I was amused by a meme in LinkedIn. The stark message was spelled out in bold white letters against a solid black background. The quote stated, “Don’t worry so much. The worry is not going to make it any better.”  These pearls of wisdom were attributed to a former vice chair of GE.  My comment to the post suggested that wisdom could also be attributed to my mom and pretty much all the mothers that I have ever known. Therein lies the point:  wisdom is not limited to only the powerful, mighty or famous. We all have it. Well, some of it.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency to only listen to wise words when they come with some sort of pedigree – big shot title, fancy degree from expensive university, accomplishments in entertainment or sports, and so on.  We don’t pay enough attention to that which surrounds us or infuses us.

I used to remind attendees in some of the workshops that I presented that they likely had an interesting habit. They probably took notes when the presenter/speaker/teacher said things they deemed important; they sometimes took notes when a participant/attendee/student shared good ideas; they rarely added to their notes the times that they raised their hands and presented good ideas or wisdom to the workshop/class.

The Buddhist expression states that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. For those who pay attention to life and the people in it, the teacher(s) is/are ever present, and at times each of us is the teacher for someone else, even when we don’t know it. Wisdom is closer than you think.

Journaling is a good way to capture some of the great ideas and wisdom that you have gained in life. Conversations are a good way, too, especially if you listen to others and to yourself. Be humble in the process. As Max Ehrmann stated in Desiderata, “If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.” We all – all ages, all backgrounds — have part of the truth in us, and no one has it all.

Yes, we all have gained wisdom, more so if we have been paying attention to life. Let’s learn from each other and from ourselves.