R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Civility: formal politeness and courtesy in behavior and speech.

Aka - Respect.

We all know the song.

But what else can we take away from being more civil to one another?

The fact of the matter is that civility, in some ways, can be broken down into many (if not all) of the previous months' programming topics. Sustainability (whether environmental or personal), Diversity, and Relationships are all aspects of life that are, truly, affected by our respect for ourselves, for each other, and for our environment.

When we look at the world around us, greed and selfishness pervade the air. How can we overcome this? By thinking of others before ourselves. There are infinite possibilities. Each day we are inundated with opportunities to put someone else first. Unfortunately, the majority of these chances are probably manipulated to our own gain. So pick a day. Any day. And don't think about yourself. Put yourself LAST. Take care of other needs before your own. If everyone did that, we'd never even have to worry about ourselves. 

"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"
Confucius

"If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die."
Maya Angelou

"Submission is not about authority and it is not obedience; it is all about relationships of love and respect.” 
― William P. Young, The Shack

It often feels as though the world around us is crumbling down. Disasters strike. Cruelty avails. Injustice breeds. But I posit that with the appropriate view of who we are and of who are those are around us, these things could cease to exist.

Find someone. Respect them. Love them. Be civil.