When I was a majorette dancer in high school, we had a system for learning new routines. We started learning the steps slowly. We practiced with half range of motion over and over until we reached the point where we knew the routine by memory. Once we knew what to do, the captain would say, "Now let's take it from the top, but let's dance full-out!" Full-out meant to abandon the half-hearted movement and put every ounce of energy into the way you plan to dance at the performance. Full motion and all of your energy was required so that it would look the way it was created to look. Whenever it was time to look our best, she would yell, "FULL-OUT!" I said that to say that many of us have a vision for our lives that we are approaching with half-range motion. People can see that you are not giving your own life full range of motion. Not only that, but you can feel that your life is not what you would like for it to be. You are half-hearted in the way you live. One of the best ways to gain respect without having to verbally request it is to live full-out. This is when your life is budding and exuding ultimate confidence because you are keeping the promises that you have made to yourself, and your life is reflecting the results of your choices. Living full-out is when you are living well, and it shows!
Living full-out is the most important boundary you may ever set. The outside fruit of your life is the first component people see. It is impression that everyone sees or feels when they encounter you. It is the first thing you can put in place to set and manage expectations. Many people develop their ability to react to disrespect with anger responses. We learned to cuss people out and get them told. Many of us grew up believing that this was the way to get respect. However, I would love to challenge this concept as the best line of defense to your respect. Instead of getting people told in a nasty and unbecoming way on the back end with cussing and fighting, how about getting them straight on the front end with the way you have chosen to show up. The expectations that you have for respect are made clear by the way you respect yourself. And one of the best ways to show people that you mean business about you is to take this life that God has blessed you with and live full-out!
The way you want to look
The amount of money you want to have to afford the lifestyle you desire for yourself
The types of clothing you want to wear
The way you display and use your God given talents and gifts
The things that you have put on your bucket list
The memorable experiences you wish to create
These are some of the things to consider when living full-out. If you notice, these are the things you want for yourself. When you have already built your own life's table, people who desire to sit at it have to abide by the rules you have already established for yourself. They automatically respect it based on the presentation you have laid before them; and you did it without even having to say a word. There is no need to "straighten people out". The way you show up does this job for you.
From this day forward, dare to live full-out. People treat you well when they see you treating yourself well. The way you look and carry yourself, even the manner in which you speak, is all communication. It gives people a clue on how to handle you before they even know you. If you dress, walk, and talk with care, pride, and respect, the majority of others will respect you automatically. They can tell by the way you have shown up in the world that your standards are high. People respect standards. Self-care and self-love is the ultimate boundary.
It is Valentine's week. Even if you don't have a boo to treat you well, I urge you to treat yourself well. I admonish you to spend this week being intentional about the way you treat and carry yourself. I admonish you to live full-out in the presence of the world as your primary boundary to protect your respect and peace.
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