Sawubona, we see you, requires that we see others in their wholeness. That we see their hideous failings and their struggles alike and not turn away.

The best thing about Sawubona is that it requires no special skills, no innate talent, no particular personality.

The possibility to see and acknowledge people as people is open to us all.

It requires only the willingness to open the door and see people with their strengths and flaws and not turn away.

The scary thing when you start seeing people is that you may find that you are to be blamed, that you have been mistreating people, that you have been treating people based on their social standings and titles in society, that you are actually no more important than anyone else.

That moment, painful and blinking moment when we finally open our eyes, the light is short-lived, the tears fade away, and the sting fades, because now that we can see in the light, we see the world more beautiful and less threatening.

The world changed for me, when I started to see everyone and anyone as human beings who deserve respect, not because of their titles, but because they matter even without a title.

The world becomes more accessible and loveable, more understandable, and less threatening.

We have tremendous power over our own attention. If we focus it on ourselves, become contracted, crippled and blind.

If we focus it on others, we become open and appreciative and have an endless platform of different outlooks, opinions, experiences, and greatnesses to explore.

The quality of my relationships does not come from luck, or superficial and mystical connections. It emerges from my willingness [or lack thereof] to satisfy myself to attend to others, even those without titles.

Do you realise what that means?

It means I’m not helpless, trapped by the personalities of those around me.

I can change the experience of the people around me, by giving them a different person to respond to.

I can enrich them in powerful ways by seeing them as they truly are and not turning away.

The quality and colour and height of the world around me are determined so much more than I ever realised by the way I seeing it, and I see it as people with treasurers.

The people around us are as marvellous and inspiring as the ancient Rudston Monolith that looms over the four corners, humbling and pulling us out of ourselves.

We are all capable of simple kindnesses that add up to a towering impact on priceless and infinite beings.

Greatness and beauty and strength are everywhere. All we have to do is open our eyes, be willing to face the pain that we have done wrong [by judging people by their titles], and walk forward into the daylight.

Robin Sharma wrote a book called A Leader Without a Title. Maybe, just be, we should also see people as people, People Without a Title.

Sawubona, We see you. You matter, you are worth my time. No title, no accolade required.

Image by Kranich17