Wisdom (in progress)
Where does our wisdom come from? Does it come from books, experiences, lessons taught to us, conversations we have? I don’t actually believe it comes to us from any of those places anymore. I used to believe the more I talked with people, the more I read or learned or experienced, the wiser I would be. Although little separates them, there is a huge difference between Wisdom and Knowledge. They are twins born of the same body and mind, but they live in different places within us.
Knowledge, my first born has lived in my mind without contemplation of Wisdom for a long time, it’s been running around experience gathering, book reading, observational learning and mental processing. It’s had its own ego and voice. It’s run the show in decision making and actions with plenty of opinions - deciding which way to go, how fast to go, and with what supplies and resources. Knowledge has been the "“know-it-all” big sister.
Recently, Knowledge rounded the corner of my life maze and found Wisdom, waiting patiently. It invited Knowlege to sit still with it. It’s become clear, Wisdom is not letting Knowledge run this maze, alone, without help, any longer - no more searching for the answer key without Wisdom. My Knowlege has tried to sit still, anxiously gotten up and faced away from Wisdom, returned to talk over Wisdom and wiggled with energy which would just simply not dissipate fast enough to focus. It’s taken time, what feels like years, for Knowledge to calm, to breathe, to ground itself and relax enough to be present with Wisdom. Peace is hard won by Knowledge.
Wisdom lives in the body. It’s been trying to get Knowledge’s attention for a long time. Knowledge lives in the mind and has not been listening, and decidedly ignoring the calls emanating from the body. Wisdom already knows what knowledge has been up to, already understand all the paths knowledge has taken. Wisdom has much to share that it’s been in possession of for a long time. It holds the key to the decisions, to the purpose, to the path. Wisdom has had the eagle’s eye view of the maze Knowledge has been running, exhausting itself. It knows the way forward. It’s time to let Wisdom lead.
