Hello, dear tribe member.💜
First off, I would like to say a big thank you for the huge support, love, and kind wishes during our 6th anniversary last week. 
You made the celebration a memorable one, and we are so glad to have you as part of our tribe. Thanks for all you do, and cheers to many more great years ahead!

 

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Last week, we began this August journey by beholding ourselves, pausing to notice our own growth, our evolving identity, and the quiet ways we’ve been transforming. 
We explored what it means to pause long enough to see our own progress, to embrace our truth without judgment, and to honor who we are becoming. 
But here’s something I’ve come to believe: our self-awareness becomes shallow if it doesn’t lead to a deeper awareness of others. Something powerful happens when that posture of beholding turns outward. We must learn to see people beyond the surface. 

So this week, the posture shifts. We turn our gaze outward. We begin to practice the art of beholding others, seeing people not as problems to fix, projects to complete, or roles to fill, but as souls to witness. 
How often do we really see people? Not just look at them. Not just notice their titles, their behavior, or their roles, but the essence of who they are? 
The Sacred Art of Truly Seeing People is our focus this week. Arne Garborg once said: “To love someone is to learn the song in their heart and sing it back to them when they forget.”

We live in a fast world; scrolling, scanning, snapping judgments. We size people up in seconds. We draw conclusions based on fragments: a facial expression, a comment, a social media post. 
We assess someone’s worth based on their title, appearance, response time, or follower count. We hear one sentence and decide we already know the whole story. 
But true connection begins when we slow down long enough to behold. To behold someone means to:

• See beyond the visible.
• Linger long enough to notice what others overlook.
• Hold space for their humanity, even when it’s messy or unfamiliar. 

To behold is to honor the complexity of another person. It’s to say: “You’re worth seeing, not just for what you do, but for who you are.” And that, my friend, is one of the most sacred gifts we can offer, seeing them rightly, for who they truly are.

As many of you who have been on this journey with me know, I love sharing personal stories in our blog anniversary month, and I’ll be doing more of that again this month. 

 

When I reflect on my journey as a writer, especially over the years of blogging, I realize that some of my most impactful posts weren’t born just from introspection, but from seeing others deeply. 
There’s a moment that shaped me profoundly as a writer. It happened a few years ago at a small gathering. I struck up a conversation with a woman who seemed quiet and hesitant. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone. 
As we talked, she mentioned almost offhandedly that she had just walked through a season of intense grief. She didn’t say it with drama. She wasn’t fishing for pity. She simply said it. 
I paused. I asked one more question. Then another. Slowly, she began to share.

What stayed with me wasn’t the details of her story, it was the weight of her presence, the beauty of her vulnerability, and the quiet relief in her eyes when she realized she wasn’t being brushed aside. 
That conversation became the seed for a blog post. I wrote something inspired by it, not her story exactly, and with her permission. It wasn’t my most “viral” post, but the responses it stirred were profound. 

I got feedback like:

• “I felt like you were writing about me.”
• “I’ve never been able to put that feeling into words before.”
• “I thought I was invisible… thank you.” 

 

That’s when it hit me: When we take the time to behold one person, we end up reflecting thousands.
Seeing the silent strength in those who never asked for help. Noticing the fatigue behind a smile. Honoring the bravery in someone’s quiet “yes” to healing. 
I could see it in their gaze, in their eyes, even in their silence. When it comes to beholding others, I’m still learning. Writing has taught me to pay attention, not just to stories, but to souls. 
I’ve grown in my writing, and even more so in my personal life. Here are some ways I’m practicing this art of beholding others: 

3. Looking Beyond Behavior
   Sometimes people act out because they feel unseen. A sharp tone might be hiding fear. A distant friend might be grieving in silence.
   I’m learning to ask: What’s behind this behavior? Not to excuse it, but to understand it. Too often, we rush to conclusions without knowing what’s really happening in someone’s life. 
4. Listening Without Fixing
   There’s power in simply sitting with someone in their story, no advice, no interruption, just presence. Sometimes healing begins when someone realizes they don’t have to perform to be heard.
   This happened recently when I allowed someone to vent in my DM. I knew the “right” responses I could give, but I chose silence instead. 
5. Letting People Be Complex
   People are not one moment, one mistake, or one phase. They are layers of history, longing, trauma, hope, and resilience. To behold someone is to give them permission to be all of it. 
6. Seeing the Divine in the Difficult
   Even the “hard-to-love” ones carry something sacred. This can be the hardest, yet the most transformational, seeing the image of God in someone who has hurt or misunderstood you.
   Choosing to love those you feel don’t deserve it, and forgiving them regardless of what they’ve done. 

Here are Reflection Questions I have for you:

• Who in your life have you been quick to label or dismiss? Can you pause and look again?
• What might change if you chose curiosity over judgment this week?
• Who are the silent ones in your world, the overlooked ones? What would it look like to behold them intentionally?
• Who in your life needs to be beheld , not corrected, just seen?
• What changes in your relationships when you stop assuming and start observing?
• Can you see the image of God, the imprint of worth, in people who aren’t easy to love? 

Pause Before Reacting. Often, people aren’t being difficult,  they’re being human. What if their outburst is a cry for help? What if their silence is exhaustion? 
Ask Questions when need be. Instead of “How are you?” try, “What’s been heavy on your heart lately?” Real questions invite real answers without prying. 
Be Present, Not Just Polite. When someone speaks, do you listen to reply, or to understand? There’s a difference, and people can feel it. 
Give the Gift of Attention. We often think people want advice, solutions, or approval. Sometimes, what they truly want is to be seen without being fixed. 
There’s so much more to say, but let’s stop here for today. Be intentional about seeing people through their gaze. There’s so much you can capture simply by looking, truly looking at others. 
Over the years, one of the greatest gifts of writing publicly has been this: learning to behold people I may never meet, yet still feel deeply connected to. That’s you. 

Thank you for allowing me to see you through your comments, your messages, your shares, and your stories. This space is what it is because you’re part of it. 
Let’s make this week less about proving and more about perceiving. Behold someone today. You might just change their life by seeing them right. 

Every comment you leave, every message you send, every “this spoke to me” moment reminds me why I keep writing. 

This space is not just about content, it’s about connection. You are not just readers; you are humans I get to behold, even from afar. 

Beholding others is a radical act in a world that teaches us to skim. So let’s be different. Let’s slow down. Let’s look longer. Let’s become the kind of people who make others feel seen again. 

I have a little work for you this week:

• Text someone a sincere compliment they wouldn’t expect.
• Spend time with someone who needs you. Listen without interrupting. Ask good questions. 

And remember, sometimes the most powerful thing you can say is simply: “I see you.” 

I believe today’s post has blessed you. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments and send this to someone you care about. 

Thank you for being here. I’ll see you again next week. 

 

With love,

#Eyistar_TheGlobalWriter 💜✨✍️🏻