Since respect in relationships is very important to me, I was eager to review The Power of Respect: Benefit from the Most Forgotten Element of Success by Deborah Norville. I love the premise of this book: “Want to get the respect you deserve? Try giving it.” Truer words were never spoken/written!
In the book, Deborah covers six areas of respect – at home, in relationships, at school, in business, for leaders and self-respect. I constantly found myself shaking my head in agreement with points that were made throughout the book. It was so refreshing to read (the truth) that respecting and valuing others helps us to be more successful – not less. It is not necessary to be rude and uncivil in order to move ahead in life!
As a mom, I especially enjoyed the “It All Starts At Home” section. The truth is that our children learn to be respectful (or disrespectful) not only by what we say but also by what we do. My husband and I are “loose” on many things when it comes to our kids. We try to avoid extremes. However, there are two things that we are “strict” about – gratitude and respect. The boys can be many things around us … but ingratitude and disrespect are not optional! The part of this chapter that was the most challenging to me personally was the “Ignore the Negative” section. I don’t know if I completely agree with the statement “the best way to eliminate unwanted behavior is to ignore it”. I understand the underlying principle (focus on desired not undesirable behavior), but I think that the application depends on the age/temperament/etc. of the individual child. Having said that, it does make me think more about which battles I pick with my kids (since I already had a “don’t major in the minors” mentality with my husband). Most of all, I liked the reminder to be an example of the behavior that you want to see in those around you.
The other chapters are equally helpful and I highly recommend this book. The book is easy to read. I especially like how central points are boxed in order to stand out and how there are “Respect Reminders” at the end of each section that highlights the main points that were discussed. The one point in the book that challenged me to my core was: “There is no one who doesn’t deserve respect.” Think about that for a moment. That is not to say that everyone’s actions deserve respect. That is not the issue. Rather, it’s the belief that simply based on their existence, our fellow humans deserve to be respected in and of themselves. My emotions fight against that truth when it comes to people, but mentally, I totally agree. Overall, I found this book to be especially refreshing. I think that you will also.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing the review copy of this book.