breathe, to think, to listen and really pause before responding. Understand any projected or internal narratives that could be at play. Take note of where you are in the moment. And take time if you need. Hit pause if you need. Because it’s more important to be mindful of your own feelings and attachments to the action or words and check yourself before responding.
E – xample: Act as your own example of respect. Build trust within yourself and for others. These building blocks of examples will continue to stack and stack and create a safety net for future situations.
S – upport: Help carry, drive, direct, and be present for a person, situation, or yourself. Find a ground to stabilize in, through love, care, growth, and kindness for this experience at hand. The support and respect will follow.
P – roperty: If the situation is about a possession, stay mindful of how to take care of things, whether your own or others’. Keep organized, clean, up-to-date.
E – arn: Think of respect as something you should always be working toward. Something you can always be better at. Something that is always evolving. And learn to maintain it.
C – are: Think about how much you care about this situation or person or yourself. And how you would like to also be treated and cared for, if the situation were reversed.
T – ime: Respect is something that can be earned in a second or it might take time to earn. In some situations, it might also take longer to learn. Stay the course and move forward with intention, never rushing the process.
Art Direction and Photograph by: Catie Menke. Model: Athena Stuart.
Move through these exercises knowing that we are not perfect. As humans, we all have streaks where we can appear to be disrespectful. Where anxieties can come into play. Where past trauma or behaviors become triggered. That is okay. Acknowledging it, learning, growing, and working to not repeat those same actions is the differentiating factor for what makes us respectful, caring, and loving human beings.
Breathe and have patience with yourself and others. Work to show them that they are important and deserving and valued, and you will hopefully receive that same respect and heart back. Really think about the individual or situation at play. Who they are as a person, where they might be coming from — and don’t let false narratives come into play or create a situation in your mind where you feel attacked.
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