Wisdom is a state of being developed through a willingness to encounter all of life from curiosity while having a rigorous commitment to growth.
Wisdom is not theoretical understanding. It is not developed through cognitive exercise. To cultivate wisdom you must be willing to integrate and embody the lessons you pick up over the course of your life, especially the uncomfortable ones.
Consider that every experience can be of service to your evolution, growth, and expansion—if you choose to learn.
Perhaps you know someone that keeps experiencing the same loop of suffering over and over again. Perhaps you are that person, in a particular area of your life.
It can be helpful to take an inventory of your life. When patterns keep showing up it is an indication that there is an absence of wisdom also known as an unwillingness to learn.
Think of a time when you chose something that hurt you:
An incompatible lover
A dead end job
A cheap pair of shoes
A second or third or fourth glass of wine
Now think of a time where you chose something that hurt you AGAIN:
Another incompatible lover
Another dead end job
Another cheap pair of shoes
Another bottle of wine
When you choose pain over and over again there is a deep unconscious commitment to resistance and an unwillingness to develop wisdom. When you wake up to that pattern you have the opportunity to shift and try something new.
Establish a disposition of curiosity and a commitment to growth—that orientation always yields wisdom. Ask yourself the question, “how is this experience for me?” and watch yourself become a very wise human being.
Curiosity + Growth Mindset = Wisdom
Lola Wright
Thought Leader | Speaker | Coach