Just as we’ve reached the month of March (soon to be the season of spring), we’ve reached the letter “R” in our P.R.I.M.E.D. for the Future acronym of values. To recap, here’s what we covered for the letter P:

• Patience: Prime driver father Jimmy Jackson cited the importance of patience for safety reasons and cultivating healthy relationships
• Playfulness: My very own over-the-road dad, Jason Gilreath, discussed the value of playfulness and jokes.
• Principled: Prime driver and uncle Chris Showman talked about role models and why it’s important to set a good example for the kiddos in our lives.

And that’s all for the letter “P”! This week, we’ll be discussing our first “R” value: respect. How do you show respect for others and yourself? What traits make someone worth respecting? How does it feel to be respected or disrespected?

Don’t miss our conversation with Prime driver father John Skipper on the value of respect!

Respecting others and respecting yourself involve acts of kindness

John has mentioned in a previous blog post that showing kindness to others sets a good example to his son. He adheres to the golden rule: Treat others the way you’d want to be treated. This is a key aspect to showing respect.

“Smile, wave and be polite,” he advised. “If you see someone in need, help them out.”

During a recent snowstorm, John helped someone jump their truck and get back on the road. For him, good manners and small conversations can make a big difference in the lives of others. John said that by helping and respecting others, he’s also respecting himself.

Everybody deserves respect—but you have to show it to receive it in return

In John’s opinion, everybody deserves respect, regardless of what they do or don’t do. We all have down days, and when this happens to John, he steps aside and takes a break. Sometimes a little alone time can be just the medicine you need.

“If I’m on a down day, if I don’t feel like or want to give someone respect, I stay away from people,” he said. “I don’t want to be a nasty person.”

Knowing when to step aside and take a breather is a great demonstration of patience, as discussed in a previous Prime Good Dads blog post. This consideration John shows is another example of how he shows respect for others. What are some other ways people demonstrate respect? For John, it’s the small actions and gestures that count the most.

“It doesn’t take a big thing to move a mountain,” John said, “sometimes a little thing goes a long way.”

John shows respect for others through acts of kindness, such as providing food or money to those in need. These acts of kindness are important to John, because they “give people a sense of hope.”

As a father or father-figure, think about how you can model kindness for your children. Young people learn about the world from those around them, and they need opportunities to observe small gestures of kindness, like holding open the door for a stranger, it can make a big impact.

Respect is about presentation

If you present yourself in a respectable manner, you’re more likely to have that respect shown to you. For John, people can show respect in their first impressions. When the energy is both humble and welcoming, that person is showing respect.

Additionally, John says that your physical appearance also plays a part in your display of respect. He used court appearances as an example. You not only show respect with your words and actions, but by the way you dress and present yourself.

“Our appearance and self image is respectful to others and ourselves as well,” he said.

Set a good example for your youngsters

When John was growing up, he wanted to be cool by putting on a “tough guy” persona; emotionless and cold. As he got older, he took a different approach.

“Being cool is being nice, humble, and friendly—not the tough guy,” he said.

John said that for a short period, his ten-year old kiddo tried the “tough guy,” approach, but John said that unkind words and behavior can be hurtful for others, things that are decidedly uncool!

“I try to be caring and fun, but at the same time, I let my son know I’m still a dad,” he said.

Setting boundaries and leading by example has helped him in his relationship with his son and others. The same amount of respect he expects from his son, he shows that respect to him in return.

“What I’m teaching him, I do myself,” John said. “(I) hope that reflects on me and it reflects on his (future) kids.”

Final Words

Through showing kindness and adhering to the golden rule, John shows respect for himself and others. He sets a good example for his son, and through that positive example, he hopes it will encourage more people to respect each other.

“Be humble, keep the peace and keep moving,” he said. “You never know what somebody else is going through. Today might be their last day on earth. Be mindful of what other people are going through.”