On the Path toward Wisdom

I know a lot of smart people. Some have great math abilities. Others speak with words that flow like poetry. Still others have amazing memory and recall (envious of this one).  Me? I’m trivial smart.  Ask me a question on popular culture and I can quote little known facts and speak fluently in movie quotes.  Having wisdom does not come naturally to me.

I know fewer people who are wise, who can take their “smarts” and merge it perfectly with their experiences and intuition and offer sage advice or possibilities for improvement on both small and large scales.

I hate confrontation to the point of smiling, nodding my head and slowly but steadily backing away from the discussion and out the room. Call me chicken.  I know it’s a  behavioral flaw that I need to work on.  But how can I work on it without having the wisdom to know when to defend and when to give in?

I truly have been trying to improve my confrontational skills, and have picked up a few “golden rules” in order to play the game.  I have learned that in an argument, there are often more than two possibilities.  Sometimes the answer is not who’s right as much as acknowledging the other person’s opinion and offering other insights into the mix.  “Let’s agree to disagree” is a good mantra (from the movie Men in Black 3).

Another rule I have learned is that there’s no excuse for attacking someone’s character. If strong words are called for, they should always be directed within the framework of the conversation.  By insulting the person, I lose the argument as well as any self-respect.

Finally, just because an idea is popular or it says so online doesn’t mean it’s true. I remember my son coming home and saying that Portugal was a city in Spain. Now,  geography is not my strong suit but I am positive that his teacher (a woman who should have retired 30 years prior to my son’s imprisonment in her class) was pulling his leg or having “a moment.” Of course, children think their parents have the minds of slug worms, so good luck convincing them you’re right and they’re wrong!

See how hard it is to be considered “wise”? It just comes back to forcing myself to THINK before speaking, and knowing when to speak and when to just nod my head and back away quietly but steadily.  Come to think of it, maybe the way I deal with confrontation is a form of being wise?  Mmm, didn’t think so.  I guess I’ll tighten up my laces and continue on my path toward wisdom.
And to point the way down the path of wisdom, I've created a 12x12 mixed media canvas for this month's Path of Positivity Challenge.  I showcased an image from Ike's Art, one of our regular sponsors and a very talented artist.  It's called Sherlock and I fell in love with it from the first time I laid eyes on him. Because of his deductive powers, I'd say he was a fairly wise man, so he is perfect for this month's theme of WISDOM.
I printed out the phrase in Word on my computer. I used Basic Grey patterned paper, acrylic paints, CTMH inks, matte medium, Mod Podge, a photo from TCM magazine and Sherlock to create my canvas.  My embellishments include jewels, buttons, jeweled flourishes and clock face brads from Recollections. I also used letter tiles from a deconstructed Scrabble game to embellish my wording.
When I say MIXED media, I really mean it! LOL
Now for some good news. Prizes for this month are:

·   Ten digital images from Creative Bug Digitals for the person out of the top seven who receives the most votes during voting week.

·    Three digital images from Ike's World for the post or project that the DT deems most inspiring of the bunch.

·    Five digital images from Digi Stamps 4 Joy, our guest sponsors this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all entrants.

·    One digital designer paper from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles for one lucky voter who leaves a comment.

·    One digital sentiment for every single person who enters the challenge from Décosse's Dynamite Doodles as well.