When compiling data in research we often dismiss the outliers. Outliers are data points that differ significantly from other observations. By dismissing them, without further investigation, we can limit the opportunity for new discoveries. Also, upon further investigation we may find patterns in the outliers that begin to create anomalies that can lead us to new ways of thinking. An anomaly is something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected. It is through anomalies that new ways of thinking, thus new learning and new practices can be developed.
Dr. Wayne Dyer’s lifelong work evolved as he explored new avenues of knowledge and insight. Known as the Father of Motivation, his early work brought him to discover a wide-spread need for principles of self-discovery and personal growth within college teaching and in his clinical work. As his work progressed, he felt a shift that led him to explore the spiritual aspect of human experience. As a prolific writer with over 30 published books, numerous TV shows and podcasts, his influence is felt by many.
From our perspective, Dyer’s work brought apparent outlier thought and concepts, along with others within the growing field of The New Thought Movement and beyond, into the mainstream by creating an anomaly that has helped shift the field of self-care.
We share the following 10 Life Lessons We Learned from Dr. Wayne Dyer, by Danielle McKee, YogiApproved.com
1.Everything has a dharma – live by your dharma.
Your dharma is your calling or your purpose in this life. Wayne encourages us to explore what our purpose is – to learn our dharma and live by it. Avoid living through the ego – comparing, competing, fighting – and instead live through your dharmic nature. Explore what your true purpose is on this planet, be open to what the universe sends your way, and be authentically yourself.
2. Show compassion.
Dyer teaches us to see ourselves in everyone we encounter. He tells us to do this even with our enemies; our enemies ultimately only want the same thing that we want – to be at peace. Recognizing this connection can induce a sense of compassion for even those that you dislike. On the same token, Wayne promotes forgiveness, which we must utilize to live a healthy, peaceful life. He regularly referenced Mark Twain and said that “forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heal that has crushed it.” I encourage you to take that with you throughout life, as Wayne would surely agree.
3. Be strong by bending.
Flexibility over rigidity. Enough said.
4. The Power of I AM.
In his book Wishes Fulfilled, Dr. Dyer teaches that by using “I AM,” we are evoking the God-like divine part of ourselves. Dyer demonstrates this with a verse from Exodus where God tells Moses “I AM THAT I AM.” Dyer implores us to be aware of how we are using “I Am” in our daily lives, as this is essentially a statement that “asserts our divine nature.” Through the use of I AM, we are taught to experience the feeling of the wish we want fulfilled. He encourages us to experience the feelings of accomplishment before we even accomplish, and to experience the feeling of success before you succeed. In other words, meditate on the mantra “I AM” while consciously filling in the blank of whatever it is you seek to manifest in your life.
If you seek peace, meditate on “I am peace.” Wayne teaches us that by doing this, we are training our subconscious. We are associating an affirmation with a positive feeling, thus controlling the subconscious mind and making life an enjoyable journey. Such a powerful message!
5. Let go of these false ideas: “I am what I have.”
“I am what I achieve.”
“I am what people think of me.”
“I am separate from everything I want in my life.”
“I am separate from God.”
Dr. Dyer teaches us that we came from an infinite, higher power, thus this infinite power and purpose lives within us. Through this connection, it is impossible to be disconnected or separate from God. We are created from divine spirit, and that spark lives within us.
When you start to associate who you are with materials, success, and achievements, you are discrediting and minimizing the infiniteness from whence you came. Wayne believed that when ego takes over (the part of you that says, “I am what people think of me”), you begin to attach your identity to things and successes, which is dangerous because when you lose those things, you subsequently lose yourself.
6. Stop interfering in your own life.
Dr. Dyer references our prenatal state, from conception to birth. He points out that in those 9 months we want for nothing – we are completely taken care of. Whatever we need, we get through our mother’s womb. We aren’t worried about anything, we just are. Dyer tells us to implement this philosophy into our adult lives, surrendering to the waves of happenstance, to the stresses of life. Let go, surrender to whatever is going to happen, stop interfering, stop fighting and just be.
7. Enjoy the mystery of life.
In Dr. Dyer’s interpretation of the first verse of the Tao Te Ching, he tells us to enjoy the mystery of life and stop always trying to control, fight, and interfere. “Let the world unfold without always attempting to figure it all out. Let relationships just be… Don’t try so hard to make something work – simply allow. When expectations are shattered, practice allowing that to be the way it is. Relax, let go, allow…” (from the book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life). 8. Radical Humility.
“Live low, stay low, like the ocean…see everything in your life as miraculous” (PBS Audio “Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life”).
9. That is real which never changes.
Dr. Dyer teaches us that what does not change is real. Everything else is an illusion. For example, our bodies are constantly changing – the body we had when we were 5 years old does not exist anymore, thus the body is not real – it is merely an illusion. Our soul, however, is unchanging and infinite; this part of us is indeed real. When looking at life from this perspective, the small, mundane conditions are ruled as unimportant; they are fleeting. In this same arena, Dyer notes that the ego is an illusion and that it “tells us we’re separate from what we want in life.”
10. How may I serve, how may I be reverent?
Lastly, Dr. Dyer urges us make this question our top priority. He encourages us to surrender to something bigger than ourselves. When we start to live our lives with this question at the forefront of our intention, we reap benefits that we didn’t know existed, we start to see things that we didn’t know were there, and we feel the strength of the divine, infinite power that lives within us.
Key Takeaways
Before deleting outliers, study them further.
Have an attitude of gratitude toward life.
Embrace life and live your dreams as if they were already true.
Best Practices
Dance like no one is watching.
Love like you have never been hurt.
Sing like nobody is listening.
Live like its heaven on earth.
~Mark Twain
Things to Limit
Thinking that your happiness is dependent on someone else.
Victim Mentality
Thinking that there is nothing else to learn about you.
Quote of the Week
“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.”
~ Dr. Wayne Dyer
As we continue to explore different thoughts and practices for self-care, the one constant within all the approaches is, yourself. Deciding to further take responsibility for your personal well-being is a decision that has enormous impact on the quality and experience of living. Rather than being a set of tasks to practice, it allows for an experience of freedom, joy, and gratitude.
Be well,
The paraDocs
Check our Welcome Greeting on YouTube
The paraDocs are Dr. Francis L. Battisti, PhD, Psychotherapist, Distinguished Psychology Professor and former Executive V.P and Chief Academic Officer and Dr. Helen E. Battisti PhD, RDN, CDN, Chief Nutrition Officer, at SpNOD, Health Promotion Specialist, Research and Clinical Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and former Assistant Professor.
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