Our capacity for intimacy is built on deep respect, a presence that allows what is true to express itself, to be discovered.
~ Jack Kornfield
Respect can connect humans at the deepest level. Love that is based on respect – rather than need or longing – is more enduring. Such respect can tolerate great differences. Truth and commitment can emerge in the container of mutual respect.
Some things command our respect – perhaps because of their beauty or power. Respect for the ordinary, especially in intimate relationships, can sustain those connections. Express your respect. Say it. Show it in a gift or gesture, especially during difficult times. That which is accompanied with respect, even if it is difficult, will be better heard.
Today I will respect myself and all others whom I have contact with. I will communicate that respect by what I do and say.
Excerpt from A Quiet Strength: Meditations on the Masculine Soul