“I can anticipate what you are about to say. The questions you asked last year are replaying in my mind. I dismissed them at the time. Current circumstances remind me that I should have addressed them then.”
It was an interesting way to start a conversation. I did not remember my specific questions, just the overall theme. As I recalled the details, there was a healthy discussion at the time. Like all mentoring and coaching discussions, the decisions that follow always remain with the person accountable. Although I thought they had struck home, there was a kernel of the truth in the questions that remained alive, dancing its way in one’s consciousness only to find that it was being again being pushed to the side, ignored and unaddressed.
I wondered if this conversation was going to be any different. In my questioning, I realized that the face I was looking at was my own. I was the one saying those words, challenging myself and yet still not able to say with confidence that anything would change.
The advice I am leaving with myself includes the following.
Hear the warning that has echoed across every generation; “my people didn’t listen, Israel paid no attention.” (Psalm 81.11) Hear and act; pay attention. Be present. Let silence be the backdrop. Set all distractions to the side.
Wrestle with the wisdom gifts of others. I often think I have heard and understand. When I wrestle with wisdom, I inevitably find that the piece of wisdom grows – in its depth and meaning as well as the ways I can use it within my life.
Embrace what you can use today, putting it into action. Take care of what remains. Wisdom is a priceless treasure that should be held close to one’s heart. When I practice this, I am often surprised at the timing and usefulness when it surfaces again.
Yesterday’s wisdom was a gift that lives on as long as we are willing to let it live. Be alert for more. In the conversation at hand, there were more questions.
