“Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise. The wisest man is therefore he who loafs most gracefully.” — Lin Yutang, Chinese philosopher
There’s a different kind of tone when the universe is talking to you. It may give you “truthbumps.” But, you won’t necessarily hear it if you’re scrolling social media.
As we move from the goal level of our life to the soul level, we are presented with what Erik Erikson called the juxtaposition of “Generativity vs. Stagnation.” It is during this later midlife era of our life that we ought to find the time to be more reflective – with the necessary spaciousness – with the hope that we’re a conduit meant to channel our wisdom to the next generation.
James Hillman writes in the “The Force of Character,” “The final years have a very important purpose: the fulfillment and confirmation of one’s character. When we open our imaginations to the idea of the ancestor, aging can free us from convention and transform us into a force of nature, releasing our deepest beliefs for the benefit of society.”
The road to Wisdom passes through Character as is often our character qualities that those younger than us most admire and emulate.
How might you make a list of three character qualities that you want to develop over the rest of your life? Courage, compassion, resilience, optimism, patience, humility, curiosity, equanimity, reverence, joy, generosity, playfulness…
I promise you that by giving yourself the space to develop these qualities, you are also building your wisdom.
If you enjoy these Wisdom Well posts, we’ve uploaded my 2023 book “A Year of Wisdom” to Amazon so it’s now much easier to order. Each day of the year is marked by a short, inspirational post, a microdose of wisdom. Great for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Hope you enjoy it.
-Chip