Tag Archives: wisdom

You have not grown too old, and it is not too late

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“You have not grown too old, and it is not too late to dive into your increasing depths where life calmly gives out its own secret.”

—Rainer Maria Rilke, 20th Century Austrian poet and novelist

The other day a friend asked who was my audience for The Quotable Coach blog. My off-the-cuff response included people looking to live more meaningful lives and those looking to learn, grow, and pursue greater wisdom.

As with many bloggers, we only get a small glimpse of who actually reads our work. We rarely get to see the impact we intend and just hope that it does. I know for sure that the process of writing is definitely valuable to me even if no one else digs into the nuggets being offered.

EXERCISE:

If you are a loyal or even an occasional reader of this blog, please consider replying with a brief note about yourself and let me know why you invest a minute of your day to see what may be there for you.

Thank you.

It’s time to bet on wisdom

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

—Chip Conley, American hospitality entrepreneur, author, and speaker

Image from Unsplash by Ava Sol

I’ve been fascinated by the pursuit of mastery and wisdom most of my adult life.

For me, a day without learning something new and useful is a waste. Please note that I’ve used the word useful!

Many of us seem to ravenously pursue knowledge with the idea that “more is better.”

Watching the game show Jeopardy is a good example of how many folks see how they stack up to contestants with seemingly AI capabilities.

Unfortunately, knowledge and experience do not necessarily correlate to wisdom.

Just because you ingest and can regurgitate information does not guarantee that it was digested and used to strengthen your ability to guide yourself and others.

EXERCISE:

How are you metabolizing your life experiences to expand your bank of wisdom?

Where are you placing bets on your wisdom and the wisdom of others to hit more of the jackpots of life?

Those who are wise won’t be busy and those who would

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“Those who are wise won’t be busy and those who would be too busy can’t be wise. The wisest man is therefore he who loafs most gracefully.”

—Lin Yutang, 20th Century Chinese philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Alex Shute

I asked the AI app Perplexity to give me a list of 10-15 people alive or dead who are considered wise.

Here is the list it compiled:

  • Mahatma Gandh
  • The Dalai Lama
  • Nelson Mandela
  • Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Mother Teresa
  • Socrates
  • Confucius
  • Maya Angelou
  • Albert Einstein
  • Carl Sagan
  • Jane Goodall
  • Thich Nhat Hanh
  • Oprah Winfrey

EXERCISE:

Who would you add to this list that has made a significant contribution to human wisdom and understanding?

How might the idea of loafing gracefully to reflect and explore the nature and meaning of being human be integral to this process?

Explore the interconnectedness of the heart and mind

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Explore the interconnectedness of the heart and mind. It is between the two that we discover wisdom, peace, and purpose.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Giulia Bertelli

Since Covid, we have traveled considerably less than in previous years. We’ve continued to schedule trips, only to cancel many for a variety of reasons.

Staying close to home used to be very frustrating. These days, we realize checking certain destinations off our bucket lists is far less of a priority.

Exploring what it means to be modern elders and investigate more matters of the heart has enriched us in many ways we never expected.

EXERCISE:

How much time do you take these days to explore the interconnectedness of your heart and mind?

What does this special connection have to teach you about leading an even more meaningful life?

The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be

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“The human soul doesn’t want to be advised or fixed or saved. It simply wants to be witnessed — to be seen, heard and companioned exactly as it is.”

—Parker Palmer, American author, educator, and activist

Image from Unsplash by Mohamed Nohassi

How much time do your spend soul searching and looking within for answers to your most pressing matters?

Where do you go and what do you do to free yourself to examine the inner wisdom to direct your life?

Sometimes instead of going within for clarity we seek to be advised by others.

Although these people are mostly well intended, they often share their own “been there / done that” experiences as the T-shirts they think we should wear.

In many of these cases, being saved or fixed by their solutions just doesn’t fit.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you spend more time witnessing the unfolding of your soul?

How can you also advise the people in your world to quietly let you discover more of the answers for yourself?

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

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“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.”

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“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.”

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“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,

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“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

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“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?