My Source of Wisdom

 

Image: Emilio Labrador via
Creative Commons

I would like to think that I am growing wiser with each passing year.  Perhaps I am making better choices, exhibiting a better attitude, and showing greater compassion towards others. I do think this is the case some of the time. 

However, I do have to admit that the source of my wisdom does not stem from maturity. Instead I see that a lot of my wisdom is born out of fatigue. 

What do I mean? 

I will be in a situation where I have to make a decision. Am I going to be upset? Am I going to confront another person? Am I going to assert myself to achieve an ideal?  I begin to imagine all the physical and emotional work that will need to exert in order to get my way, and then I pivot. 

It will save me a lot of effort if I just learn to accept the situation at hand. I can adjust my attitude, which is also called "cognitive reframing." I can detach as the Buddhists advise: attachment leads to suffering. 

Now that I am in my sixties, I am seeing that I still have some character flaws, but I often just refrain from pushing for my preferences because it's just easier in the long run. 

Related: 

Quotes about Aging

Books on Aging, Wisdom, and Spirituality

A Boomer Named Karen

 

Photo by Oregon Dept of Transportation
via Creative Commons

Given the recent use of the name "Karen," I have taken to introducing myself as "Karen. . . but not THAT Karen." 

I am not describing myself as a victim for having this name. Instead, I take this cultural phenomenon as an opportunity to acknowledge the privilege that I have in my life as a white Boomer with a college education who enjoys relatively good health. 

I grew up in a middle class home. I enjoyed extra curricular activities, travel, access to a car, an allowance, and a college education. There are a lot of people who have not enjoyed these advantages.