“There’s a time for certain ideas to arrive, and they find a way to express themselves through us.”

“There’s a time for certain ideas to arrive, and they find a way to express themselves through us.”

Rick Rubin, Co-Founder of Def Jam Recordings

Image from Unsplash by Nick Fewings

I’m often asked where I find the wide variety of quotes I use for this blog. The short answer is that I am always on the hunt for nuggets of wisdom to reflect upon and share.

The originality of these ideas is important however it is in the filtering through our lives that they become molded into something real and relevant.

On days with only modest feedback, I still find this practice and the roads it helps me travel of vital importance to my own journey.

EXERCISE:

What ideas are you pondering these days?

How can they be molded and shaped by you to be shared with others in your various communities?

“It’s time to bet on wisdom. It’s metabolized experience.”

“It’s time to bet on wisdom. It’s metabolized experience.”

Chip Conley, American hotelier, author, and speaker

Image from chipconley.com

In 2018, Chip Conley founded the Modern Elder Academy (MEA) — the world’s first “midlife wisdom school” in Baja California.

His work has been dedicated to helping students re-imagine midlife as a time for learning, growth, and positive transformation through immersive workshops, sabbaticals, and a variety of digital programs.

His education includes an MBA from Stanford. In 1987 Chip founded Joie de Vire Hospitality that managed 50 boutique hotels for 24 years. In 2013, he was the director of hospitality at Airbnb. His resume includes many other experiences he has metabolized over the years and is well worth a look.

EXERCISE:

Please consider subscribing the MEA Wisdom Well Blog — “A Daily Reminder of Wisdom and its Value”

“It’s easier to have the vigor of youth when you’re old than the wisdom of age when you are young.”

“It’s easier to have the vigor of youth when you’re old than the wisdom of age when you are young.”

Richard J. Needham, 20th Century Canadian humor columnist

Image from Unsplash by Maarten van den Hovel

One of the many bonuses of moving back to Pennsylvania is that we are now neighbors with our cousins Paul and Carol. Paul is the patriarch of our family since the passing of my dad a little over two years ago.

One of the many things we all admire about Paul is his boundless energy. In his early eighties, he still works two part-time jobs, runs five miles a day, and plays a mean game of ping pong! In early July, he attended five concerts in one week with his daughter, down the Jersey shore.

We all agree that Paul definitely rocks—and has a pretty good voice when the music is turned up.

EXERCISE:

How can you maintain the vigor of youth as you continue down the path of greater wisdom?

Who are the roles models that guide and coach you in the development of these qualities?

As we grow older, real beauty travels from the face to the heart,

“As we grow older, real beauty travels from the face to the heart, appeal turns to charm, hurt to wisdom, and great moments to shared memories. The true beauty of life is not how happy you are now, but how happy others are because of you.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Logan Weaver

How old are you?

When was the last time you took a good look in the mirror?

How does your self-appraisal compare when you view yourself from the inside versus the outside?

Without question, entropy is having its way with all of us and many of us are grasping desperately for our younger days.

Today’s quote can be a wonderful way to re-frame our perspective on the aging process.

It helps us see what we’ve been given and gained with all the days gone by.

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully embrace the process of aging and look to the happiness you have fostered in the lives of others along the way?

When you are young, you have raw smarts

“When you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom.”

Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard professor, PhD social scientist, bestselling author

Image from Unsplash by Jordan Whitt

I agree with today’s quote in most cases, especially for individuals with a growth mindset and a propensity toward lifelong learning.

The pursuit of knowledge and experience takes time.

Raw smarts and wisdom build at different rates.

Consider a heavy rain as it fills a puddle versus years of rain carving a river’s path.

EXERCISE:

How has your growth and development journey evolved over the years?

Where and how have you stepped beyond acquiring raw smarts to embracing the gift of wisdom?

How can you prioritize the accumulated wisdom

“How can you prioritize the accumulated wisdom of humanity over the impulses of the past 24 hours?”

David Perell, writer, podcaster, and writing instructor

Image from Unsplash by Igor Mike

How healthy is your diet? How about your mental diet? How much fast food and fast information have you consumed in the past 24 hours?

To get your daily fix, what percent of incoming sources included tweets, texts, email, podcasts, or other sources of media?

Where and how often do you also consume nutritious sources of wisdom? To what degree do each of these sources help you to lead a more productive and meaningful life?

EXERCISE:

How would applying more sources of wisdom to your daily efforts act as guiding lights to illuminate your life?

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Cathryn Lavery

When I consider the topic of note taking my initial thoughts go back to my school days. Listening intently to my teachers in grade school and my professors in college was paramount to getting the “A’s” I was seeking. Capturing what was said and giving it back to them seemed to be the secret recipe for success.

Following my formal schooling the extent of my note taking focused on grocery shopping and the occasional list of questions for doctor visits. Like many others, I felt my note taking days were over. There didn’t seem to be much need to remember a bunch of stuff that wasn’t going to be on the test.

These days, getting ahead and staying ahead is as important as ever. Capturing new ideas and valuable insights and keeping them to use now or in the future is essential to progress in our increasingly complex and fast-moving lives.

EXERCISE:

Purchase a small notebook or use a note-taking app on your phone to capture more of the nuggets of wisdom that cross your path each day. My friend Sam Horn uses a catchy quote “Ink it when You think It” that can help you remember to apply this important skill.

Please let me know how this practice helps you ace your actual life.

Discover the home in your head

Discover the home in your head. Make it a place of love, comfort, wisdom, peace and beauty.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Julian Hochgesang

Home Sweet Home is perhaps the most common phrase on door mats across America. It’s a hopeful saying we wish were true at all times but unfortunately, we often come up short of its aspirational message.

Physical clutter, challenging relationships, and even our inner demons sometime leave a bitter taste we prefer not to swallow.

Although external factors are not always in our control, much work can be done to clean up the home in our head.

Instead of getting out the vacuum, dust pans, and rags, how would greater love, wisdom, and a peaceful heart help you experience the comfort, beauty, and sweetness you desire?

EXERCISE:

What actions can and will you take today to bring more of these wonderful qualities into your life?

 Stop, jot, and share. Use the superpower of reflection

Stop, jot, and share. Use the superpower of reflection to cement the value of the information you take in.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Gardie Design & Social Media Marketing

What types of information are you taking in these days? What are your strategies to not have the most valuable information go in one ear and out the other?

Consider the concept of eating and digestion. How do you select the most healthy and appetizing items to consume?

How do you chew on these ideas and mix this mash with the saliva and digestive juices of your past experiences and existing wisdom?

How do you discern and absorb the best nutrients and discard any waste products not meant for you?

EXERCISE:

How would jotting in a notebook or journal aid in your reflective skills to squeeze out even more nuggets of wisdom from your information diet?

Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season

“Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season.”

—Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, 13th-century Persian poet

Image from Unsplash by Alejandro

When do you receive the most rain where you live?

Just as water is essential to life, Rumi suggests that wisdom is water for our spirits. Unfortunately, we do not always receive rain when we need it throughout the year.

What season of life are you in? Look back over the years to see how you have benefited from the wisdom of others and become the reservoir for members of your communities who thirst for its refreshing and renewing properties.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world are people experiencing a drought of wisdom and a thirst for growth?

How can we tap the aquifers and sprinkler systems that are often out of sight to soak and refresh our souls?