THE NEED FOR SELF-RESPECT

From TODAY, Voices
Friday October 31, 2008

By Dr James Dobson

Many of us spend a lot of time trying to gain the respect of others, but the truth is that the person we most need respect from is ourselves. Ms Fiona Campbell of Great Britain so longed for the admiration of others that she spent 11 years walking around the world.

Her goal was to make it into the Guinness Book of Records. Her long journey came to an end in February of 1994 at the northern tip of Scotland before thousands of fans. It was Ms Campbell’s finest day. At last, she had found admiration, but her heart was heavy because she knew she had cheated. While walking across the United States, she became weary and accepted a ride for 1,000 miles.

In the months to follow, the shame of having cheated drove her to drugs and alcohol. To ease her conscience, she made the trip to America and finished the 1,000-mile stretch in secret. But that didn’t help, so she called the Guinness office and asked that her name be removed from the record book, and she publicly apologised.

The lesson Ms Campbell learnt is a timeless one. It’s possible to live without the admiration of others. What we can’t live without is self-respect. One more thought: Isn’t it interesting that Ms Campbell is most respected for having the courage to admit her mistake and make it right?