IT'S HUMP DAY! Well, unless you work on the weekends. How's your week progressing? Are you working towards one small change you can make? Hopefully, your week is progressing how you want it to. If it's not, are you going to get yourself back on track?
So last Wednesday, I looked a little bit at wisdom vs. knowledge-The primary difference between the two words is that wisdom involves a healthy dose of perspective and the ability to make sound judgments about a subject while knowledge is simply knowing. Anyone can become knowledgeable about a subject by reading, researching, and memorizing facts. ...Wisdom is knowing when to say it. Wisdom can be acquired only through experience, but by itself, experience does not automatically confer wisdom. I want to focus more on some different ideas of wisdom. I LOVE THIS: Wisdom, sapience, or sagacity is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. Wisdom is associated with attributes such as unbiased judgment, compassion, experiential self-knowledge, self-transcendence and non-attachment, and virtues such as ethics and benevolence. Man, I love acquiring knowledge! Two words in this last statement really jumped out at me: Sapience and Sagacity. Sapience means the quality of being wise or wisdom. Sagacity meaning is the acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment. Both are synonyms for wisdom. While I'm sitting here writing this and contemplating on the different ideas and meanings involved, I feel that there are several areas that could be explored. I'm planning on writing about a different idea, different them from several of the things listed in italics over the next few Wednesdays, So let's begin!
Non-attachment. What does this mean? Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines non-attachment as "a lack of attachment (as to worldly concerns)." It's not talking about indifference. Indifference means you have a lack of interest, concern, or sympathy. To further define non-attachment, we can see it means that you can practice Non-attachment and still feel love, passion, interest, and excitement. The main difference between the two words is that indifference means you don't care about anyone or anything. When you practice non-attachment, the world around you still matters. Yet, you're willing to let things come into your life and go out of your life without trying to hold onto them. Letting go may be one of the hardest things you've ever attempted, but when it happens, you feel free. When you become attached to something, your happiness is based on duality, and it will be relative (impermanent). You will define yourself by the outside world, rather than with your true inner nature. When we try to practice Non-attachment, it's easier said than done.
One way to experience Non-attachment is by letting go of the past. Your past has led you to this point in your life, BUT your past doesn't define you. There will always, ALWAYS be others who try to pigeonhole you by remembering how you were in the past, but their ideas, their OPINIONS about you DON'T MATTER! If I stick with the belief from my past that "I'm just a drunk and a junkie", then that's what I will be. For me to get into recovery 100%, I finally came to the realization that I didn't have to look back at my past, except to learn from my mistakes. I had to "own" my mistakes and acknowledge them but I don't have to "wallow" in them. I have to be in the present, live in the present, and plan for the future.
Don't let things own you. This doesn't mean you shouldn't or can't buy things or enjoy the things you have. For example, if you see a flower vase you like, then buy it. BUT don't get stressed out if it gets broken.
Next Wednesday, I'll explore this further, this is interesting to me and hopefully, it provides insight for you. We'll be starting off with: Recognize The Signs Of Impermanence Around You.
I'll see y'all on Thankful Thursday when I'll talk more about gratitude and its importance in our lives. Until then......