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Wisdom Out Newsletter: February 2007


Wisdom Strategy

"I see you."

At the start of her career, Karen sometimes felt invisible.  Inside she felt she had something significant to offer to nursing, but was too inexperienced and too insecure to know what that was.  Then she met Sister Catherine, the nurse supervisor in the department where Karen was assigned.  One day Karen watched as another nurse administered critical care to a patient who had just undergone open-heart surgery.  Riveted by the skill and confidence of her colleague, Karen did not notice Sister Catherine watching her from across the room. Sister Catherine came to Karen and putting a hand on her arm said, "You will make a great critical care nurse."  These words opened Karen's heart to herself.  "Sister Catherine saw me," Karen says, "and that helped me to see myself."   Today, as a nurse educator, Karen makes it her business to "see others" everyday.  She understands this makes a difference.

The word "respect" literally means, "I see you again for the first time."  This means you empty out that metaphorical "file folder" filled with all the first impressions, assumptions, opinions and judgments you've been collecting on a person and simply see them as they are right now in this moment, when all things are still possible. 

Those who are recognized as being wise cultivate this quality of "I see you" through three practices:

  1. They suspend judgment of people and circumstances.  This has the effect of multiplying possibilities for all concerned. 

  2. They listen...they really listen.  When you "really listen," you push back intruding thoughts that come in to your mind while someone is talking to you.  You stay in the moment, resisting the urge to compose your response or tell a story about something you were just reminded of.  You let pauses go long—which usually invites the speaker to say just one more thing, and then another thing, and then another thing. 

  3. They see themselves as the other.  This introduces empathy and therefore the opportunity to be a mentor, a loving parent, partner, or friend.

Who in your life, would it matter to if you were to "see them" right now?  Someone at work?  Someone in your family?  A friend?

Pick one person this week to "see."  For just one day, try out the three practices listed above and see what happens.  If you like the results, try it again with more people in your life.  When you have a minute and are so inclined, send me an email and tell me how it went!  I really would love to hear from you. 

Update on the Book

Through word of mouth, I've received thirteen nominations of "Wisdom Makers™," from different regions in the United States.  Now that the Wisdom Out website is up, I expect many more to come in.  This weekend I was at a conference in Denver where I met a woman who just returned from Afghanistan where she was working.  This woman excitedly told me she planned to nominate a woman she knows in Afghanistan who is most decidedly wise--an Afghan woman who provides education programs for other Afghan women. 

I would LOVE to receive your nomination of a wise one, from anywhere in the world.  Through these nominations of wisdom, we will all come to understand what it takes to live wisely in today's world.  Please visit the nomination page at www.wisdomout.com.

Schedule

Although I can conduct many interviews of the Wisdom Makers™ by phone, I will be in the following cities in coming months and would love to interview a person you think is wise, in person:

February:  Denver, St. Louis, San Francisco

March:  Philadelphia, Washington DC, Nashville TN, Charlotte NC, and the Los Angeles area

April:  Chicago, Charlotte NC and St. Louis

Even if I am not going to be in your area, please nominate someone you know who you believe is wise.  I can speak to them by phone or schedule a time to interview them in person.  Through the collective voices of the Wisdom Makers™ together we will understand new definition of wisdom for these times.

Wisdom Quote

"It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err."  --Mohandas K. Gandhi


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