Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

Browse/preview/purchase any of Allen James' publications at:

www.lulu.com/spotlight/allenjames1961 or
www.jamesharryman2002.wix.com/allenjamesbooks
January 26th's reading from The Journey: A Calendar Book is:

 "Be respectful" (James, 2012).

Just as positivity breeds positivity, respect demands respect. For the past 30 years one of my careers has been education; a social institution which aims to not only educate children and youth, but adults as well, about the knowledge which is the basis of becoming a good citizen and well-rounded individual.

I graduated from Murray State University in 1983, following which I began my teaching career. Prior to this I worked as a desk clerk at several resort hotels and an associate in the retail industry. In 1990 I added psychotherapist in private practice to my already busy schedule. We're hard-pressed to find employment these days which doesn't involved dealing with the public. It was no different 100 years ago.

My day to day interaction with people, their personalities and their foibles teaches much about interpersonal relationships. Show others respect and most generally (there are those few who will prove unreachable) others will show respect in return.

Case in point, last year in my position of school counselor I had to talk with a student about their absences from clinical experience in a health occupations class; the importance of being on the job when expected and keeping employment. This wasn't the first time I had to address the issue with this student. Showing the student respect and meeting them on "their turf" so to say, determines the outcome of the communication in more ways than one. Not approaching situations as the "controller" and the "authority" with others is vital to their acceptance of the message being conveyed. The meeting was a good one, filled with empathy and compassion about what the student has going on in their own life which affects their responsibilities.

As the student left the building to head to clinical, she poked their head in my office and said, "You make me want to be a better person". I retorted with, "You make ME want to be a better person". Mutual respect demands the same.

Be respectful.

Keep looking up. : ) AJ