WISDOM. We know that wisdom comes with time and experience. We know that wisdom is hard-sought when it's right and hard-fought when it's wrong. Many times I believe that we don't value wisdom like we should as many times it's affiliated with aging.
Lately, maybe because my children have milestone birthdays this year (40 & 45), or maybe because I am getting another year older in May, I have been thinking about old vs. wise. What determines wisdom and what determines age? Do they co-exist? Are they valued by others or even ourselves?
I look at my precious Bischon Friese Yorkie, Maggie Moo, in the photo above. When we adopted her we named her Maggie Mae (yes, after the song) but my granddaughter was 3 years old and called her Maggie Moo, so it stuck. Maggie is now 105 years old according to dog years. She still moves like a puppy, but not as often as she used to. She no longer eats "people's food," but a special expensive, diet dog food. She no longer can be trusted to not have accidents on the floor, bed, blankets, rug, etc. so she wears pink diapers that my husband calls "big girl panties" to make her feel better. She shakes when she is either cold, fearful, or experiencing anxiety. We don't know the difference so she wears a colorful fleece or sweater year-round now and we move slowly around her. She is limited in who she comes in contact with. We are her senior living space per se.
Overall, she is old, but is she wise?
What Maggie has learned with her 15 years with us is how to beg for food when she is hungry, go to the door when she needs to go to the bathroom, walk downstairs when we are not quick in our response to the bathroom, walk to the bedroom when its night time and pace the floor when she knows my husband, Doug, is supposed to be home from work. He is her favorite! She huddles in his lap when she is fearful and takes medication for anxiety. Last year she had a heart attack just like a human.
So is she just old or wise?
I recently purchased a new book by Craig Hamilton called "Wisdom in Leadership" (Amazon.com) While it is Christian-based leadership, due to his background in theology, it also can be translated for other organizations and corporations.
Hamilton states, "Reading this book won't make Christian leadership easy. But it will make it easier. The strategies and principles here won't remove all frustration from Christian leadership. But they will make it less frustrating. This book won't solve every problem. But it will help you solve a whole bunch of unnecessary problems that you really don't need to face."
I think about the same thing regarding a journey in leadership development. Jamy Bechler stated, "Leadership training is not a one-time event. It is a continual process" The Leadership Playbook. Do we learn as we go because we are old or because we want to be wise?
I am convinced that the world continues to need leadership development no matter how old a person is or how much experience they have. No matter if they are a novice or a seasoned leader. Wisdom isn't dispelled by growing old, but by continual learning, researching, listening, and meditating. It's from reading a book or sitting and listening to someone who has more experience than you. It doesn't make you an older student just more of a learned individual.
Isn't that what we all should be until we turn 105 years old either in dog or human years?
A learner.
Now that's wise.
What She Said ~ Beverly
Comments