Our first and last love is self-love which is portrayed to the world through actions reflecting self-respect. Clint Eastwood once said, “Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that is real power.”
Now that Iâm a parent, I often reflect on my own childhood and am so grateful for my parents teaching me self-respect from a very young age. It truly is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give to their children. I now know that self-esteem is built on self-respect, and showing respect is a skill that takes time to learn. When you are able to love yourself, it is much easier to take on challenges and bounce back from any fall. This resilience enables children to embrace opportunities in their path, and high self-esteem becomes their optimistic fuel for exploring the world. The good news is, itâs never too late to learn or hone this skill. That resilience that grounded me through my early life has been tested many times through parenting, especially now that Iâm a single parent. Parenting through a divorce is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. I know there are many of you out there who know that all too well. I recently came across an amazing book on this topic entitled, Get the Behavior You Want⦠Without Being the Parent You Hate by Deborah Gilboa, MD. How many of you can relate to that title?  Parenting challenges us in SO MANY ways on a daily basis, and a major life transition can really make it difficult to push aside feelings of guilt and continue to discipline children through some rocky moments where it would be so much easier to give in. However, by staying the course, we are able to teach children a monumental lessonâ¦.A lesson in self-respect that will help them practice discipline in life and live a life they are proud to call their own.
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