How to Treat People

There’s a quote which is attributed to many different people. I don’t know who the correct source of the quote is, but it goes like this, “Treat everyone as if they are sacred, until the sacred in them remembers.”

There are caveats to this directive, for sure.

Of course.

But what if, generally, we could do this?

What if we treated people with dignity, as if they were sacred?

What would that look like?

It might begin by treating yourself with dignity, as if you are sacred.

Are you waiting to be wealthier, more attractive, or more successful before you count yourself as special (special as in the colloquial, ‘casual Fridays’ version of sacred)?

I once rode in an elevator with Thomas Moore and he told me, “To the soul, the ordinary is sacred and the everyday is the primary source of religion.”

Fine, we weren’t in an elevator. Or living in the same time period - let’s not get lost in these small details. My point: Consider that it may be time to stop waiting to be “better” before you treat yourself better. Treating other people better is a natural repercussion of attending to yourself.

Look around you and inside you. Everyone is singular, special, sacred. Including you. Do you remember yet? X

Katherine Morgan Schafler is an NYC-based psychotherapist, author, and speaker. For more of her work: get her book,follow her on Instagram, subscribe to her newsletter, or visit her site.