Give respect a try: The REAP Formula

The REAP Formula for Success and Satisfaction in Your Life:

Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness

Reflect for a moment on the meaning of respect.

Respect traditionally refers to the positive thoughts and feelings we have about someone, their actions, or something of value. It includes an understanding of why they are valued and why they should be appreciated. Respect often involves treating a person or situation with consideration, recognition, and care.  It is a key part of interacting with others in positive ways. On the other hand, individuals can direct their respect towards inappropriate or even illegal acts.

Here’s a key point to consider: Individuals have a choice about what types of people, behaviors, and things they decide to respect. For example, teachers respect students who work hard to improve their grades. Likewise, employers value employees who work hard to earn their wages. On the other hand, some individuals choose to respect negative rather than positive actions, for example, individuals who create problems or act in harmful ways.

It’s important to carefully choose what people and events best fit with your personal and spiritual values. Your values and ideals influence who and what you respect. Talk with the trusted adults in your life. Ask for their feedback on what is important to value. This might be a parent or grandparent, a teacher, a pastor, or a coach who is dedicated to helping others. Identify what matters to those people in your life who have contributed to you in helpful ways.

Again, you have a choice about the people, behaviors, and things you decide to respect.

Respectful behavior can be applied to many areas. Consider the following:

·      Respect for self

·      Respect for others

·      Respect for the efforts for others

·      Respect for your possessions

·      Respect for the property of others

·      Respect for authority: parents, teachers, the law, and others.

·      Respect for your city

·      Respect for your government

Respecting yourself is a good place to start.

You respect yourself when you take care of yourself in healthy ways. This includes building positive habits both mentally and physically. Keeping your thinking healthy and your body fit are good examples. You also respect yourself when you act in ways that are beneficial to yourself and others. For example, working hard to improve your grades increases your success in school. It is respectful of your skills and the educational opportunities you have. Helping with the chores at home shows respect for your parents and their efforts to clothe and feed you. Keeping your clothes neat shows respect for what you have, as well as for those who worked to buy them for you.

The reverse is true. You disrespect yourself when you do things that are harmful and unhealthy. For example, taking dangerous substances is harmful to your body and mind and shows a lack of respect for your health.  Likewise, trashing your belongings shows disrespect for the efforts of those who worked to give them to you, as well as yourself. Later, we’ll discuss respect for your possessions and the property of others and what that says about you.

The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.

For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.

Be understanding of others: Empathy

The REAP Formula for Success and Satisfaction in your Life:

Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness

Empathy increases our understanding of others.

We have been discussing respect and its importance. You’ll remember we described respect as our regard for someone, their actions, or things of value. Empathy is often a helpful step in the process of coming to respect someone. Empathy refers to our understanding of others and their situation. It usually involves being aware and sensitive to their circumstances and their feelings. A common example is having empathy for someone who has lost a close relative. If we have experienced the loss of a loved one, we likely remember and understand the painful feelings that accompany their grief. Empathy helps us consider why others may act a certain way, or voice a particular opinion.

Here’s an important point about empathy. Learning to consider the thoughts and feelings of others gives us the opportunity to think about what we say and how we act towards them. This is essential for our personal growth. Consider how many times you spoke about something without thinking, and how often you wished you could take your statement back. Often, hurt feelings resulted from the verbal exchange.

Remember, you have a choice about the people, behaviors

and things you decide to respect.

Respecting someone includes consideration of their thoughts and feelings, as well as their circumstances. Empathy provides us with the insight and sensitivity to do this successfully.

The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.

For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.

"Thank You" is a way to show appreciation and respect

The REAP Formula for Success and Satisfaction in your Life:

Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness

Showing appreciation to others is a welcomed gesture.

Most of us welcome the positive feelings that accompany expressions of gratitude. It may be as simple as someone saying thanks for our help with a task. Appreciation also implies an understanding of the value or worth of something; for example, you took your personal time to help me out. Saying thank you also removes any doubt that you are aware of another person’s effort or contribution to something. Showing appreciation, saying thanks, and expressing respect for the efforts of others is a powerful way to build relationships and enhance friendship.

Words and gestures that express our positive thoughts towards others

help boost the feelings of the people receiving them.

It is important to take an honest review of yourself to determine if you are a person who expresses gratitude towards others. At the same time, evaluate if you are someone who takes things for granted. Your home setting is a great place to start.

Here are a few questions to consider:

·      How often do you express appreciation to your parents or other family members?

·      Do you typically thank them for the daily things they do for you; for example, meals, rides to school, money for food, and so on?

·      How often do you give them a token of your gratitude; for example, a thank-you card or doing a task that helps them (cleaning the kitchen)?

·      If you are bold enough, ask a parent or mentor to give you feedback about whether they know how much you appreciate them.

As mentioned in previous blogs, empathy is a quality that will help you with this process. Having an understanding of how others might feel in a situation will often increase your appreciation for them and their efforts. In short, an important part of being respectful towards others is showing and expressing appreciation.

Once you evaluate how well you express appreciation, consider ways to increase how often you say thanks to others.

The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.

For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.

