wis-dom:  the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise.

A month ago, someone took my picture, and in it, I saw some wrinkles on my cheeks I never knew existed.  I’m not gonna lie, it sort of freaked me out.  I thought, “How long have they been there?  How did I not notice them?  What do I need to do to get rid of them?”  I’ve obsessed over it for weeks, as if I didn’t have enough to obsess over.  LOL

And then I thought about the women I know with wrinkles on their faces.  They’re the women I tend to trust and go to for advice.  The women I treasure most.  These women are filled with wisdom and understanding, which led me to think about the wisdom I’ve managed to accumulate in my 56 years.

I’ve realized wisdom is knowing when to work and knowing when to rest. It’s also knowing life is a series of give and take, wins and losses.  You can be poised and polished one day and a total shit show the next.  It’s the masterful art of knowing you will eventually re-center yourself,  miraculously free of the self-imposed judgments you so freely impose on yourself.

Wisdom is knowing it’s okay to put all your responsibilities on the back burner in order to do the things that light your soul on fire – shoring up the empty spaces that sound like distant echos in your mind.

Wisdom is knowing it’s okay not to be glued to your phone.  It’s knowing the only way to true abundance is through healthy habits.  Eating well, exercising and resting are no longer options – but rather requirements to keep your vessel afloat.

Wisdom is resting on random days when your body is begging for rejuvenation and  expending every ounce of energy to seize the life-giving experiences the rest of the time.  The gut-wrenching belly laughs.  The mind-blowing sunsets.  The moments when you can hear a pin drop and God’s whisper simultaneously.

Wisdom is setting boundaries and protecting yourself from those who don’t have your best interests at heart.

Wisdom is spending time with those with whom you want to be more like, who lift you to a higher level.

Wisdom is loving yourself.

Wisdom is forgiving your past.

Wisdom is loving others for the perfectly flawed humans they are, knowing they’re only a reflection of the qualities you dislike most about yourself.

Wisdom is knowing when to hold on.

Wisdom is knowing when to let go in order to make room for more.

Wisdom is focusing on good thoughts to raise your vibration in this world so you can bring joy and enlightenment to others.

Wisdom is knowing you’re a never-ending journey of happiness if you choose joy every day.

Wisdom is paying your bills on time.

Wisdom is tipping generously.

Wisdom is putting your grocery cart back.

Wisdom comes with age.  There’s no way around it.  It’s a process and part of the gift of getting older.  It’s there to offset the wrinkles, aches and pains, and less-than-perky boobs and help you realize that every mile you’ve walked and every experience you’ve had has led you to this point.

One day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re wiser, stronger and even more beautiful than the day before.

In fact, you’re a masterpiece that’s been chiseled, chipped, restored and perfected.

You trudge through hell sometimes.  You shout from the mountaintops with joy other times.

Wisdom is the collection of not only beautiful experiences, but painful memories that are all placed in the perfect little pockets of your heart.

Wisdom is the culmination of every step you’ve taken, every seed you’ve watered, and every set of eyes you’ve looked into, desperate for connection.

Embrace the journey.  The joys AND sorrows.  And yes, the wrinkles.  They all tell a magnificent story of your life and the path that has led you to the place called today which is the only day that truly matters.

“Be brave, be kind, be bold, be fierce, be YOU”

-Jules-

Knowledge comes from learning. Wisdom comes from living.   

– Anthony Douglas Williams