R E S P E C T: is it truly a two way street?

A lexicographer would define the meaning of respect as: ‘due regard for feelings, wishes, or rights of others.’ Whilst many of us believe respect should work both ways i.e. ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ — can we honestly say that we feel others hold true regard for our feelings and wishes, on the same level that we do for them?

At times it seems as though people only have consideration for themselves. To an extent, we can all be guilty of getting swept away in the ups and downs of the whirlwind that is life, but there comes a time when we must realise that some people simply exist solely for the drama!

These people are so ignorantly blissful basking in the waters of their self-absorption, they appear unable to comprehend that the world was intended to inhabit billions of other people, as opposed to just them and their humungous ego.

Many of us spend our lives striving to be a good friend, sibling, partner and all-round good person. Although we may not necessarily believe in karma, it only makes sense that if we treat others with kindness and respect then that treatment should be returned to us like a boomerang.

Expectation:

Reality:

We should now be at the stage in life where we only have room for solid and lasting relationships with clear co-ordinates indicating exactly where we stand, and be on a level playing field with the other person/people involved.

Gone are the days of feeling as if we have to treat every conversation we have like another riddle to crack — wondering if there was a hidden meaning behind each and every word uttered by the other person.

Life is way too short to be second guessing ourselves and taking on other people’s constant dramas and issues as our own. Of course, there is a major difference between supporting a friend in times of need and enabling someone who clearly has no regard for our feelings, wishes and rights, to fall deeper into their narcissistic hole of self-obsession.

Put simply, respect is most definitely a two-way street and if we have the consideration to take other people’s feelings and wishes into account, then there is absolutely no reason as to why they cannot take time out of their ‘busy’ schedules to show us the same kindness. As life goes on, we are all busy and generally have less free-time on our hands, but for those we truly care about we will always be able to make time. Successful relationships (whether romantic or platonic) take equal contributions from both parties in order to stand the test of time.

Of course we do not give with the intention of receiving, but then again we have every right to expect to get out what we put in, especially when it comes to people. Being continually overlooked and having our thoughts and feelings disregarded impacts on our self-esteem and how we view ourselves.

Negativity can spread like wildfire, so its best to surround ourselves with positive people who want nothing more than to see us succeed, as we do the same for them.

Thanks for reading guys,

Vicky xo

The end of an era.

So clearly my plan to keep up regular blog posts momentarily went out of the window. But to be fair, saying I had the most hectic few months of my life so far would be an understatement!

I’ve been busy busy busy….🐝

On the plus side I recently submitted my final few pieces of coursework ever, including the dreaded dissertation! The satisfaction I felt whilst uploading the file onto Turnitin and pressing ‘submit’, must’ve rivalled the joy Clark Kent felt when he finally revealed his true identity of Superman to Lois Lane, ultimately gaining access to her long-desired affections.

 

It’s amazing how surreal it actually feels. After studying for three long years, I simply can’t accept the fact that it’s all over. Anyone who has experienced the same thing; whether recently or in their earlier lives, will agree with me: no thrill-invoking theme park can compare to the twists and turns faced on the emotional roller-coaster that is third year! 

There were times when I was drowning in such a haze of emotion, I barely even knew who I was!😩😱 It was all fun and games until I reached the final few weeks approaching my deadlines, and became a slave to my laptop. There were days when I’d work through the chirping of the birds as the new and previous day overlapped. I was literally like:
   

But the important thing is I made it out alive and I’m now able to join the millions of others who will go on to tell the tale of their final year experience.

Although I’ve reached the end of an era, I’ve decided to turn that into a positive, rather than a negative. Many people go into a state of panic after Uni, and are literally like ‘My life is over, what am I supposed to do now?‘, which is in all fairness, a perfectly normal reaction when carrying out any major life changes. 

  

Three things in particular dawned on me:

1. I am now free forever from the bounds of education.
2. The world is my oyster. I can literally do anything I set my mind to, and finally (or almost) have the qualifications I need to live out the career of my dreams.
3. It’s not a competition. There is no rush, as I have the rest of my life to worry about whatever it is exactly that I should/want to be doing with myself.

For now I’m just living, and planning on having the most amazing summer yet! 

  

To sum it up, the end of an era doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, it’s opening up the doors to something new and exciting. The question is:

‘Are you ready?‘

Thanks for reading guys!

Vicky✌🏼️ xo