Aretha says...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Not just the signature song of soul legend Aretha Franklin, but more a way of life. 

To me respect is the basis of everything. Get it right and you will gain respect from all you encounter. How? By simply adhering to a few simple rules. 

First and foremost, respect should never assumed and always earned. 

Broken down, i like to think of it look at it as having the following approach to all I do and all I encounter along the way. Adopt this and you probably won't go far wrong. 

R: Responsibility for your actions - you, nobody else are responsible for how you behave. 

E: Environment; this is the one that gets me. We live where we live. Treat it nice and it will be a nicer place to be. 

S: Support each other. However, please don't confuse this with letting someone take advantage. 

P: Persevere in all you do. Don't give up, if you do you will never know how great something, or someone can be. 

E: Equality!!! Nobody is better than anyone else. Doesn't matter what colour your skin is compared to anyone else's. Doesn't matter what background or how privileged you are. Someone will always be better off, and someone will always be worse off.

C: Compassion comes perfectly after equality. Be a nicer human. Doesn't get any easier than that. 

T: Trust takes time to earn and seconds to break. Always be on the side of earning it. 

So back to the immortal words of soul sister Aretha: 'What you want, baby I got it...'

Happy Damn Friday Peeps! x

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