Self-respect is the one of the most important qualities to possess in life. If you do not understand how to respect yourself and your worth, you certainly have not learned to respect others. If you wish to foster lasting relationships with others, it is important to work on the relationship you have with yourself, first!

People do not respect themselves enough. This is something I see all too often. For years, I was the same way. I didn’t respect myself, my body, the food that I ate and my life. I didn’t overcome this until I learned that we ALL deserve the best and should never settle for anything less.

I’ve seen too many relationships fall apart because the self-respect is lacking. Self-respect and self-love will allow you to choose the ones that will not only motivate you to do the things you deserve to do, but will also make you happy.

Self-respect is not something than can grow over night, but is something that can develop on a day-to-day basis. You and only you is responsible for your fate, so the time is now to start growing from within. When you respect yourself, you take pride in who you are and what you have to offer. Let that pride carry you to a happier, more worthy person. Strengthening the relationship with yourself will give you the determination to better your relationship with others as well.

Too many people place the needs of others before their own, but in order to respect others, you need to meet your own needs first. As mentioned in my previous blog, a key to respecting others is respecting yourself first. If you cannot extend yourself respect and courtesy, you certainly cannot express that to others.

If you’re thinking something along the lines of, “I’m selfish if I don’t spend all my time helping other people,” reframe that thought into this, “By allowing time to myself, I can take better care of other people.” This is fundamental to personal growth and a concept too many people do not realize.

Respecting yourself will give you, as well as the others around you, so much more out of life. So, if you’re ready to begin your path towards self-respect, please email me for a 2-hour complimentary coaching session at info@paulagalli.com.

I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.

Xo Paula

Respect is needed in the modern world to foster peace and kindness between all people. Treating others with respect shows that you value them as individuals, honoring their personal rights and dignity. In the absence of respect, there is humiliation, contempt, dishonesty, bullying, and self-hate.

A respectful relationship is a selfless relationship that can handle criticism and learn to forgive. At its heart, respect makes the world a better place, and that is why I’ve listed five easy ways to be a respectful person (below), just in case you need further guidance.

Practice Self-Respect
If you cannot extend yourself respect and courtesy, you certainly cannot express that to others. If you’re thinking something along the lines of, “I’m selfish if I don’t spend all my time helping other people,” reframe that thought into this, “By allowing time to myself, I can take better care of other people.”

Follow The Golden Rule
I cannot say it enough: treat others as you wish to be treated. It is important to remember that each individual has as much worth as you do, and just because you believe in something, does not mean that everyone else is obligated to believe that same thing. No matter what your own beliefs are, intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination are always disrespectful.

Eliminate Distractions
We live in a world full of distractions. Mobile phones, computers, televisions, etc. can tune us out from others. It is important to pay attention when others are speaking by eliminating these distractions around us. More often than not, our minds will wander if we become distracted. A distracted person could seem disrespectful to others. If you find that your mind has wandered, ask the person you are speaking with to repeat what they just said, so that you can be actively involved again in the conversation.

Express Yourself Honestly
Being honest with your thoughts and how you truly feel about something not only shows respect to others, but it also gives you credibility so that others will respect you too.

Be Reliable
If you commit to something, come through on your end of the deal. Being reliable shows respect for people’s time, and shows that you’re making a special effort to be there for them.

For more information on how to practice respect, or if you’d like to book a 2-hour complimentary coaching session with me, please email me at info@paulagalli.com.

I also invite you to check out my book ‘Weighing Love,’ which was written with the intention to help anyone who is dealing with eating disorders/disordered eating, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and negative thoughts, or for anyone who is trying to reach touch with their authentic self.

Xo Paula

My dad and I have always shared a very special bond, from taking me to my dance classes, to video taping my countless spice girl performances – my dad has always been and always will be my number one fan.

Though I know many girls who too have very special bonds with their fathers, we always hear about the importance of a male role model in a boy’s life. What’s often missing from the conversation is the importance of one in a daughter’s life as well. A girl’s father is one of the most influential people in her life, and he holds a large impact on his little girl’s development into a strong, confident woman. Why? I’ve outlined the reasons below.

1. He Impacts Her Self-Esteem
The encouragement and involvement from a father is extremely impactful for a daughter. A father’s words and time spent with his daughter will help lower her insecurities and increase the confidence she holds in her own abilities.

2. He Impacts Her Social Skills
Daughters with involved fathers generally have better social skills than those with no father figure because an actively involved father will give his daughter a better sense of community.

3. He Impacts Her Relationships
The way a father treats his daughter will have a direct impact on her personal relationships. For example, as infants, we take in a complete sensory experience of our everyday surroundings and this shapes our perception of normalcy. So a daughter’s early relationship with dad, who is usually the first male object of her love, shapes her conscious and unconscious perceptions of what she can expect and what is acceptable in her relationships with others.

4. He Impacts Her Behavioural & Obedience Skills
A dad who spends time playing games with his daughter will have a direct impact on her behavior. Why? Because kids learn a lot through play, and apply rules learned during play to life.

5. He Impacts Her Health
Daughters who are nurtured by their fathers are more likely to have better overall health because they are generally happier people. A happy mind helps to better manage stress, which leads to a healthier overall lifestyle, as stress is a primary cause of illness.

Fathers bring positive benefits to their daughters that no other person is as likely to bring. They have a parenting style different from that of mother and that difference is important in healthy child development.

I’m so very blessed that my daughter has such an amazing father to help her fully develop her life into one that is filled with love, support and happiness. The bond they share (already) is truly beautiful and I cannot wait to see it grow as the year’s progress.

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Xo Paula

The gift of motherhood has been the best one of all. I’m so blessed and so happy to be a mother, and I cannot wait to spend my growing years with my beautiful little girl. Though I’m still very new at being a mother, I wanted to share my list of the top five things that are important for new moms and moms-to-be to know.

1. Listen To Your Instincts
There are so many parenting resources out there. Though most offer some valuable insights, it is important to not get too caught up. The most important thing to remember is that you know your baby best. Don’t get caught up thinking these resources know better than you do.

2. Listen To Your Baby
Your baby will communicate with you through body language and crying, and within the first few weeks, you will begin to notice behaviours and different tones of crying that are clearly trying to tell you something. It is important to pay close attention to these cues, as they could help you understand what your baby is telling you.

3. Take Naps
If you’re a new mom, you know what lack of sleep feels like. If you know me, you know that I’m a big fan of naps (and more so now that I have a newborn). Get as much sleep as you can. So, if baby goes down for a nap, follow suit and lie down as well. Even if you don’t actually fall asleep, the downtime will replenish your energy.

4. Get Some Alone Time
It is important to carve out some time (every day) that is just for you. Being a new mom can have you feeling emotionally depleted so take a quick bath, read a few pages from a book or listen to music for a few minutes every day.

5. Ask For Help
You should never be afraid to ask for help. Raising a newborn is hard work. Enlist your partner, parents or friends to help you out when things get a little too overwhelming.

It’s pretty hard to believe that my baby is already a month old. If I learned anything this passed month, it is that motherhood is a journey filled with ups and downs. I’ve grown to learn that motherhood is not about being the perfect mother, but rather about giving your children a beautiful, understanding and forgiving love every day of their life.

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Xo Paula