How to gain respect from people

Do you feel like you are being stepped on?  Like people aren’t giving you mutual respect.  Don’t take this the wrong way, but you may be causing your own problem.

The good news is the following: you can gain the respect of your friends, family, and co-workers.  The respect you are looking for will come when you master the words and body language that you are presenting to the world.

The words and attitude that decrease respect

When I was a young man in the trade, I apologized a lot.

“I don’t know how to do that.  I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry to bother you, can I ask a question?”

“You need a new system, I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.  I’m sorry.”

I felt like a walking apology, and this affected my attitude.  I was in a growth process, and I felt terrible for my limited knowledge.  I felt like I owed everyone an apology just for being alive.

Apologies should be reserved for the intentionally guilty.  They shouldn’t be a punishment for a person that is working through a learning curve.  Give yourself some grace, and be proud that you are putting forth the effort to learn.

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Body language that decreases respect

In addition to my words of self doubt, I also had bad body language.

Instead of looking into the eyes of my peers and clients, I would look at the floor.  I also found myself rolling my shoulders forward and bending at the spine.  This type of body language communicates that a person is weak.  This will cause you disrespect.

Discover how to gain respect in this short video

Respect is vital to your personal happiness and career success.  With respect, you will go further, faster.  I’m speaking to you as a person that suffers from low self-esteem, and has made it a life-long mission to gain the respect of others.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don’t let trolls take your energy. There are some people that will never give respect to anyone. They are called trolls. Don’t let those people affect you. Seek the respect of the respectful.

Question:  How have you gained the respect of your peers? Please comment and share on Facebook and LinkedIn.