Wisdom is that wonderful quality we hear about. And I suspect we often assume it just shows up as a result of getting older. Unfortunately, sometimes we just get older - wisdom is something that must be purposefully developed. And I sure don't want to miss out on the benefits of having wisdom. As you'll see below, having more information, data, knowledge and even intelligence don't necessarily lead to wisdom. Having access to so many experiences and excessive information may keep us as adolescents in the wisdom department. I want to grow into wisdom and I enjoy hearing from many of you who are on the same path. But it's not a common path - be willing to be "abnormal."
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Recently I did a phone and web simulcast titled Outta Work but Finding Myself. We've had a lot of requests for that 48-munute replay. Here's the link - just click and listen: Outta Work but Finding Myself.
********************************* Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees takes off his shoes--
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries." --Elizabeth Barrett Browning
While attending a funeral recently I glanced up and down just my row to see several people Twittering and checking emails in the last few minutes prior to the beginning of the service. It's now common during sermons and seminars to see people with their heads down, busy passing on tidbits of information instantly. This morning I read that one million people are following Ashton Kutcher on Twitter.
I suggest that this massive addiction to information leads us away from wisdom, not toward it, creating what author Shane Hill calls "a permanent puberty of the mind." Recognize that information, knowledge and even intelligence do not necessarily lead to wisdom. The overload of information in fact encourages the opposite of what creates wisdom - stillness, time, reflection and solitude. With the internet, TV, email, FaceBook, Twitter and cell phones, there is no waiting. There is no such thing as stillness or quiet personal reflection. Meaningful experiences and the path toward wisdom can be diverted by constant information.
I am not anti-technology. I love having instant access to useful information. But this is much like having a bowl of peanut M&Ms in front of me. I tend to eat them just because they are there. At some point I will have to remove myself from the bowl or my initial pleasure will turn to misery and sickness. And I believe allowing a constant diet of unlimited information and data into our brain will also ultimately turn from being a useful treat to something that will cause our mental lives to become bloated and deprive us of the characteristics we desire most. We have to decide when to push back from the table of information overload - where it leads to our emotional, social, philosophical, and psychological sickness rather than being a useful addition in our quest for wisdom. I have made strategic decisions to not be on Facebook or use Twitter. Not because they are bad but because I have to chose which tools that I can use effectively.
Increasing the rate of information input to your brain may make you a candidate for Jeopardy but it probably has little to do with increasing spiritual characteristics like love, trust, compassion, faith, courage -- and wisdom.
Want to increase your wisdom?
Practice reflection, meditation and introspective thinking for 30 minutes each morning. Many who allow constant input are keeping themselves in the shallow end of the wisdom pool. Don't be one of them.
Turn off the TV for at least two hours every evening
Read your email at set times during the day - perhaps once in the morning and once in the evening. Don't allow yourself to be interrupted with every new incoming message
Spend four hours on Saturday without your cell phone or computer
Plan one day a quarter on an "information fast." Get away from your computer, your cell phone, TV and the newspapers. You'll be amazed at how your creativity will increase - you may get the one idea that will change your future
Read one good non-fiction book each month. Chose carefully from the wisdom of the ages.
Incidentally, according to a new Nielson report, 60% of Twitter users sign up and drop out after one month. And I seriously doubt that following Ashton Kutcher is going to increase your wisdom.
This is just one of the myths about older workers. According to the American Council of Life Insurance, workers 45 and older call in sick an average of 3.1 days per year compared to an average of 3.8 days for those 17 to 44.
Bonne Bell cosmetics, in Westlake Ohio, has a production facility with team members between the ages of 55 and 92. They run two four-hour shifts five days a week. Bell has found employees they describe as "hard-working, efficient, punctual and spirited."
The opportunities for older workers are growing daily. The myths that if you are over 50 the opportunities are gone are just not true. And it's not just about WalMart greeters or hamburger flippers. My dad, now 96, drove the Amish to weddings, funerals, etc. after his "retirement" at 62 until he was 88. I know, it scared us too, but he was getting $1.00 a mile. How cool for an 88 yr-old guy to hang out with friends of similar heritage and make $400-500 a day. Here are some additional resources on this growing trend:
Over the past century, life expectancy in the United States has increased about 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This has brought the average life expectancy from 47.3 years for someone born in 1900 to 77.3 years for someone born in 2002. The United States currently has the greatest number of centenarians in the world, estimated at 96,548 on November 1, 2008.
