Adrienne Juardo from "Experience Life Fully," is our guest today. On her Twitter page, she reveals, "I'm a wisdom seeker out to Experience Life Fully! I love family, friends, sharing stories, yoga, traveling, hiking, blogging, learning, and having adventures!
What is wisdom really? What does it mean to say someone is wise? Most importantly, why is it important to discover wisdom sooner rather than later in life?
In one of her recent posts, Tess described me as “an old soul.” While this was incredibly flattering, I have to admit it was’t the first time I’ve heard this, or something similar over the past few years.
“An old soul” is someone considered to be “wise beyond their years.” Now, I am in no way claiming to actually be wise beyond my years, but I think I am beginning to understand why others sometimes see me this way.
It may have something to with the fact that I’ve spent the past few years pouring my heart and mind into actively seeking wisdom. So, “old soul?” Maybe. Wisdom-seeker? Definitely. When I say I am seeking wisdom, I am really striving to make sense of the world and my place in it. I am seeking to discover what really matters and how to make it a priority in my everyday life.
“Wisdom is the capacity to discern what really matters and to incorporate it into your life.” ~ John Izzo
Many people see wisdom as something that only comes with experience and old age, but I believe wisdom can be found at practically any age.
Why should we wait until the majority of our lives are behind us to discover what really matters and to align our lives accordingly? Why should we wait until our waning years to discover purpose and meaning and to embrace living life fully?
That is why I have decided to discover what is most important in life and to live it NOW.
I do this this in a number of ways. I constantly read books and blogs about other people’s experiences and philosophies. I absorb their discoveries about the world, human behavior, and tips for living well.
I pay attention to how others are integrating these practices into their lives and I try to do the same. I constantly evaluate what I’m doing and how well it’s working. Once I feel like I’m on the right path, I try to share that knowledge with others so that we can learn and grow together.
I have made so many ridiculous mistakes along the way, but I try to learn from my mistakes and use those experiences to guide me back to the right path. I remind myself that each day is a new opportunity to learn and grow.
It’s never too soon, or too late, to discover what really matters in life.
Five Ways of Finding Wisdom at Any Age
1. Read.
The greatest thing about true wisdom is that it isn’t really new. The ways of living well – making a valuable contribution while you are here, finding happiness, purpose, and meaning – these are not secrets at all.
The great sages, philosophers, gurus, and wise men and women of the ages have been discovering and sharing this knowledge for thousands of years. To tap into some of the greatest sources of wisdom, you have only to pick up a book and start reading.
2. Observe.
One of the best ways to discover wisdom is to observe those you consider to be especially wise. What do they value? How do they interact with others?
What practices do they routinely apply to their lives? But don’t just observe. Talk to the wise people in your lives. Ask about their experiences and they way they live their lives. Most importantly, truly listen to them.
3. Experiment.
As children, we naturally learn through observing others and imitating what they do. Notice what works well for others and go try it. This is where you take what you have learned through reading and observing and you incorporate it into your own life.
Choose one new bit of wisdom to focus on. Make it a part of your everyday thoughts and behavior until it becomes a part of who you are.
4. Reflect. As you know, experiments often fail. Remember Thomas Edison and the light bulb? It took him a countless number of tries to finally get it right. Each time he failed, he asked himself, why didn’t this work? What can I try differently?
It was this process of applying knowledge, experimenting, and reflecting that finally led to success. If something isn’t working in your life, take the time to really dig deeper and to reflect on why it’s not working and how you can change it.
5. Teach. You know how they say the best way to learn something is to teach it? Well it’s true! Teaching someone what works for you can help you get even clearer about that process. When someone asks you questions, it forces you to truly understand what you are teaching. It helps to further ingrain that wisdom into your mind, and will hopefully encourage the cycle to continue!
In what ways have you found wisdom in your life? How are you discovering what really matters and incorporating it into your life?
Photo credit: tibchris
Hi Tess .. loved your post over at Write to Done .. and now some more soul wisdom here from Adrienne .. those 5 tips are excellent .. and I’d add don’t waste time and learn .. from learning we learn many disciplines that help in so many other ways .. and we become wiser …
Great joint posts .. thanks so much .. cheers & live life which you both do so well .. Hilary