Category Archives: Personal Perspective

Two Kinds of Teachers Who Shaped Me

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Excerpt from the first print edition, June 2015, of Connecting The Dots With The Respect Principle “Acknowledgements” by Kaitlin A. (Ann) Trepanier,

“In my life, two kinds of teachers shaped me. The first are the many who rejected me because I did not reflect them, so their fears created the prejudices that caused the rejection. The second are the stories of distant people, from the past or present, I discovered through reading, listening, or watching on my quest to understand our world differently. Stories of people whose lives were shaped by small, limiting, and harmful personal and worldly beliefs, yet who found ways to move past their history to share their experience .. to heal .. to raise hope … offer understanding … inspire change … then serve as catalysts for the much needed changes.”

“Here is the list of people who greatly influenced this work by their own work and lives, though of course there are the many not-famous faces and stories who too shaped this work and me into who I am … and who I am becoming …”

“Jesus, Albert Einstein, Alfred Nobel, Alice Miller, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Joan of Arc, The Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Alan Cohen, Robert Schuller, Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Richard Branson.”

As my understanding grew and my own “Respect Level” rose, my list of people, like me, has changed, but what has not changed is the measurement of people’s subsequent “Respect Level” increase or decrease based on their subsequent actions that added or deleted their name from this list … which will be revealed with the revised second edition. New release date still to be determined.

Thank you for stopping by and for your efforts to become the best version of yourself too.

KAITLIN ANN TREPANIER

Specialist Writer Speaker Social Entrepreneur Founder and President

of/for Connecting The Dots With The Respect Principle

Smashwords interview @  www.smashwords.com

© All Rights Reserved 2014-2021

February, 9, 2021

Why Making Mistakes Fosters Growth

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Not making mistakes translates into not taking any risks, not growing, and not becoming wiser … and unfortunately, a lot less compassionate, unable to walk, even mentally, in someone else’s shoes. Some of my mistakes were the result of conscious choice, but many were the result of a low “Respect Level” for myself and as a result, for others, especially those who exploited, bullied, or abused me or other vulnerable souls.

The good news is that my failures put me in the position many times of the oppressed, the rejected, and those in need so when I write what I write, I may use statistics and even other people’s stories, but most importantly I write from actual, personal, heart and spirit-breaking experience. … in order to help both the heart and spirit broken and those who, consciously or not, contribute to the breaking.

KAITLIN ANN TREPANIER
Specialist, Writer, Speaker, Social Entrepreneur, Founder and President
http://www.connectingthedotswiththerespectprinciple.com
© All Rights Reserved 2014-2020
November 17, 2020

“The Dangerous Downside of Perfection”

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The linked article is filled with all the data you need to reconsider how you live or are influencing others to live. There are personal stories too, including mine shared below the link. Happy reading!

Linked article by Amanda Ruggeri for BBC Future on PocketWorthy

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-dangerous-downsides-of-perfectionism?utm_source=pocket-newtab

…

My Personal Experience with Perfectionism

Because of my unusual personality type, I did not “fit in” unless I was doing everything “perfect” or above average, but the cost was high, especially in the long run. When I finally raised my “Respect Level” high enough, valuing myself equally to others, I quit obsessing with perfect and started focusing on discovering who I was under the perfect image that was killing me with its unreasonable, unrealistic, and painful consequences.

Though my physical and mental health has since improved, a cost was also paid for with the loss of many relationships, but then again, the relationships I had were more based on my meeting other people’s needs and wants, so it really is no surprise that many relationships ended. Now, starting over at the bottom of the life and success scale, with hardly any material possessions or worldly success, the relationships I now develop are based on who I am as a person, rather than what I have accomplished or how perfectly I perform or meet someone’s wants and needs, because I have witnessed first hand what relationships based on performance result in … emptiness, sadness, and an unhealthy striving to be something that I am not … perfect.

Freed from the need to be perfect, I can now just be a unique human … me … exploring my and our world, changing my mind, trying new things, and encouraging myself when I make a mistake or fail ,so I don’t give up on what’s important to me because I don’t get it right the first, second, or twentieth time. It’s a welcome, long-awaited state of being I highly recommend for the bliss imperfection provides.

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KAITLIN ANN TREPANIER

Specialist, Writer, Speaker, Social Entrepreneur, Founder and President

Connecting The Dots With The Respect Principle

© All Rights Reserved 2014-2020

July 20, 2020