Since a whole lot of us are still going to be around when we're 100, let's be even more committed to finding - or creating - work that we love. You could be working longer after 50 than you did before.
Each week I read through the questions submitted to select a few to respond to in this recorded podcast.
I'm a 61-year old nurse and don't want to work forever. I have several good product ideas related to food & gum flavors that I've seen others make a reality. I've contacted big companies like Wrigley gum but they only accept in-house ideas. How can I market ideas for products I don't know how to make?
I'm writing to you sort of out of desperation...currently, I work full time at home for XYZ. I hate it. That said, I need something fast to help our family finances. I am a homeschooling mom, a writer (working part time for local paper) and a part time seminary student. That alone feels like so much. Will you pray for me and offer any ideas? I am on the verge of tears all the time and my three sons are begging me to quit XYZ.
I want to start a virtual business where I handle accounting and taxes for business. The one problem that comes to mind when thinking about this great idea is confidentiality. I will be asking them for very confidential information (SS#, bank statements, client lists). How can I assure them that their confidentiality is important and they can trust me?
I'm 43 years old and have been practicing chiropractic for about 21 years. I went to chiropractic college due to the powerful influence of my father who was a chiropractor. Though I believe in the mission of chiropractic and the "lifestyle" it can potentially create, I've not found success in it. In fact, I've found only frustration. I'm also struggling terribly on a personal basis as I'm dealing with a psychological condition that really stems from having a weak "sense of self". I'm really feeling squeezed in every area of my life and really need some godly counsel.
I spend too much time watching the tube. I am on a VA disability pension, and have been homeless for several years. I truly do not know what my true calling is, I am 60 years old, female, have been around the mtn. and in the wilderness long enough, and want to come out of the cold, so to speak, but don't know where to go or to turn. I am very frustrated with myself, and so am writing for your possible assistance, if this e-mail even gets to you.
********************************* If you have a question, just email me at askdan@48Days.com and you can ask about starting your own business, getting a better job, or finding your purpose in life.
And you can click the link below to listen to this week's broadcast immediately - no downloading - no wait.
Coaching with Dan
Many of you ask if I still coach people individually. Yes, I do. Feel like all you're doing is failing? Maybe I or one of our coaches can help you see some new ways of moving forward. Give us some brief information and I'll make a recommendation: Coaching with Dan
********************************* 48Days.net
By now most of you know about 48Days.net. This is different than 48Days.com. At 48Days.net you'll see lots of other excited people who have ideas - and they're willing to share those with you to help your business grow and profit. If you want your life to be different this year, get involved with people who are on the same path. There is no cost - just lots of helpful people and resources.
********************************* Need A Creative Idea?
Thomas Edison had an unusual way of tapping into the mixture of thoughts and dreams we have in those moments just before we fall asleep - a highly creative state of mind. The authors of "The Creative Spirit" explain his method. "He would doze off in a chair with his arms and hands draped over the arm rests. In each hand he held a ball bearing. Below each hand on the floor were two pie plates. When he drifted into the state between waking and sleeping, his hands would naturally relax and the ball bearings would drop on the plates. Awakened by the noise, Edison would immediately make notes on any ideas that had come to him."
********************************* Smile more - it's good for you!
Every time you smile, the thymus gland is activated. As the thymus gland is connected to the various pleasure centers of the brain, every time it is activated, it sends a small wave of calming natural chemicals through your body, creating a spontaneous sense of pleasure. So, happy people are less depressed, bounce back faster from sad events, have higher standards of achievement in school and at work, and are likely to have better health - and may even live longer. Smiling and laughing also decreases the sensations of pain for pain sufferers. And whilst it doesn't erase the pain, it helps put things in perspective. And having a happy heart doesn't mean doing stand-up comedy. It does mean keeping an upbeat attitude. Laughter Really is the best medicine
********************************* What "fits" you?
How do my parts fit together?
The most popular product in the 48 Days arsenal continues to be the 48 Days Career Profile. Before you begin seeking a better job or self-employment, you need to be sure you are pursuing opportunities that match your personality style and will fulfill and reward you for a lifetime!
"Although we cannot change the direction of the wind, we can adjust our sails."
--Unknown
"A ship is always safest in the harbor. But that's not what ships are for."
"The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."
-- Joseph Addison
"Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition - such as lifting weights - we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity."
--Stephen Covey
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart."
How do my parts fit together?
