Why is respect so important to attaining happiness? Because of the plain and simple fact that when we show our respect for others, we show how much we appreciate them and that we think of them positively.
Think of respect like a gift. When we show our respect for others, we are in effect offering them the gift of ourselves - our trust, our confidence, our sincerity, and our faith in them. We tell them through our actions that we honor and cherish them. And they, in turn, will reciprocate such feelings. They will accord us with the same positive feelings. This is the beauty of showing our respect for others.
Keeping the idea of a gift in mind, remember that the more you give away, the more you receive. You make a living with what you get, but you make a life with what you give. When we do such seemingly simple acts, like allow an older co-worker to enter the elevator first or patiently wait for the harassed waitress to serve us in the restaurant, we may not know it, but we offer the gift of ourselves. What do we get in return? A shy smile perhaps, a warm "Thank you for waiting, ma'am" maybe - whatever we get back in return, it will always be something positive that will make our lives even more meaningful.