TREAT EVERYONE AS WHO THEY CAN BECOME

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“TREAT PEOPLE AS IF THEY WERE WHAT THEY OUGHT TO BE,
AND YOU WILL HELP THEM BECOME WHAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF BEING.”

— Anonymous

Most of us -if we were lucky- had at least one person who helped guide us while we were growing up. It may have been a parent, a grandparent (as was my case), a relative, a teacher, or a mentor who was not family at all. Usually, it comes down to one person. Sometimes two.

At first, they were there physically. They helped us navigate obstacles, sort through confusion, and gently point us in the right direction. Later -after they were no longer present in our daily lives- their influence remained. Their voice became internal. Their guidance turned into something permanent, woven into our conscience, quietly reminding us when a choice felt right… or when it didn’t.

So what does this have to do with today’s quote?

Everything.

When we think back on those people, we remember what they said to us -and just as importantly, what they did not say. We remember encouragement. We remember being told how we could do something better, not why we were incapable of doing it at all. What we do not remember is being told we weren’t good enough, or that we would never amount to anything. And never -ever- that we weren’t worth the effort.

They led by example. They corrected without crushing. They offered words that gave us a second wind -the kind that carried us past setbacks and beyond the reach of those who expected us to fail.

Now comes the uncomfortable part.

Think about how you speak to those who look up to you. To those who seek your guidance, your approval, or your direction. None of us gets it right all the time. We get tired. We get frustrated. We sometimes say things that would have been better left unsaid. We are not perfect creatures.

But in that imperfection lies our responsibility.

When you speak to someone who is still becoming, remember those who helped shape you. Remember the words that filled your sails, not the ones that cut the wind out of them. Pass those words on. Help others grow into who they can be -perhaps even better than you are.

That, in the end, may be the greatest accomplishment any of us can achieve.

Treat people as if they are at their best.
Then, more often than not, they will be.





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