To carry yourself through the joys and trials of life you must maintain a sense of respect for yourself. The strongest way to do that is to keep your word, both to yourself and to others. If you have said you would do (or not do) something, persevere to accomplish your commitment. This also means you don’t give your word lightly.
If you can accomplish this, others will maintain a level of respect for you (even those that dislike you can respect you).