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Gathering Wisdom
Food for Thought
Wisdom comes in multiple forms and can be hard to recognize, even when it is knocking at our door or has already become a guest in our home. With every year that passes, we gain wisdom. We approach long-time problems with creative fresh solutions. We avoid stepping into the traps and tangles of other peoples’ negative projections. We learn to deal better with our partners, our adult children, and especially ourselves. We become better at navigating the sometimes rugged currents of our lives.
Less frequently do we stop to take account of the wisdom we have accrued in the past year or several years. Our wisdom still counts whether we take the time to bring it into our awareness or not; however, there is a power in bringing our wisdom into our conscious awareness. We can appreciate ourselves and the lessons we have gathered from our life experiences. We can acknowledge the difficulties that our wisdom has saved us from and the blessings our wisdom has made possible.
Not every experience leads to the development of personal wisdom. Our difficult experiences challenge us, sometimes wound us terribly, but over time if we choose to approach them with thoughtful, compassionate awareness, there is wisdom to be gleaned. That this wisdom may completely elude us at the time we are going through these difficulties does not mean that the seeds of wisdom are not accumulating and gathering power. It may take months or years of quiet internal processing for our wisdom to crystalize and manifest. However, it is of immeasurable value whenever and in whatever form it comes to assist us as we face our future lives.
Questions to Consider:
- What wisdom have you gained over the past year or past several years?
- Are there difficulties or negative situations that your wisdom has helped you avoid?
Are there blessings your wisdom has made possible?
- Share an experience in your life that stimulated new wisdom for you that served you well in future situations?
- What current or recent life situation do you hope that you can gain wisdom and perspective about and are there ways you might be able to accelerate that process?
All rights reserved © 2020 Beth Firestein, Ph.D. Wise Women Group
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