Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: A Prolific Teacher

Twenty years ago, a friend of mine gave me a copy of You’ll See It When You Believe It by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer. I was totally offended. At that time in my life, I took the gift as an indication that I was wrong in some way. And all that wacky stuff about creating your own reality… well, you can imagine. I’m not even sure if I read the entire book.

Now I think my friend’s gift was a bit of foreshadowing, maybe even a message from the Universe. Recently, I’ve been re-reading Dr. Dyer’s Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Several years after I spurned the idea that negative thoughts can negatively affect us, I finally started understanding the truth behind the saying, “perception is reality.” I’ve read a few of Dr. Dyer’s books, including Inspiration and The Power of Intention. He is a prolific teacher and author, and his message is accessible and insightful. He’s a great speaker, and his shows frequently appear on PBS during pledge drive week. Dr. Dyer appears to sincerely value and enjoy helping others. In his epilogue to Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life, he says, “As you close this book, it is my wish that you, too, will be able to apply this great wisdom of the Tao so that you can, even in the most difficult of times, change your thoughts and enjoy changing your life as well.” I thought this was a wonderful encapsulation of his overall approach; whenever I read his work, I always feel that he writes and speaks from a deep commitment to help people everywhere.

Now, I see my friend’s gift as a true gift, instead of as an insult, or a bit of unsolicited advice about how wrong I was. Ironically enough, now I know it’s just a matter of perspective.