Today, I wanna talk about respect. Over the years I have witnesses a lot of people (customers at work, bosses, friends, co-workers, etc) who disrespect others or even myself. When I was younger (and a lot less wiser) I am almost positive I was a little asshole that was rude and not concious of how my words or actions effected others. As the years have passed and I have gone through several life tragedies, I feel that, for the most part, I have matured into a responsible and well mannered person. Not to say that I don't shoot a dirty look every now and then or want to kick someone's ass (haha), but most of the time I like to think of myself as a down to earth kind of person.
With that being said, I have been much more observant of how others (myself included) treat people. I have recently come into a situation where I felt uncomfortable and usually I am not one to say anything. I usually sit back and let people talk to me the way the do and move on and forget that I was just mistreated or talked down to. This particular situation was not the case. As I will not go into detail on what happened, I decided to put my foot down as I had had enough. I told the person I was not comfortable with the way I was being talked to and that I felt disrespected. As I am sure the person was very shocked, I was pleased with the way I handled the situation and I am sure the other person was, too. I didn't say anything to offend anyone and what I said wasn't meant to be disrespectful. I just wanted that person to know how I felt and I even practiced how I would deliver my speech in my head.
I am thankful for everyone around me who has taught me how to be respectful and tactful in uncomfortable situations. I hope that if I encounter any more sticky situations that I will continue to be brave and stand up for myself in a respectful way.
What do you do in an uncomfortable situation or if you feel disrespected?
