Below is a list of the basic rights we all have in our close relationships. If you are a human being you have the right to:
1. Be treated well. The minimum of being treated well is to be treated with respect. No one has the right to call us names, demean, belittle or shame us. No one has the right to lie to us, hurt us in anger either physically or emotionally, or to treat us with contempt…ever.
2. Be supported in our dreams and in our struggles. Loving partners support each other’s growth; they do not hold each other back. When we’re struggling, we have the right to be nurtured rather than shamed and helped rather than kept down.
3. Be listened to. We each have the right to have our concerns validated and not dismissed, minimized, turned around on us, or discounted in any way.
4. Have a partner who is accountable, owns his/her mistakes, apologizes when warranted and repairs with an open heart. Each and every one of us deserves to have a partner who is not afraid to own his/her human-ness. It’s vital for any relationship that partners admit when they are wrong, apologize, and commit to not do it again.
5. Be loved and cherished. Love should be felt, not wondered about. We deserve to have our loved ones show us they love us with their words, actions and behaviors.
Note: The loved ones in our lives also deserve all of the above from us…and others.
Challenge: Look at this list and examine the relationships in your life. Are the relationships in your life giving you what you deserve? If not, choose one of these and take steps to start cleaning up your relationships…it will be one of the greatest acts of self care you can do for yourself.