Wisdom = K + E + R

Wisdom = Knowledge + Experience + Reflection

Knowledge is a good starting point.  Read the books. Listen to the audios.  Watch the videos.  But knowledge is just a start to real wisdom.  

Then you have to try things. Do it.  Get in the game.  Get your hands dirty.  Use your knowledge and develop a higher level understanding of what works and what doesn’t – and of the finer dimensions and combinations of qualities it takes to succeed.

This gets you much closer to real wisdom.  But there’s one more thing you have to do – reflect.  You have to think about how your knowledge and experience fit together and what you might have done differently along the way.  You have to discern what the key steps are – what is most important, and what is less important, and what the pitfalls are.  You have to gain clarity so that you can explain to others how this is done and how they can do it, too.  

I can tell you that when I have learned and practiced many things.  But when I sat down to write a book, manual, or training class about it, I had to get clear and bring it all together.  It forced me to reflect when I had to teach it.

Wisdom + Knowledge + Experience + Reflection

Pick a subject you want to really be a master at – one that you love.  What step are you on?   What’s next?

Dog food?

A woman sees her child start to feed the dog a part of her donut.  “NOOOOO!” she yells.  “It’s not good for him!” … and then watches her child eat the donut.

You wouldn’t fill the dog bowl with soda would you?

You should be treated better than the dog.

I mean…right?

Who do you say you are?

Your behaviors are usually a representation of your identity.

It is impossible to behave contrary to who we believe we are.

What and who do you say and believe you are?

Can you think on it and make an updated decision on who you are?

To get better, start by acknowledging the truth.

“All progress starts by telling the truth.” – AA founder.

Of all people, the easiest one to deceive is ourselves.

When the need for illusion is great, to save our ego, make an excuse, defend our actions, we tell lies that we believe.

When we start to tell the truth to ourselves and then others, we can get better from there.

If we don’t tell the truth, we are often handicapping our ability to get better.

Do you want to get better?

Tell the truth.

Two kinds of freedoms

Freedom from, and freedom to.

Having “freedom from” is great.  Freedom from violence, oppression, disease, and injustice.

“Freedom to” is next level.  Freedom to do whatever you want when you want.  Now that is freedom.

Of course, it comes only with discipline, learning, and creating value for others.

Whatever you do, don't retire

I have said that in my observation, retirement is a leading cause of death.

People need a purpose and to feel useful.

Another Ikigai idea from the long-lived Japanese is that they never really retire. 

One commentator literally said – “Whatever you do, don’t retire.”

In Japanese, there isn’t really a word for retirement like we have.

I understand.  

My work gives me a purpose.  When I don’t work for a while, I feel different like I am becoming somebody else – somebody who is drifting without an aim.  I wouldn’t feel as good about myself if I was in this state for long.

The long-lived people of Okinawa stayed active.  Not a 9-5, but working on or for something every day even into very old age.  They also have friends and exercise moderately each day.

Not only is their life span very long, but so is their average health span.

Don't fill your stomach

Recently I went out to dinner and ate too much.  Drinks (bread?), appetizer, dinner, dessert.  I have a bit of poverty consciousness in me – I clean my plate (That’s not good, but I don’t like to waste…)

Well, when I do that, I don’t feel good after, and I do not sleep well.  I know this, – but food-as-entertainment is pretty common in society.

Well, let me get to the point.  I was listening to a book called Ikigai.  It’s a Japanese term that refers to something that gives a person a sense of purpose – a reason for living.  They were talking to people who were over 100 years old and looking at their habits and why they lived so long.  One thing they came up with was to only fill your stomach to 70% of capacity.  

Basically, don’t eat until you are full.  Stop before you are full.  A simple trick is to drink a full glass of water once you are done eating.  After 20 minutes you feel full.

When I eat too much my body spends a lot of energy on digesting all of it, and I feel like I need a nap.

70%.  It sounds like good advice to me.

Replace your junk food with food.

The other day I was in my barn and saw a bag of chips in the cabinet.  They were the “healthy kind of chips” with a nice healthy name and photo on the bag.  I opened them up.  They were old – and the smell!  Like chemicals.

Ughhh!

I thought about how those chemicals were there even if they were fresh.

I know how to eat well.

I can do better.  I have to make healthy food convenient and easy to get to.

And if I don’t buy junk, I won’t eat it.  I have to exercise discipline at the store.

Eat food with one ingredient.

Replace junk food with real food.

What came first – the belief or the fact?

Did you become _______________ and then believe it?

Or did you believe you would be ______________ years before you were?

It is because you believe what you say you are, that you become precisely that.

From the inner, the outer.

So, you can construct a new you in your mind, and when you come to believe in it, you will think, act, and do as the new you would, and become that person.

That’s how it works.

Darkness or light?

The angel and the devil compete for you.

The devil says, “You will weaken; you will not know exactly when.  You are afraid.”

The angel says, “You will weaken; you will not know exactly when.  You are afraid.”

You are surprised.  The angel and the devil have said the same thing.

The devil continues, “Let me help you”.

The angel says “I will help you”.

At that moment you understand the difference.

The words are the same, but completely different.

Your choice.  Who’s hand to choose?