How we can all be like Paddington Bear and our late Queen?

Wishing to pay my respects to a lady who has always been in our lives, I watched both the recent Jubilee and the sadder funerals that took place this year for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. People queued for hours to see her coffin, and to be at the parades, and everyone who spoke about her talked of how much she was loved and admired. It made me wonder – why was she loved so much, especially by those who had met her personally?

On further research, the answer seemed to be that she “made people feel good about themselves” when she met them. How did she do that? Well, she “always saw the best in people” when she met them. And what we expect from another, we tend to experience.

How does this relate to Paddington Bear, her co-star in the sketch recorded for her Platinum Jubilee? If you watched the sketch or have seen the film Paddington Bear 2, you’ll recall how Paddington is always very polite in his words (even if he is not yet familiar with how we drink our tea!).

In the film Paddington 2, he quotes his beloved Aunt Lucy: “always be polite to others, and they will be polite to you”. More than that, Paddington evidently expected people to behave well, even when faced with a huge, angry prison inmate and designated Cook. Using only kind words, he manages to overcome the violent prisoner and get him on side.  How does Paddington, and her late Majesty, do this? Bring out the best in others?

Always see the light in others

Perhaps the answer is in a quote from another former luminary and world-famous person – Hay House Author and Speaker, Wayne Dyer. During his career he studied many religions, Saints and other luminaries and embodied great wisdom from these studies. He is quoted as saying “see the light in others and treat them as if that is all you see”. I believe that is what Paddington Bear, and her late Majesty, did as well.

There is something very powerful in being treated as if you are more than you think you are. More clever, more competent, more special in some way. It makes people feel good and allows them to shine.

Although sadly our Queen and Wayne Dyer are no longer with us, and Paddington is limited to our TV screens these days, we can carry on their legacy. When you treat a child, a member of staff or someone serving you in a shop as if they are special, they can, and often will, live up to that expectation and you will have made their day.

I intend that I, too, can “See the light, and only the light” in as many people that I meet as possible so that I can play my small part in helping others feel good about themselves and help them to bring out their light for the world. How about you?

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