“Treat others the way you want to be treated,” is a quote I’ve heard from preschool to now. It sounds simple, but there is great value to following this preset. Imagine how amazing the world would be if we would all learn to RESPECT each other.

Growing up, I was taught to respect people. Whether I liked someone or not, I would treat them fairly and equally. I was not born with this trait, and as a little kid I probably was not as respectful as I should have been, but as I grow and experience different situations, I have learned this skill. I have been around many different types of people, which has helped me build this trait. If someone is having a bad day, I’ll listen to them vent. If someone needs to borrow a pencil, I will lend one. If I am having a bad day or don’t like the way someone is treating me, I try not to take it out on others. Although I might not always get respect from others, I always try my hardest to give it.

Respect can manifest in many forms. Respect is a form of politeness. It can be as small as saying, “please,” or “thank you,” listening to your teachers or bosses and not talking during a presentation, or listening to others’ beliefs and opinions. Respect is a form of patience, such as taking the time to walk someone through the steps to complete a task rather than rushing them through it. Respect is encouragement. For instance, this can be helping your friends and colleagues achieve a goal of theirs or providing advice. Lastly, honesty is respect. Excessive lying leads to lost trust, which causes a loss of respect in the future. These are all simple examples that may not seem like much, but they are a great way to build respect.

Sometimes, when I am frustrated, I am not respectful; this is something I need to work on. I admire respect and strive to achieve it. It makes people more comfortable and allows others to open up. Everyone is treated equally and nicely and will feel like they matter. If everyone in a community was respectful, a lot more would get accomplished. People would feel valued and people would work together to solve problems.

We should work on respect just to see how much we can better our community, no matter how small the gesture is.