Where Does Wisdom Come From?

There is a tale out there of a young and inexperienced seeker of knowledge who one day climbed to the top of the mountain to question and learn from the wisest and most revered man in the village.

The young man asked – “Where does wisdom come from?”
The old man replied – “Good judgement”
Then he asked – “Where does good judgement come from?”
The old man stared intently at him and said – “Experience”
Not satisfied, the young man asked – “Where does experience come from?”
With a smile on his face the old man responded – “Bad judgement”

I’m sure that many of you have heard this story or one very similar to it. But what can we take from it? If it is wisdom and the best experience you seek, try starting with these 5 points:

1. You can’t always be right ; accept it, but learn to keep your mind open to the possibilities that are out there.

2. 9999% of the mistakes you make won’t kill you or anyone else. Never fear making a mistake because they offer excellent learning opportunities. What you learn from them will enhance your life. When you make a mistake, make a glorious recovery. And, try not to make the same mistake twice.

Related: Learn Something Every Day, Then Practice It Until You Are Good at It

3. Learn to take smart risks – the road to success has “risk stops” along the way. Evaluate them and decide the right action. Don’t let the fear of risks derail you. As the story goes, the only way a turtle can move forward is to stick his neck out – be the turtle when appropriate.

4. Stop focusing on the tasks ; don’t let a sheet on a yellow pad with lines drawn through “make work” tasks define you. Focus on the right ones and look to create value, not activity.

5. Trying to be perfect is not only impossible but boring and a waste of valuable time and energy. Strive to give 100% of your best effort 100% of the time.