Wikipedia tells us: “While knowledge is the accumulation of information, wisdom is knowing how, when, and why to use it to achieve a positive outcome.

I have always, literally, always enjoyed and accumulated quotes because I consider them words of wisdom. For example: “A wise man once said nothing”. Or one of my mother’s: “No one will notice on a galloping horse”.

Fred Rogers said, “Anything human is mentionable, and anything mentionable can be more manageable.” Wise words for these tumultuous times.

I am a fan of words, but if they are clever and make sense, I reap the benefits of learning and applying them to my experiences. They’re like little gifts. If they broaden my thoughts, I usually write them down so I don’t forget them and I can share them with you.

Yesterday, a friend and I were remembering a common friend who passed away nearly three years ago. She had cancer and chose not to have any treatment. Sitting on the sofa in her dimly lit living room, holding her iPad in her lap, looking us square, she said, “We’re all going to die. One of life’s greatest mysteries is how and when. Now I know.”

When I hear the expression less is more, the word wisdom comes to mind. Words delivered in short statements are far more impactful than long, drawn-out explanations. Process the depth of a Dear Abby statement: “Loneliness is the ultimate poverty”. Or, how about this one from Albert Einstein: “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” Children’s books have some of the most profound quotes, as this one from a Harry Potter book:  “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

We all have wisdom. It comes from living and paying attention. We gain wisdom from the words of others. Years ago, a good friend said to me, “Jennifer, if you really want Calla Lilies in your garden, it is going to take more than me giving you bulbs.” Her wisdom was, is, and always will be relevant, and I share it often.

Words of wisdom stop me cold—my eyes squint, my lips pucker to the left, and my head tilts. I’m processing. They’re like tripping up a step. The more truth they hold, the harder we stumble.

If we listen, we learn. If we learn, we grow a little wiser. The wiser we become, the better we give, and isn’t that what it’s all about? Closing with three wise quotes:

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

“There is a wisdom of the head, and a wisdom of the heart.”  Charles Dickens

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.”  Thomas Jefferson

Until the next time: Live while you live