Nobody wants to be disrespected. When someone crosses the line by making a snark comment, showed an outright rudeness, it can hit very hard and leaves you hurt and embarrassed. But there is a shift from my perspective that can change everything.
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Instead of dwelling on the pain, just pause and ask yourself, "What have I done wrong that might have opened the door to this?". Your emotions will definitely fade way with time, but if you do not know and address what brought about the disrespect, it will still happen again. Disrespect doesn't just come from nowhere, it slips through the whole that you mistakenly left open. When you take responsibility for what you did that brought about the disrespect, then you can know the door to shut to avoid such disrespect next time.
This is not just about blaming yourself or just letting others get off the hook for their bad behavior towards you. Most times, some people are just rude, plain and simple. But when you focus on what you can control, your actions, words and boundaries, this puts the power back into your hands. Maybe you didn't speak up the next time someone disrespect you, so they thought it will be ok to do it again. Or you ignored your gut telling you to leave and you stayed in a situation where you weren't valued. Whatever that may be, when you reflect on your role, you are not just beating yourself, you are trying to learn grow. Juts like the way you check your locks after it was being broken down by the arm robbers, in this situation you are not trying to say that the thieves were right, you are just trying to make sure it never happened again.
So, when next you feel disrespected, just take that deep breath and redirect your focus. Let the hurt heal, ans it will definitely. Then you switch to curious mode check if you have compromised your standard, or did you let someone that was small feel big in your eyes. All this kind of reflections will really help you. It will help you to spot the patterns and strengthen your boundaries. Maybe you wanted to say no, or just walk way, or even carry yourself with that confidence that should demand respect. Just this little changes can change how others treat you.
By addressing what could have gone wrong that warranted the disrespect, you will not only dodge future pain, you are building a life that comes with dignity and self-respect. You are now showing others that you value yourself enough to learn. That is not only inspiring, it is empowering. Shut those doors, be confident, stan frim and let respect come your way without forcing it.