Cultivating Wisdom
We all long for education and develop knowledge throughout our lives. Wisdom, on the other hand, while is also longed for by many, is not cultivated by all. Wisdom is often associated with being older, and is recognized in all cultures as being a virtue.
I recently read, “What it means to be wise,” an article found in the March 2008 issue of Prevention magazine, by Thomas Crook, PhD, that I found interesting. “Although our ability to learn and remember gradually declines throughout adulthood, there’s mounting evidence that our skill at making sense of important information and experience increases. This is what is known as wisdom, and it’s something that scientists are just beginning to study.” While wisdom is a treasure for select individuals, there are ways to develop it.
Following are some habits that help cultivate wisdom from the article:
- Learn from the past–Take time to reflect on your past. Consider the lessons that you’ve learned from your various experiences and write them down.
- Be open to new experiences–Broaden your exposure to all likes of people and ages. Listen to them and draw knowledge from them.
- Consider different perspectives–Before disagreeing with someone, stop and ask them questions instead to try and get their point of view.
- Focus on the positive–Negative thoughts drain your mental energy.
- Move from the center of your universe–Younger people tend to be more ego-centered and are more focused on their accomplishments. Many older people tend to be wiser and are more apt to speak about others accomplishments, not their own.
- Question certainty—Always questions statements that begin with, “There is no doubt,” or “It is a fact.”
- Always maintain your composure–A wise person will act calmly and consider alternatives, especially when there is some sort of crisis.
- Broaden your base of “Wisdon Knowledge”–Ponder upon history, religion, psychology, etc.
- Get comfortable with mixed emotions– There can be feelings of both happiness and sadness at different events in life, but change is inevitable throughout life.
Thanks for reading!
Barb
Posted in Uncategorized on February 21st, 2008 by Barb | |
