Page 34 - 7 Steps to Spiritual Empathy Sample Book_Neat

When we offer and treat ourselves with respect,
we are developing self-respect. Self-respect fuels
self-esteem.

When our self-esteem and our inner sense of self
value is healthy, we recognize our own needs
and our own healthy limits and our own
humanness. We recognize our autonomy and we
take responsibility for negotiating our choices.
When we offer and treat others with respect we
recognize their needs, their opinions, and their
differences. When we treat someone with respect
we recognize their autonomy and therefore the
responsibility that they have for their own
actions.

I have a very dear friend who often uses the
term “Tread Lightly through Life”. When he
uses these words, he is referring to a gentle
approach to life, where he strives to live
respectfully, not to “tread on the toes” of others.
He is however, no push over, and his clarity of
boundaries would serve as a role model for us
all.

By treading lightly, he is striving to live from a
position in which respect is woven into the very
fabric of his considered choices and actions.

34
7 Steps to Spiritual Empathy
©Jenny Burgess A-Z of Emotional Health Ltd 2016 All rights reserved.