Wisdom Out Newsletter: March 2007
Wisdom Strategy"What Would Love Do Now?" If you are like me, wisdom is not always immediately in reach when you need it. Sometimes I am so stunned by events that a friend of mine tells me I look like a “deer in headlights.” He’s right. Once in a while life comes at me like a sixteen wheeler barreling the wrong way in a construction zone. This must explain why I’ve always liked films with Ninjas. The Ninja Warrior responds to whatever is coming his or her way with speed, precision, elegance and intuition. Why can’t we all be Wisdom Ninjas? Wisdom is actually an incredibly flexible tool. It is capable of morphing to respond to all manner of situations and contexts—some of which are threatening, sad, or even absurd. But every situation requiring wisdom is unique. Clearly, there is not a book of perfect wise responses we can memorize and pull out in any given moment. So what can we do to facilely draw down the wisdom we need when we need it? When Wisdom Maker Christina Baldwin finds herself without immediate answers, she asks herself, what would love do now? And then, she just waits. Christina says, “Within a few seconds or minutes, something comes.”What would love do now? What a great question! OK, sure there still is not a one size fits all answer, but the question itself launches a pattern of thinking and sensing that attracts wisdom. The kind of love Christina is talking about is not romantic or all self-sacrificing. It is a love that stirs compassion and opens the heart to values that do not harm. Christina says, “Sometimes love tells me to hold a boundary.” The Dalai Lama writes about strong, harmful emotions known in the Buddhist tradition as “afflictions.” Examples are emotions such as anger, attachment and jealousy. If you were to substitute any of these words in place of the word “love” in Christina’s question, it is easy to see why wisdom might evade us. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? This month, tune in to the strategies you use when something comes at you and you don’t know what to do. Try Christina’s strategy and see if that works for you. Drop me an email and let me know about your experience. I would love to hear from you. Email Elle Update on the BookFive new wisdom referrals came in this past month! DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS WISE? 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. ScheduleAlthough 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: March: Los Angeles April: Chicago, 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"To my extreme mortification, I grow wiser every day."
|
WisdomOut.com.