There is one book about retirement that I keep handy and look at almost every week. It is entitled 101 Secrets for a GREAT RETIREMENT by Mary Helen and Shuford Smith. One of the dog eared pages is on number one hundred – Become wise. One of the things old people are supposed to be is wise but to tell you the truth I have a way to go on that topic. I think I am more in the process of growing wise than the end result. Here are some of the words found on that secret.

The heart of wisdom is perspective. It implies we know what is important and what’s trivial.

As philosopher William James say, “The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.

If we want to make wise decisions, we first think broadly about all the available options. Second, we gather any essential information not already at hand. Third, we consider the long-term consequences of various courses of action. Fourth, we realize that any course of action must occur in the real world. Finally, we accept that all possible solutions will have strengths and weaknesses.

This seems a different perspective than many I have run across. Being wise is not just knowing a bunch of stuff, it is knowing what among that stuff is important and useful to the task at hand. My head is certainly filled with much trivia. Now all I have to do is figure out how to use it. :)

And the journey goes on…