Now that we are settling (at least for the moment) into this house by the sea, I am finally catching my breath, and harvesting what I have accumulated over the last months of traveling, discovering, thinking, dreaming. I am harvesting the collective wisdom I gleaned from the folks I met along the road, and even my own inner wisdom, with the hopes of continuing this journey of discovery wiser and more able to make good choices for our future..
Wisdom, it's an almost indescribable, hmmm...asset? trait? feature? tool? gift What is it really and what category can one put wisdom into? I don't really know, but now, in what could be the beginnings of my wisdom years, I sense the depth that wisdom brings to so many other human qualities. For instance, enthusiasm is tempered by wisdom. Idealism partners well with wisdom to produce more attainable dreams. With wisdom, priorities become clear, so what might have been soooo important even a short while ago is not so now, while long neglected aspects of my life are taking precedence and receiving the attention they deserve.
Here are some of the many, many ways human beings have viewed wisdom, followed by my thoughts about that view:
Aristotle defined wisdom as the understanding of causes, i.e. knowing why things are a certain way, rather than merely knowing that things are a certain way. How unconscious we have become about why we are in upset, or why things are the way they are. Sometimes getting to the source or "seed" is needed to find the truth, and heal old patterns.
To the Inuit, the aim of teaching was to develop wisdom. A person becomes wise when they could see what needed to be done and do it successfully without being told what to do. The wisest people I know quietly, often anonymously, go about the business of making the world a better place through acts of kindness and compassion. The world would be far better for focusing on those acts, rather than the daily mayhem we love to indulge in.
In Proverbs 1:20, wisdom is personified in female form: "Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares." I feel wisdom called out at times during Occupy Wall Street or we are the 99%, or any of the protests in the Middle East Springtime. Wisdom uncovered the truth, but how to sustain the wisdom needed to make effective changes after the raised voices? To be seen...I pray!
From the Tao de Ching: translated by Stephen Mitchell: Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. We can always "figure each other out" with our opinion, attitude, and beliefs. Yet to truly know others , I need to know my self first---and my opinions, attitudes, beliefs.
Wisdom quotes:
"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind." - Khalil Gibran
And one of my all time favorites: “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein
Yes. And especially true these days, when wisdom is more often found in the streets of our world than in the hallways of leadership or governance. Creative solutions are pouring forth from people who have ideas for solutions AND the wisdom it takes to put the ideas into action...no matter what nay sayers and doomsayers say. Another quote I have used before: "We are the people we've all been waiting for." And to that I add: Our wisdom is what we have been waiting for.
So my passion these days seems to be about finding that un-categorizable, but recognizable wisdom in every day life. I want wisdom to be my guiding light as I sojourn into a new life. I welcome all the gifts Wisdom bears. Keep traveling with me, keep exploring for yourself. Let's coat the world in a warm blanket of our collective wisdom. ---- By the way, I have some offerings to share, now that I am settled for a spell, so read below for 2 future happenings. And look for the splashes of wisdom found in my recent Notes from the Road of Life: They will all be collected and published on Kindle as Notes from the Road of Life, 2011....soon! I'll let you know.
Blessings of wisdom learned from the Road of Life, Elke _________ 2 Happenings:
1.You and your spirited friends are welcome to....
Meta-Conversations and Tea by the Sea
When: 4 Sunday evenings 6:00-7:30 February 5, 12, 19, 26
Join Jim and I and other metaphysically minded folks for spiritual conversation and tea. We'll spend 5minutes meditating together (drumming or crystal bowl or musical/silent meditation); about a half hour speaking on a topic, then it's your turn to chime in! Different topic every Sunday.
This month we will focus on this theme: Creation
February 5: Who is creating? Humans as creators; co-creation with Universe February 12: The Energy of Creation: The aura changes with creation; how do you work with that? February 19: Creating vs Gambling: Is creation a matter of "playing the odds?" February 26: Embracing Chaos: Is chaos necessary for creation?
$5+ donation and potluck nibbles gladly accepted. (I'll bake world famous cookies, and have tea pot on.)
Where: Our home by the sea, Lummi peninsula, west of Bellingham. Note: no ferry needed to get here! Directions sent to you when you email us your interest: elke@inspirationu.com or choices@cnw.com (Jim).
--------------- 2. Get the support you need to create your dreams.... Wisdom Council Small Group: Supporting your creations When: 4 Sunday afternoons: February 12, 26, March 11, 25
You are always creating, creating, creating, but are you aware of what you are creating?
Tap into your own wisdom to create more consciously. Whether you are creating a new path in life, or wanting to sustain your current creations, this group will explore how tools of wisdom (such as intuition, inner guidance, trust-in-self and acting in integrity) can improve your quality of life--and therefore everyone's quality of life.
Join me and up to 8 other wise ones:
*Get clear about and support your creations: projects, relationship changes, current career or a new one, healthier you, new attitude, sustainable prosperity, release old limitations, new or current intentions, or whatever you want to more consciously create.
*Power of Intention: What ARE you creating...and why?
*Using your Intuition: how to know when it's intuition speaking, and what is mind-chatter.
*Tune into your inner guides.
*Aura check-in: What is your aura saying about your creations? Do you feel expanded or contracted? More alive, or just barely hanging on? In harmony or out of synch?
*Integrity check-in: Are you being true to yourself? Do your actions line up with your intentions?
My promise to you: I'm hauling out all the tools from my spiritual toolkit to specifically support you and your creations with no judgment, with compassion, with honesty, and integrity. It's time to share what I know.
Details: When: Sunday afternoons: February 12, 26, March 11, 25, 12 noon til 4:00 PM.
Where: My home by the sea, north of Bellingham, WA on Lummi Peninsula (note: No ferry needed to get here!) Directions and address sent with registration.
$200 for 4 group sessions ( $100 /month payments accepted)
More! Additional private wisdom counsel sessions: $50 each to add one hour individual wisdom counseling sessions via Skype or in my seaside office ($50 session is 1/3 off my usual $75 Private counsel fee!) Note: Special pricing is for the duration of the Wisdom Council series only.
To register: 1. Email me via elke@inspirationu.com to state your commitment. I'll send you an address to send a $100 deposit to reserve your space. Deposit due by February 8. Note: LIMITED space for eight participants maximum. I will keep a wait list after the group is filled.
Questions? Elke@inspirationu.com, 360-770-7831