When I was a kid I loved reading Madeleine L'Engle books. I've read pretty much everything she's written. One of my favorites is called "And It Was Good," and is a re-telling of the beginning of Genesis. It is obviously embellished and mostly fictional, but it provides an interesting perspective on what might have happened.
I can't remember if it was that book or another one, but I'm pretty sure it was in one of her books that I first ran across the concept of namaste. Namaste is a common greeting in many Asian cultures, and has several meanings, among them "I am your servant" and "I bow to you." The meaning that I really got a lot out of in her writings, though, was "I salute the divine in you." Her point was that every person here on earth was created by God, and as such, has an element of God inside of them.
Whatever you believe about the nature of God, this concept fits. It transcends religious boundaries, and really does help you get a new perspective. Instead of seeing the faults and downsides of people, try to look at what God sees. Let people - even those who annoy you - have the benefit of the doubt, acknowledging that they are created for a purpose and are special to someone.
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