The long journey of human life is filled with possibilities and challenges, joy and heartache. While it has a defined beginning and an inevitable outcome, the most important part is the story that unfolds between these two major events. The value of life is in the experience: the problems to solve, the lessons to learn, and the joy and happiness to be found. Every situation we encounter and every person we meet has something to teach us. Everything we experience is being orchestrated as a learning opportunity. At birth our mind is a “bank slate” and we become wise through experience. Practical wisdom is the byproduct of gaining life experience and knowledge that really matters in order to do the right things the right way. It is knowing what to do, what to say and how to act. It’s about exercising good judgment.
Here’s a humorous example: being smart is knowing when your spouse’s new brand-name outfit is too expensive and not worth the money spent. Being wise is knowing to keep your mouth shut.
Wisdom is knowing when to speak, and when to be silent.
When to act and when to pause.
When toil and when to rest.
It’s about learning something new every day, but also about letting go of what no longer serves us.
Being wise is using discernment to make choices by paying attention to various clues and assessing situations: what to take in and what to let go. It is the ability to make smart decisions to act quickly when timing matters. Practical wisdom is an art, and artists master and perfect their craft by practice and experience. The Three P’s of Mastering the Art of Practical Wisdom:
1. Purpose: Knowing the purpose of every action
Practical wisdom means applying rigorous discipline in assessing what needs to be done in the moment. Having awareness, or purposeful intentionality, enables you to choose your actions and focus your efforts on what matters to reliably deliver better outcomes.
2. Perception: Being perceptive in understanding different perspectives
Practical wisdom means knowing how to read social context. It is the ability to consider diverse viewpoints to identify viable options and make smart, well-informed, and successful decisions.
3. Pliability: Adapting and adjusting to change without breaking
Practical wisdom means being able to quickly and intuitively process information to understand what is necessary in any given set of circumstances. It is the mental capacity to positively adapt and adjust to change and to move forward into possibilities.
Practical wisdom is a continues lifelong learning process that increases exponentially with every experience and challenge we face. Wisdom is a habit. A pearl of wisdom for a thriving home and career can be summed up in two words: say yes. There are always an infinite number of reasons to say no. Allow yourself to stir the yes brewing within you. Say yes to new adventures, experiences, challenges, and opportunities. But remember that nothing worth having ever comes easy. Real change, enduring change, happens slowly over time. You may feel anger, frustration, and even hopelessness when change is painfully slow. When there are setbacks, you may not be able to go back and make a clean start, but you can always start from where you are right now and make a brand-new ending. When pursuing new endeavors, whatever happens you win new knowledge and practical wisdom. Embrace every opportunity to learn, grow, and aspire higher.
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