Random Wisdom? It seems appropriate that the inaugural posting on my website be a guide to what you can look forward to in this space. I am a word junkie and love to dig into a dictionary to better understand what a word means… today, as well as its history or etymology. That fascination with words leads me to choose my words carefully; thus, the fact that I chose to use “random” and “wisdom” was not random. Random (the definition I am choosing to use) means lacking a definite plan, purpose or pattern. Feels a bit like a game of connect the dots, and that is what I want this blog to be. Not much in my life has followed a logical pattern, and it seems disingenuous to force a pattern on what I choose to share with you here.
Wisdom (again, the definition I am choosing) means accumulated philosophic or scientific learning; good sense; ability to discern inner qualities and relationships; knowledge. WELL – I have no shortage of wisdom then! I have been accumulating wisdom for a really long time (55 years) from a wide variety of sources.
What does that mean for you the reader? I guess it means you should be prepared to be surprised, delighted, disinterested, enlightened, or any one of several other reactions. What I think is worth sharing, you may think is a waste of virtual space. Other items that I mention casually may have profound meaning for you. Please don’t expect there to be a theme or progressive line of thinking, but then again don’t be surprised if there is. Oh yeah, did I mention that frequency and length of postings will also be random? Some examples of what I consider a fit for this space are … favorite quotes, books or articles I think you should read, movies that “show” snippets of life in a meaningful way, powerful questions to challenge your perspective, a great recipe (hey, we all have to eat, don’t we?), a life experience that has stretched me, a trade secret, an observation, something that has me feeling stuck…seem random enough?
The easiest random thing for me to start with is recommending a book. The question I am asked most frequently in my line of work is “if I only had time to read a few books, what would you recommend?” I have to say that one book I draw on again and again is Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott. Nearly every individual I work with has communication demons and I think you need to read the book! I am not going to give you a synopsis; instead, let me leave you with these two quotes that I hope provide an opportunity to reflect.
“While no single conversation is guaranteed to change our life, any single conversation could. What words and what level of attention do you bring to your conversations with the people most important to you?”
“You deserve what you tolerate.” What are you tolerating?
