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How to Become a Wise Person at Any Age
By Debbie Mandel
You don’t have to be old to be wise. Wisdom can happen suddenly at any age and anyone you meet at any moment could make you wise! Some of us acquire wisdom through life experiences and natural maturation – we are the processors. Reflecting on past experiences, like pieces in a puzzle, helps us to learn the lessons of the past. And some of us are simply born older with a feel for things, looking at the world with wise, eager eyes. We respond to breakthrough moments.
How do you know that you have reached the age of wisdom? You feel happy and at ease with who you are and what you have to offer to all those you meet and greet. As a wise person, when you don’t feel happy, or you feel anxious, you change what isn’t working for you because you are flexible. The attributes of the wise are natural, open and direct. The wise eagerly share with others both material goods and positive words. In fact, they love to give everyone a compliment, finding the right words to say as a pick-me-up. To be wise is to live in the present, alert to a change in the air, in the body and in the heart.
Living in good alignment releases wisdom from head to toe. It begins with good posture and a firm stance opening up a direct communication between the mind and the heart. Sitting up straight at our desks helps oxygen reach the brain and releases pressure off the back. Next, balancing the heart with internal and external compassion releases the hurt, loss and anger that we store inside. Learning to let go of the anger we aim at others and then most importantly to forgive ourselves, we restore our natural heart rhythm feeling calm and content. Ultimately, balancing our two brains, the primal limbic brain and the cognitive brain, letting our feelings make peace with our rationalizations, we can see clearly down the road and get inspired.
Try this simple exercise every morning to facilitate a reflex response to wisdom. Imagine your abdomen the color of golden energy. Your heart center is white and pure. Your forehead, the center of inspiration, is indigo blue. Stand up and imagine lining up the colors of: gold, white and blue. You will feel balanced emotionally and physically, ready to start your day in a calmly active way. Balancing earth practicality with spiritual vision on a daily basis will make you wise and in touch with your inner knowing.
To access your wisdom now: - Tune out distractions and be in the moment. Focus on whatever you are doing whether it is washing the floor, driving the car or writing a legal brief. Multi-tasking or talking on a cell phone even while you are doing a physical job will diminish your capacity for concentration in all other things that you do.
- Make it a priority to connect with some aspect of nature daily. Take a few moments to really look at a neighborhood tree, listen to a bird, or feel the sun on your skin. Reset your natural rhythm to align with nature. Zen masters have said that enlightenment is contained in a single flower. Become enlightened by choosing your own flower to appreciate. What flower did you select? What colors? What stage of its blossoming? What does that say about you?
- Activate and share your passion. Fall in love again and again with whatever you choose to do.
- Be joyous. Look for opportunities to trigger and fuel laughter. Laugh with others. There is great spirituality in laughter.
- Begin everyday with a clean slate. How would it feel to wake up clean and fresh with happiness in your heart?
Debbie Mandel, MA is the author of Turn On Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul, a stress-reduction specialist, motivational speaker, a personal trainer and mind/body lecturer. She is the host of the weekly Turn On Your Inner Light Show on WGBB AM1240 in New York City , produces a weekly wellness newsletter, and has been featured on radio/ TV and print media. To learn more visit: www.turnonyourinnerlight.com
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