Vol 2 Iss 12

The holidays are almost upon us. This year, I decided to do something different. Instead of shopping and mailing packages to my extended family, this year all they will receive is a card with a note telling them about my purchase through Heifer International in their honor.

Heifer International has been around since 1944 making a difference in third world countries. They donate an animal, be it a heifer, a pig, goats, chickens, ducks, bunny rabbits, or my personal favorite, honey bees to a family in a village with the understanding that the family will share the largess with other villagers. The plan is not to give animals to eat, but to provide a means of economic sustenance.

One pregnant heifer will provide a calf to donate to another family after it is weaned, plus enough milk for the calf, the family and for local sales. Selling the milk provides a means of income to improve their living conditions. This small act on our part can change the economic status of an entire village. Their logo is “Help Hungry Families Feed Themselves.” For more information, visit: http://www.heifer.org/

Arising from this decision, what I’ve noticed is that the hideous commercialism doesn’t bother me as much. I completely ignore the ads because they don’t apply to me. There is no pressure on me to buy anything. I will take advantage of a few items on sale, because I do plan to give nice birthday presents when the time comes, but there’s no deadline, and the choice is mine. I’ve changed the context of the holidays for myself.

I wonder, sometimes, if a decision like this is based on altruism, wisdom, or laziness. The article this month talks about the difference between information, knowledge and wisdom. It’s important to look at the differences and see how they show up for you.

So, as the winter solstice approaches and we begin the journey to renewed light, I wish for you peace in your heart and peace on earth.

‘He who cannot change the very fabric of his thoughts will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress.”

“You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.”

Knowledge into Wisdom

Tonight, I will be talking to a job search group about selling the skills of Baby Boomers to employers in the current job market. Typically, when I’m invited to speak at such a meeting, they are inviting me for my storehouse of information about the labor market and what skills are needed in today’s market.

I have tons of information. I can rattle off all kinds of statistics that I glean from websites that the participants could have (and probably have) looked at themselves. They are only facts.

Information (facts) shows up in two forms. The first is as a symbol. It can take the form of letters, numbers, charts, etc. What’s interesting about symbols is two things, first, they are only representations of ‘the thing,’ they are not ‘the thing.’ For example the letters c-a-t will not purr and jump onto your lap while you’re reading the way the animal they represent will. The second aspect of a symbol is that it only tells part of the story. Again, c-a-t will never capture the personality of your favorite feline, nor the warmth of the spot on the bed when she jumps down. C-a-t is only part of the story.

Which brings me to the second form of information – the spaces in between. Sometimes it’s what’s NOT said that has the information that you really need. For example, the fact that between 2000 and 2010, the number of Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 will jump 47.2 percent, while those aged 25 to 34 will increase only 2.8 percent. The number of workers aged 35 to 45 will actually drop 13.7 percent. These demographics illustrate the demand for older workers will increase.

So, where are the silences in this? The first thing that I notice is that they are only measuring Americans. We are now in a world-wide economy. What are the international numbers – what about the workforce in India? Or China? And what about education levels? I’m sure there are other empty spaces that should be filled before you act on this information.

My point is not to frighten you into panic over globalization but to point out that information in and of itself is not always useful. What people need is knowledge. For knowledge to be truly useful, information needs to be organized so you can find what you need and it needs to have a practical application.

After you’ve been on this earth a while, you begin to realize that information and knowledge, though useful, are really not the whole picture. They need to be tempered with wisdom. Wisdom knows how to apply the information and knowledge you’ve collected in a way that honors yourself and your loved ones.

Sometimes you need to set things in a larger context. A client of mine is party to his company merging with another that has duplicate services. His job could be eliminated. When you add to it the context that his wife is about to retire, and he’s really wanting a different career, it doesn’t seem so frightening. In that context, it could be the most amazing and exciting thing that has ever happened to him.

Taking a larger context allows you to give proper weight to events. By viewing his life as a convergence of opportunities, the potential for layoff takes on a different weight. This is the very essence of wisdom – keeping an eye on the context to determine the weight of events.

While you may be struggling with issues that need an immediate answer in your work and career, the ultimate answer may be in learning how to transform information and knowledge into wisdom.

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"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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