What Is Wisdom and How Do I Get Passion and Purpose?

Through life experiences, we gain knowledge and sound decision-making skills. Being wise means you can discern how to use that knowledge and expertise better for your success and peace of mind. With age, you naturally gain wisdom. The definition of wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and sound judgment; the quality of being wise.

Find success with a clear purpose — Fuel Your Passion

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates”

Why can't we all be wise?

Each generation tends to make the same mistakes as past generations. We must experience things ourselves and make decisions based on our knowledge and information. The problem is we don’t have enough experience or information for new issues. Because no one is perfect, we will never make 100% good decisions. Therefore, we then learn from our mistakes and grow as an individual.

However, we could be wiser simply by getting input from others with experience and information on the topic. We don’t need to live through something to know how issues might arise. We also don’t need to gather information if someone else already used the information to solve their problems. Being wise also means using your resources to save time, money, and pain.

Six Tips for gaining wisdom

Learn everything about everything – continuous learning.
Take risks early in life to pursue your dreams – don’t try to be perfect.
Live in the moment – while pursuing your passion and purpose.
Pick your battles carefully – focus on your goals and priorities.
Spend more time with family and friends.
Change your relationship with money by spending less and saving more – stop making other people rich.

#1 Continue to learn about different topics

Learning is not just about gaining knowledge but about staying ahead of changes in the future. Since you don’t know what the future brings, you must prepare for many topics, just in case. The pace of change will dictate your need to learn new skills. Change is constant, so prepare for a continual adaptation and learning life. Learning also means getting knowledge from family and friends. Many of them have been through the issue you are now facing and can give you great advice.

#2 Take risks and learn from your mistakes

Many hesitate to do something for fear of making a mistake or failing. Don’t let the old saying ‘practice makes perfect’ hold you back. Perfection is a flaw, so think of growth as ‘practice makes progress.’ Success requires failure, and making mistakes are natural and cannot be avoided. Sadness, stress, and depression sometimes occur because people cannot let go of the past, and it prevents them from moving forward. Whether starting your own business or introducing yourself to a potential spouse, do not be scared because nothing good will happen if you take no action or try too hard to avoid a mistake. Some of the best opportunities come from taking calculated risks.

The famous book author J.K. Rowling once said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” Many people have great ideas but are afraid to start for fear of failing. The fear of failure is so powerful that many people talk themselves out of trying to avoid failing. I always tell my students, “For those afraid of failure, you should be more afraid of regret.”

#3 Know your passion and purpose so you can live in the moment

Living a life of passion and purpose means having a clear and meaningful direction. Knowing what you value, what principles you live by, and how you want to contribute to your community is essential because a purpose-driven life can bring many benefits. Make a difference in the world because it is not just about you. Time is a precious resource, so be mindful of how you spend it and prioritize activities that align with your goals and values. God gave you gifts and talents that others do not have.

Most people have heard the saying ‘Mind, Body, and Soul’ as an expression of happiness and peace. I would argue that ‘Spirit, Mind, and Body’ is a better order to guide your life.

Spirit means trusting in God and depending on the Holy Spirit to guide your decisions. You already know you can’t solve every problem, but God can. Your expertise, knowledge, and efforts with God’s divine power can achieve anything. Wisdom means welcoming God’s help so you can be better.

Mind means self-control, so living in the moment makes you mindful of the present. A strong mind also helps you develop clear goals and prioritize what’s important. It helps to keep you focused on the things or people in front of you. It provides a way to experience life without day-to-day distractions.

We are so used to multi-tasking that we miss the essence of what’s happening right in front of us. Have you ever attended an event and, a day later, forgotten what you saw and who you met? When you actively engage your mind with what’s happening around you, you can engage your other senses, like smells and sounds, which enables you to be fully aware of the present moment. Having a strong mind also requires you to limit alcohol and smoking because they will cause you to lose control and be distracted. Despair, anxiety, hopelessness, and depression will only be under control if we take action, so do not hesitate to seek help if you are struggling emotionally.

Body means being proactive about your health. Invest in your health because your body is more fragile than you think, and you are not indestructible. Take care of your body by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, meditating to reduce stress, and getting enough sleep. I highly recommend Dr. Michael Greger’s nonprofit, NutritionFacts.org, as a source of excellent health information. He offers free videos on hundreds of topics, each with health improvement ideas. You can also watch videos by our health coach at Tips4Living, Mrs. Dee, who covers many health topics—worrying about your health after a hospital vital or chronic disease diagnosis is too late to do anything about it. Wisdom means preventing major diseases so you can live healthier and longer.

#4 Pick your battles carefully

Pick your battles wisely. When you gain wisdom, you learn that not everything deserves your time or energy. Life is full of ups and downs, so accept that you can’t control several things, events, or people, and do not let minor setbacks and inconveniences ruin your peace of mind. Worrying about things you cannot control only adds stress, which is unhealthy. I live by the saying, “No one will die today due to my bad decision.” That is true for about 80% of the population, excluding police, firefighters, doctors, nurses, and EMTs. Others will forget what happened shortly after an argument or mistake. I highly recommend the short book “Who Moved My Cheese?” to understand this concept fully.

Forgive and let go because holding grudges is unhealthy and does not solve anything. Holding onto grudges only weighs you down and causes distractions. Forgive, let go, and move forward.

#5 Focus on family and friends

Build meaningful relationships because no one wants to be alone in retirement. These relationships will be a source of support and joy throughout your life. According to doctors, this can also help you live longer—for example, some studies have shown that marriage adds 10 years to your life. Share love as a way of life. Do not get caught up in the past or future; cherish the present moment and the people around you. Do not lose the ones you love because you took them for granted and did not tell them how much you love them.

Surround yourself with people who align with your values. Values will guide your decisions and bring authenticity to your life, and making choices based on principles will add meaning to your day. You may not know it, but others are changing for the better because they see you live by great values. Listen to those who love you because they want the best for you. Learning from mistakes takes time, money, and disappointment, but there is a shortcut to learning from mistakes, which is learning from others. You may think your family and friends do not understand, but I assure you, many of them have “been there and done that.” No new failures exist because someone has “been there and done that.”

#6 Change your relationship with money

In 2019, there were 12 million “401K millionaire households” in the US. These millionaires did not get there by using their hands and spending their money but by using new methods to grow wealth. Only 20% of Americans inherit their riches, and the other 80% are self-made, first-generation millionaires. Stop working hard for your money and make your money work hard for you. The secret is “compound interest.” You must learn what compound interest is and how it works. Compound interest is a way to make your money work hard for you. It is a simple concept, but it can profoundly impact your finances over your lifetime. Everyone knows the quote, “It’s not how much money you make but how much you keep.” Make your money work hard for you, and do not continue to work hard for your money.

Generations of children seem to fall into the same money traps: lousy credit scores, lack of financial literacy, lack of saving and retirement planning, and living paycheck-to-paycheck are issues that repeat from one generation to the next. Live below your means because “keeping up with the Joneses” will make you poor. Avoid unnecessary debt, and do not spend money you do not have. Remember that using credit cards too freely is the best way to be financially insecure. Financial freedom brings peace of mind and hope for the future, and this freedom also helps you sleep better at night.

As your certified life coach, I can help you with your purpose and financial improvement.

Contact me at Tips4Living for a free consultation so you may improve your life.

In Summary,

Anyone can be wiser if they ask for help, use mentors, and embrace making mistakes so you can learn from them. Money, relationships, family, and employment are some of the more significant mistakes. Strong values will ensure we make better decisions, while not making the same mistakes will make us wiser.

Another view of wisdom for those who believe in God.