Being polite is a way to show respect and consideration

The REAP Formula for Success and Satisfaction in Your Life:

Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness

Being polite is a way of showing respect and consideration.

Your parents, grandparents, and teachers have no doubt insisted on politeness at one time or another. In simple terms, being polite means being considerate and respectful towards other individuals. In a broader sense, politeness often refers to the use of good manners in conducting ourselves. Courtesy and good manners show respect for others as well as yourself. Rudeness shows disrespect for others and a lack of caring.

Many seem to think that good manners are behaviors found only in well-to-do social settings. In reality, good manners are found in all settings and in simple everyday interactions. Examples include saying thank-you, helping someone carry a load, opening the door for a person, saying good morning or good evening to someone, or letting an elderly person go ahead of you in a line.

How you say something makes a difference also. A polite way of asking for more bread at dinner might be: “May I have another piece of bread,” or “Please pass the bread.” A less mannered approach might be: “Give me that now.” Politeness conveys an appreciation of others.

There are a few groups that consider polite behavior to be a weakness. In fact, you may find the opposite of respectful behavior dominates some groups. It’s simple to identify rude individuals. They can be identified by an unfriendly frown that accompanies statements such as “get it yourself,” “I’m not your mother,” and “take a hike.”

Choose carefully how you want to represent yourself and relate to others. If you want to be a respectful and considerate person, give politeness and manners a try. You will find that such qualities benefit others, your family, and yourself, and is a trait found among successful individuals.

The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.

For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.

Respect for authority is an essential part of life.



Respect for authority is an essential part of our lives.


You interact with individuals in positions of authority on a daily basis. This starts at home with your parents and includes your contact with teachers, coaches, public servants, law enforcement officials, and others. Such individuals often provide guidelines for behavior and enforce limits. For example, at a job, your supervisor has the authority to direct what you do and how you do it. Likewise, the principal of your school has the authority to set the times for classes and dress code requirements.


In short, authority is everywhere! And even more obvious, everyone, including you, is subject to it.


It’s important to understand that rules and limits and the people who enforce them are dedicated to providing order in our lives. If there were no stop signs, every intersection would be a mess and it would take an enormous amount of time to get from one place to another. Likewise, if there were no laws about shoplifting, few stores could stay in business to provide goods and services to all. Again, authority serves a purpose.


Since authority and limits are everywhere, it is confusing how some individuals react to authority with anger. For example, you may have heard stories from friends that suggested that a state trooper was waiting just for them to give out a speeding ticket. Somehow, it became a personal vendetta when they were confronted with breaking the law. Often, such individuals are angry with themselves and place the blame on the person in authority rather than take responsibility themselves. Obviously, speed limits are set by law and there are numerous signs to remind us what the limits are.

An equally scary attitude is displayed by individuals who see themselves as above the law. Some even find humor in disobeying the law. For example: "I sped all the way home and didn't get a ticket." In other words, I broke the law. Such views are irresponsible and convey the absurd idea that you and your behavior are more important than the rights of others. Accidents caused by reckless drivers are often the result of such irresponsible attitudes.


As noted in previous blogs, you have a choice about who and what you choose to respect. Take an honest look at how you view authority figures and decide if you relate to them in respectful ways. Likewise, evaluate your attitude toward laws and limits. Do you consistently obey the rules that have been established to serve society? Do you see yourself as someone who is above the law? Finally, do you make fun of our laws and the officials who attempt to enforce them?


Remember, you have a choice about respecting people, behaviors, and properties.


The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.


For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.

Respect the property of others.

Respect for your belongings and the property of others is important.

Respect for yourself includes caring for your belongings. Likewise, respect for others includes consideration for their property.  How you treat possessions demonstrates your appreciation for them and their value. This applies to items that have been given to you, as well as items you have purchased with your own wages. When you pay for items out of your own earnings, you are likely more respectful of the effort it took to purchase them.

Consider the effort it took for your parents to be able to pay for the things you want and need. That may include clothing as well as cell phones, musical instruments, and other items. Do not take their efforts for granted. For example, how you care about your clothes directly reflects how much you value what has been given to you.

Apply the same sentiment to services such as dental care and braces, which often require significant expense to your parents. Following your dentist's instructions on care shows respect for what you have received.

Extend this principle to caring about the property of others. The goal is simple: Choose to care about people and their possessions and do not take either for granted. Likewise, be respectful of their efforts to maintain and care for their property.
Throwing litter on a lawn shows disrespect for the owner and their labors to make that setting attractive. Additionally, someone has to cleanup the leftover mess.

Reflect for a few moments on what it says about you if you disrespect the property of others. Disposing of leftover food by tossing it on someone’s lawn is a good example. What is a person thinking when he acts in this manner? What does such an action suggest about their maturity? What should you do if you witness someone abusing the property of others?

Carefully consider the importance of respecting the property of others.

The REAP Formula reflects key considerations for growing in healthy ways.  The letters stand for Respect, Empathy, Appreciation, and Politeness. Learning to embrace these traits provides a blueprint for respecting yourself, relating to others in positive ways, and personal growth.

For further ideas, blogs, and tactics, check the information available at our website: hightouchlearning.com.