Respect

When I started my spiritual journey after my awakening in 2013, I treated myself like a corporation.  I asked myself what were the main values that were most important to me.  One of those values was respect.

In the healing of victimization that I was feeling within myself, I realized that I just kept noticing this victim feeling.  Over and over and over.  When was I ever going to not feel like a victim?  When was I never going to not feel weak or sorry for myself or powerless.  The process is lifelong but it is worth it.  After discovering boundaries and putting them in place, there was still times where this was difficult to hold the boundaries.  It was like they were a little weak.  A little flexible.  It was easier to cross that line.  They left me with a feeling of being a little unsure of myself.  It was like I couldn’t stand up for myself.  I was still in this place of being victimized or feeling victimy.  I was allowing it but I didn’t know how to strengthen it.  Boundaries were just not enough.  So I prayed about it.  I asked for what I needed and what I got was RESPECT.  It wasn’t that I didn’t understand it intellectually, it was I now was allowing myself to receive it energetically.  There is a huge difference.  When you get it energetically you get it in your bones, in your DNA, in your person.  It is the gift from your soul and from God. It made me sit up tall.  It made me be more responsible for how I respected myself.  What’s the saying…..You can’t control how other’s treat you but you can control how you react.  It makes me feel more empowered.  It makes me feel more in control of myself but not really control, more respectFULL - Full of Respect.  It’s like allowing yourself to flow within the wisdom of your Soul without standing there holding up the respect sign or boundary sign in protest. It’s a loving holding for yourself. There is a difference.  

When I actually asked myself, How do I respect myself?  I came up with many many answers.  It was right in front of me the whole time.  The answer was when I respect myself, I can respect God, I can respect others, I can respect animals, etc.  It was an empowering feeling of finally…I get it.  It’s time for me to not only take responsibility for myself (again at a deeper level) but it was time to respect myself.  How can I possibly love myself if I don’t respect myself?  It seemed to go together hand in hand.

For instance, take the example of respecting the body.  When I respect my body, then I won’t need those chips today.  I then have the power to make a decision to respect myself.  I am not powerless and those chips can’t overtake me, I am not a slave to an addiction, I have the power to decide to respect myself and my body.  When I respect my body then I will listen to a boundary that I set.  When I respect my body and take those steps in holding my boundary or making a healthier decision, then I can grow my self respect.  My self confidence.  My self esteem.  That is a way of growing stronger within yourself. Well that was my experience anyway.

Respect comes with a stronger energy.  It strengthens those places that feel a little wavery.  But respect doesn’t have to come with boundaries that are so hard that you can’t allow things to get through but at least you can discern that when the time comes.  When you respect yourself, you can discern and pray that if you let something come through your boundaries, is that something that comes through worth your energy and is that energy ready to be healed in relationship with you.  This is where you trust yourself.  Trust your soul’s wisdom and then let the Universe guide you.

Respect is a place of reverence for yourself.  A place or feeling that you are WORTHY of respect.  You are worthy of being treated well.  You are worthy of love.  You are worthy of all the things you desire in your life.  So respect yourself and your worthiness to be the great human being that you are and want to be.  When your respect yourself, others with respect you and you will respect them.  They are natural boundaries that don’t have to be held in intensity but they can be held in love.  Love for yourself.  Love yourself so much that you can respect the needs of yourself.  Respect the love.  The love from Creator, love from your Soul, love from others.  In the words of the great Aretha Franklin, R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

I pray you find the respect within yourself to grow and spill out into the world of respecting others, God, and this earth and your time here on it.

With love and respect,

Jackie