Practical Change
…a lifestyle column

March 7, 2007

I have been pondering two words over the past couple days…foundation and wisdom. Webster’s New World defines Foundation as ‘the base on which something rests’…this leads me to consider how many of us, myself included, live our lives resting on a solid foundation. When you build a structure it has to start with a solid and strong foundation, if it doesn’t the structure won’t hold up. In order to have a successful life you must also start with a solid and strong foundation, otherwise you will have nothing to ground you when the going gets tough…and there are times when the going will get tough.

What makes a solid and strong foundation? Is it integrity, a belief in God, ethics, treating others as you want to be treated, a forgiving heart, an open mind, perseverance, willpower or a combination of all these and more? I say a combination of the aforementioned and more…a solid and strong foundation comes from a belief that you have power in your own life and that you have the ability to change even the direst of circumstances as long as you can keep your wits about you. If you are a constant reaction in the middle of your life you will be incessantly pinging off the walls and in essence will be powerless to change anything. Change can only come from being able to choose your response to a person or situation and this ability is born from having a strong foundation.

If I come from a place of understanding that my life is based on principle and based upon something more than my own pathetic self-concerns then I am able to hold myself in place when life hits me with something unexpected. I am able to observe what is happening and then wisely choose my reaction. If I come from a place of uncertainty, then when life throws a curve ball I have no choice but to scramble and react, react, react.

As far as my life experience shows being a complete reaction has never solved anything, it usually just brings more trouble.

Seems like it would be prudent for us all to give a little thought to what kind of a foundation we have created for ourselves and then to consider if we wake up every morning resting on that foundation…or do we wake up every morning and base our day on the reactions of the moment?

Wisdom is defined by Webster’s as ‘the power of judging rightly’…my definition of wisdom is something like ‘the conclusions you finally arrive at after life has knocked you around enough’…

Wisdom is something that comes over time and thankfully it is something that keeps expanding as we get older. Wisdom is when it finally dawns on you that when you keep behaving the same way and doing the same things, you will get the same result. The opposite of wisdom is insanity which Albert Einstein defines this way, “the definition of insanity is when you keep doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

How many times have we followed the same path over and over again expecting to end up at a different place? I do this most in my relationships, I follow the same MO and yet I expect to end up with a different outcome…never happens… strikes me that in certain relationships I mirror that mouse running down the same path and still finding no cheese, yet I keep running with the same anticipation and zeal and then I am distraught when the outcome doesn’t change. Funny thing is-- I KNOW better…I think on some level we all know better, yet we let our inner wisdom sit it out while we continue to behave like fools.

Lately, I’m more interested in exercising my wisdom muscle, I’m tired of the same old song and the record is wearing out…it’s Spring and it seems like a good time to clear out behavioral insanity…what will you change today?

You are welcome to email Noelle with comments or questions - noelle@practicalchanges.com

Click here to read the February 18, 2007 column.
Click here to read the August 10, 2006 column.
Click here to read the August 6, 2006 column.
Click here to read the previous column.