Wisdom shouts in the streets.

She cries out in the public square

….Come listen to my counsel

I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.

How many of us would like more of the ability to discern or judge what is true, right or lasting, to have insight? What would it look like to have great judgment of what is lasting, true and right in every plan or course of action you make? What would it be like that things you create last and somehow send a message of truth and insight to all that observe?

If wisdom is all around us, offering counsel how do we find it and hear its advice?

Dictionary definition number 2: – Wisdom; The sum of learning through the ages; knowledge: “In those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations” (Maya Angelou, whose quote made it into an official dictionary definition of the word wisdom!).

In the last few years I’ve been especially learning to respect and honour the wisdom of those older and more mature than me. And not just the older, I’ve learnt to recognize and receive wisdom from those that are younger but have maturity and insight too.

I did not even have a grid for this until recent years. When I started to learn that having wise counsel and input in your life is a very good idea, for some time I wondered why on earth I didn’t have this and what’s more couldn’t seem to get it! Then I experienced breakthrough. Someone told me, you don’t have it because you don’t ask for it!

In my twenties I would never have invited input. Even though, ‘the collective wisdom of generations’ was all around me, I was too foolish to receive it. That has now changed. I have started to recognize amazing people around me in my life who have completely different perspectives to me and can add amazing insight to so many of the decisions and plans that face me. Hearing the collective wisdom of several of them in a season has helped save me from quite a few foolish paths, helped focus me when I get distracted, helped me find the right pace and the right priorities and helped me to recognize wise choices.

So here is my point, I never ever would have benefited from this if I hadn’t stopped and taken stock of who I had or could pursue in my life to be my counsel. Next, I would not have benefitted from their wisdom if I hadn’t given them permission to ‘please speak into my life’! I felt I wanted to invite them to do this, even when I am not specifically asking them in the moment. After all I must have blind spots and this would be a way of having them covered. Lastly, as time goes on, I realize I must invest time in staying in community with these precious friends and family. They cannot input on what they do not see. So if you haven’t already done this in your life and even if you had it’s a great idea to do it again.

1. Stop! Take stock of who you have in your life and your circle of people that you know has wisdom, insight and sense. Decide which of them you want to pursue to be your input.
2. Meet them for a coffee or a meal! Tell them you respect them and their views. Then ask them if they would please give their views on you and how you are living your life. You may have specific areas you want them to hold you accountable in, such as relationships or following a particular dream you have. You can tell them you may not always listen to them, but you want their input and you’d appreciate a ‘heads up’ from them when they see things that could be better.
3. Lastly, tell them you’re serious about this, and you feel like your progression and success is partly going to be due to their role as adviser and counsel. So agree with them how often and where you can regularly meet.

‘Fools despise wisdom and knowledge’. Dictionary definition number 5, the Wisdom of Solomon, from the Bible!

Be on the lookout even today for great wisdom wanting to share her heart with you in many of the places you go and the people you speak to!

Tina Southgate, Life and Business Coach, Smart Step Coaching