WISDOM AND ELDERSHIP

~art by Shiloh Sophia McCloud ~

Last Sunday, in her reflection, Kristal talked about the wisdom of elders.  She differentiated between being old and being an elder, between having intelligence and possessing wisdom.  Kristal's reflection  made me think about my own pursuit of wisdom.  I can hear my doubting inner-self scoffing a bit at that.  I'm a long way from being an elder.  But, before I scoff too loudly, I want you to know I'm really trying hard.

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage I think, because I do a lot of my travelling towards eldership by reading.  And, I'm 99.9% certain that wisdom is not found in a book.  Wisdom, if it ever finds me, will come through life and living.  I won't learn wisdom, I will do wisdom.  Don't get me wrong: I think certain books can point me in the right direction (like a good compass), but I still have to go the distance before wisdom will find me out and I'm able to recognize it for what it is.

The First Editions Book Club read a book* earlier this week that had some signposts for the pathway to wisdom.  One of the characters received a gift from his boss years ago; and now, as a boss himself, with many people looking to him for guidance, leadership and wisdom, he shares that gift with others.  His gift is four sentences that lead to wisdom:  I'm sorry.  I was wrong.  I need help.  I don't know. 

If I can live in the state of humility, self-knowledge and vulnerability embodied in those four sentences, I have a chance of becoming an elder.

I want to share some other gleanings about wisdom that I've collected over the past 30 years, from various sources...writers, philosophers, imaginers and dreamers:

Wisdom and belief have been the mainspring of human development.  Wisdom and belief produce purpose, the purpose of living a good life.  Wisdom begins with good manners in all its forms, and includes honour, for there can be no fair dealing between humans, and no splendour of existence without wisdom; and, humans cannot live long without some splendour. ~ Robertson Davies.

Wisdom is the pilot of the soul, the divine intelligence, knowledge absolute. ~ Thomas Cahill.

Wisdom could be defined as knowing what you have to accept. ~ Wallace Stegner.

The point of it all is to awaken from the dream...the illusion that what we see is all there is.  That this physical world is the real one.  The higher dream is the one of unity over aloneness, blessings over fear, freedom over blame, unlimited spiritual possibility over limited material gain.  I'm telling you to choo

se to awaken.  It's all possible once you do that. ~ Richard Wagamese.

I really don't know if wisdom will come with hard work or whether it will just fall on my shoulders like a light mantle of new snow flakes.  I think perhaps, what will keep me in going on the right path are things like spiritual discipline...mindfulness, meditation, reflection and some centering practices that start with what is divine and holy in life.  I will remember, it's not a recipe...it's a way of living.

May your pathway be rich with sparkles of wisdom.

Pat

* Bury Your Dead, Louise Penny, 2010.

A Week's Worth of Gratitude

Saturday ~ hockey game with friends

Sunday ~ Rob Tite

Monday ~ heart-break hill

Tuesday ~ a new year ahead

Wednesday ~ book club buddies

Thursday ~ Allen Walker

Friday ~ good music selected by Stephen

A Friday Blessing

So my wish for you is that

you learn to see the world as altar,

where everything you need to pray and sing

 and hope and dream and become

is laid out there for your use

 when you chose to pick it up.

~ Richard Wagamese, Runaway Dreams, Ronsdale Press, 2011 ~