You may have already heard the old saying that money cannot buy happiness. While this is certainly true, there are other, equally important things that money cannot buy. Even if you were the wealthiest person in the world, you would soon understand that integrity, couth, and class cannot be purchased. They are wonderful aspects of self respect which you must earn through your own behavior, attitude, and outlook.
When you have healthy self respect, you know that whatever you do reflects on you yourself. You also know that it affects the other people in your life. You want to present yourself in a way to show that you respect not only yourself, but others as well.
Integrity, couth, and class mean taking into account that your behavior matters. The way you conduct yourself in your everyday life, and the way you treat other people clearly show whether you have self respect. Instead of thinking about what you can get away with, you think about doing what is right. Instead of putting yourself first, you take the needs and feelings of other people into consideration. You do your best to make sure that good manners are always a part of your interactions with others. Instead of believing that these things mean weakness or compliance, you know that they are characteristics of a very strong person. They are also characteristics which other people will admire in you.
The person who has, and consistently displays, these characteristics is the person who will always come out a winner. First, when you know that you are always doing your best to put your best foot forward, you will see yourself as a very positive person. This is one of the most important foundations to achieving happiness and success. In addition, the person who gains the good things in life through a proper attitude and behavior is the person who will enjoy his success the most.
Second, these attributes will show you in a positive and honest light to other people. Whether you are interacting with your school friends, family members, employers, or people whom you do not know very well, your integrity, couth, and class will be noticeable to everyone. You will enjoy a good reputation and better communication with all of the people you meet. The best thing about self respect is you will know that you, yourself, have earned it. It is something which money simply cannot buy.
All you need to do to begin is to ponder for a few moments on those words. Think of how much more enriched and satisfying your life can be when they are consistent parts of your everyday life. Instead of trying to gain something by doing things that you know are wrong, or hoping no one will notice the difference, you will have earned your self respect and the respect of others every step of the way. It will not take long to see the improvements in your life when you develop the habit of making these characteristics a part of everything that you say and do.