MY TRIBUTE TO WAYNE DYER
How do I begin to honor someone who made such a difference in my life for over 20 years? It is difficult, but I will try to say a little something about someone very special to my spiritual journey.
On August 30, Dr Wayne Dyer made his transition in Hawaii at the age of 75. He was world-known for authoring over 40 books and his masterful speaking engagements. I had the opportunity to read most of his books, hear him speak numerous times, as recently as last Fall at church where he continue to speak even when he declined other engagements. Several of my books are autographed and I was hugged by him many years ago. I was rather shocked to learn of his death as he had overcome leukemia and seemed to be quite healthy. Apparently, his family had a very nice service on the beach floating his ashes out into the ocean in Maui near where he lived and loved to live and write.
His books showed his growth as a teacher and spiritual leader over his writing career. One of his earliest and well-known books is Your Erroneous Zones, often mistaken for erogenous zones! One news source states, “As time went by Dyer began to throw in borrowings from Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and New Age mysticism, somehow ignoring one of the basic messages from the first three spiritual traditions that clinging to the idea of success and fulfilment in this life is what causes unhappiness.”
His early years were filled with challenges that he seemed to overcome, or at least he made peace with his circumstances. He lived in foster homes and orphanages when his father abandoned him and his brothers, put himself through college, overcame a drinking problem, divorced twice, and fathered eight children, six of them girls. He wrote over 40 books, 20 of them on the New York Times’ best sellers list! He was proud of his children, and the last time I saw him speak, one of his daughters sang a song to his tribute that she wrote about her love for him. I bet she is happy that she got the opportunity to share her love in such a way with her father in that way before he passed on!
Although I have enjoyed all of his books, my favorite is an early novel that is not well-known called Gifts from Eykis. It is about a woman from another planet and the strange things she sees earthlings doing, which of course are alien to her and she shares ways we can learn from her planet. One of his last books is more autobiographical, I Can See Clearly Now. How prophetic to be released only a year before his passing as it tells so much about his journey and lessons in this lifetime. And then he recently co-authored a book with one daughter, Don’t Let your Music Die Within You which is a title worthy of each of us embracing.
Many of his books and talks included talking about simplifying your life, meditating, being in nature, and having an attitude of gratitude. He often said “Be open to everything, attached to nothing.” He had the gift of speaking from his heart without many notes and quoting many authors whom he admired. Lao Tzu was one such person, and one of his books was devoted to the inspiration of many famous people, called Wisdom of the Ages. Also, he authored a few children’s books. Of course his collection includes may CD’s and products often co-produced with friends such as Deepak Chopra. Also, Oprah Winfrey was proud to have him as a guest many times on her television program.
I feel blessed to have called him ‘my guru’, to have read so many of his books, to have listened to him on PBS many times, and to have met him and hugged him. One of my favorite quotes of his, “Remind yourself to always pick being kind when you have a choice of being right or being kind” (Your Sacred Self). I can only imagine the loss that his family feels as the world mourns along with them while at the same time being so grateful for a man who provided so much inspiration to our lives. He will always be remembered and continues his work from the other side now. We will miss you Wayne! With love and Gratitude for a life well-lived!
When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project,
All your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your
Consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great
And wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties an talents become alive, and
You discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
Patanjali
Very nicely written. he was a hero of mine too. Thank you for sharing!