The Dragontree

Over the years of getting to know the graduates of our life coach training program, I’ve found that everyone has a special gift (or several). One that’s especially beautiful to witness is the gift of seeing the light in people. 

The thing is, we’re wired to focus on flaws. It goes all the way back to our most animalistic survival mechanisms. Problems can alert us to danger. A pain in our foot might be telling us that it’s inside an alligator’s mouth. A crack in a wall might mean that it’s about to come crashing down on us. A disability might be a liability when we need to run or climb or fight. Our biological instinct to fixate on the negative is reinforced by plenty of social programming to the same effect.

In today’s minds, the thoughts and observations born from this survival mechanism look more like this: I should be in better shape. I’m not productive enough. I’m missing out. There’s something wrong with me. I’m probably going to get cancer. People don’t like me. My skin looks bad. I don’t have enough money. I’m never going to do anything impressive with my life.

These judgments are almost always useless and inaccurate. And because we’re usually only semi-conscious of them, tend to go unchallenged. The result of spending more energy thinking about what’s wrong than what’s right is an epidemic obstruction of the light within us. We forget that who/what we really are is perfect, peaceful, and powerful. 

Resurrecting our light has two facets: (1) clearing away whatever obstructs it; and (2) inviting the light to shine within and beyond us, making ourselves beacons in the world. 

When you make a practice of seeing the light in others, your own will naturally emerge. As you go through your day, try to see the light in each person you encounter. Even someone who would tell you everything’s going wrong if their life. Even when a mask covers most of their face. Even the cop that’s writing you a speeding ticket. Even the politician you dislike. 

What happens when you speak directly to someone’s light? What changes about your interaction? What happens when you communicate from your light to theirs? 

Part of why we feel this is such an essential aspect of coach training is that you may be the only one in a given individual’s life who’s actively looking for their light. You may be the only one who notices that it’s been obscured but believes it’s still in there. The person themselves may barely realize what’s happened or understand why life feels heavy. Their friends and family may be in the same boat, or they may be so accustomed to seeing them this way that they simply reflect back an attitude that seems to confirm that “this is just how you are.” 

It’s a gift to both you and the other party to focus on their virtuous core and call it forth with an inner attitude of, “Regardless of what you tell me of your challenges and limitations, and regardless of your history, I see what’s inside you. I know what you have the potential to be.”

By the way, if reading this feels thrilling, like your heart is saying, “Yes! I want to do this for my fellow humans!” then I encourage you to take our life coach training program. Even if you aren’t in a position to change careers, it’s a learning and growing experience that will deeply enrich your life and forever change how you to relate to others. 

Be well,

Peter