By Shireen Qudosi
“See the light in others and treat them as if that’s all you see” is a simple but profound piece of wisdom shared by the late Dr. Wayne Dyer. Dyer was the grandpa we all wished we had. A spiritual self-help guru, his grace and warmth captivated audiences even through a television screen. He was that thing, which is so rarely seen these days; he was authentic.
The above quote is one of my all time favorites from Dyer. It speaks to me because it carries a deeper message. It nudges us to see people as individuals who have something to offer. To do that, it means we have to be willing to forgive each other. Forgive someone’s sharp tongue because of the bad week they’ve been having. Forgive them as they struggle to meet you halfway because they’re also struggling with deep-rooted patterns of behavior.
Essentially, for me, Dyer’s quote comes down to behavior and not judging someone if they’ve displeased you. Instead, see their light. See their potential and the best of what they have to offer and build from there.
“See the light in others” is an imminently important message at this time as we have deeper social media conversations and build dialogue with friends, family, and often even strangers about issues close to our hearts. This is an especially important message for women, who already have the tremendous gift of being emotional, empathetic, and intuitive. Women tend to be listeners and are able to balance the ecosystem of both heart and mind, which is what it will take for us to evolve from the challenges we face as a society. A big challenge we face is the discord that comes from political divides. But the reality is we want many of the same things, and at the end of the day we share core values.
The more you practice seeing the light in others — and let that light shine brighter than frustrations and disappointments — the tougher it becomes to dismiss people or respond with anger. Instead, engaging in important conversations becomes easier and comes from a place of both conviction and compassion. Conversations that are based on respect, tolerance, and patience can help show us we have more commonalities than differences.