There are many aspects of the word “wisdom.”  According to Merriam Webster: one of the definitions of this noun has many examples of this prodigious term.

1a: ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : INSIGHT

b: good sense : JUDGMENT

c: generally accepted belief

d: accumulated philosophical or scientific learning : KNOWLEDGE

2: a wise attitude, belief, or course of action

3: the teachings of the ancient wise men

So in choosing to write about wisdom, I have a wide range of things to think about.  Yet, they all go hand in hand, don’t they?  Insight, judgement and knowledge all have to do with truth, do they not?  And truth is something to strive for in a just society, isn’t it?  Anyway, I think so.

In ancient times, the ones people counted on for wisdom, were their elders.  They were the leaders of tribes and other groups, who were wise because of their life experiences and the accumulated knowledge that came from those experiences and the experiences of their elders who had passed down this information.

In today’s world wisdom and truth are becoming less influential due to false information being accepted as facts without proof.  When I first heard the term ”alternative facts,” I could scarcely believe my ears.  What a distortion of the word fact!  A fact is the truth.  There is no such thing as an alternative truth.  What a ridiculous concept.  Words have power and this distortion was quite the opposite of wisdom.  That is why I think wisdom of the ages must be respected and shared.  It is the responsibility of today’s elders to step up and rise to the challenge of speaking the truth out loud.  Wisdom is sorely needed and needed now.  Our very lives depend upon the knowledge, judgement and insight of those who came before us. Step up elders!  We need you!

I believe that people have the right to think freely.  I believe in being responsible for one’s actions and living with the consequences of one’s actions.  In other words, I think people should be honest.  And if one makes a mistake, that person should apologise and make amends.

I believe that we should be rightly judged by our actions and intentions.  That is a fundamental part of morality.  It is essential to a functioning society.  I believe in telling the truth.  I believe that lying, on purpose, to control others is morally wrong and should be punished accordingly.  That is because the truth is vitally important to the welfare of every person, regardless of wealth and/or status.

I believe that all people are worthy of respect.  Kindness and care, especially when selflessly given to those in need, is a virtue worthy of our aspirations.  It makes the world a better place in which to live.

I believe that each of us is here for a reason, even if we never find out what it is while here on earth.  I believe that seeking this purpose brings meaning to our lives.

I think that every person’s belief system guides their behavior and as long as other people are not hurt in the name of those beliefs, I can agree to disagree with them.

Most of all, I believe in love.  I believe that God is love.  I believe that God loves us wherever we are, who we love, or how we behave and understands the weaknesses of every one of us, regardless of whether or not we believe in God’s existence.  I believe in heaven.  And I believe in hell.  And I think both of them exist here on earth as well as after death.

Beliefs are important.  They have power in our lives.  What do you believe?

I remember having my hair long in high school, and it was naturally straight.  And I was so glad that was the style because I didn’t like spending time on my hair.  Girls then, were known to spend lots of time ironing out the natural curls in their hair.  Since then, my hair has been mostly different lengths of curls, thanks to perms that can last months for me.  

Hair and the way we wear it can affect the way we see ourselves and others.  But in truth, the way people judge each other determined by the hair they have, or don’t have, really is not a gauge of anything truly important.  It’s just hair.

Now I think that hair can say something about the way a person presents oneself.  But outside appearances are never an adequate indication of who a person is or what they are capable of doing.  Unfortunately, hair can matter in a job interview and in many jobs.  That is because of the expectations of employers and sometimes the safety of the employee.  But it is something most people already know by observing people in those positions.

I do find it very interesting to see the many kinds of hair and what people can create with the textures and styles of people in different cultures.  In that way I see the talent it takes to design a particular style for a particular type of hair.  Hairdressing is a skill that we often depend on.  That’s why we go to barbers and beauticians.  The right hairdo can help people feel good about their appearance and by association, themselves. 

In closing, I quote some lyrics from the musical.  “Give me a head with hair, long beautiful hair. Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen! . . .Hair. . .  Grow it. Show it. . . . long as I keep growing my hair.”

Anticipation is a word that can elicit my memories of being a kid, waiting for a holiday, or an upcoming outing, even dinnertime with the family.  There is a wonderful sense of excitement that anticipation can bring.  And I think that it is sorely missing in our culture.  Instant gratification may seem to be exciting, but it fades just as quickly as it comes.

Anticipation, the waiting, and striving for a thing, an event, or an accomplishment, is what brings satisfaction and joy into our lives.  All of the things we wait for, have greater significance.  That is because of the time factor.  When a goal is achieved, the memory of effort and preparation and yearning is factored into the experience.  Anticipation makes that memory special.

Looking forward to something is especially appealing to me.  Thinking about an upcoming occasion makes it all the more delightful when it comes.  It can make a person happy just thinking about it.  That is not to say that there may be the possibility of disappointment.  But to me, it’s worth my effort.  It’s worth taking that chance.

In the years that have passed since I was growing up, I have seen instant gratification take hold.  I find it very sad.  It is more likely to cause disappointment and it takes away so much of the joy anticipation can bring.  And it cannot satisfy as much as the experience of waiting and longing for something. That expectation intensifies the satisfaction one feels when what a person is waiting for, comes to fruition.

There is an attitude of being thankful that can accompany anticipation’s goal.  And it is an exercise that builds character.  It is a quest that enriches our lives.

Remember the old English proverb that says “ all things come to those who wait,” which is sometimes said as “good things come to those who wait.”  Either way, they are positive statements that encourage patience.  Anticipation definitely  requires patience.  And these are good enough reasons for me to continue to anticipate the blessings I always find when I am willing to wait for them.

If you ever saw the musical, “Bye, Bye Birdie,” back in the ‘60’s, you will remember Dick Van Dyke singing and dancing his way through this song title.  I was in my high school’s rendition of this musical the year I graduated.  It’s a rather silly play, but it was fun to be in it.

But the phrase itself actually means to act happy even if you don’t feel that way.

It’s more like, look happy no matter what you are feeling.  Wear an acceptable mask.  It often makes me wonder how many people are wearing these happy faces that don’t mean it.

Maybe I am overthinking, but I often ponder the many different kinds of smiles there are.  And if you smile in a certain way it has a specific meaning as opposed to other smiles.  So putting on a “happy face” can be anything from a smirk to a cheesy grin, with many other versions in between.  Upon further thought, I have decided that what kind of “happy face” people choose to use in this circumstance, can tell something about their personality and the way they deal with other people.

For example, if a person is really sad, but wants to “put on a happy face” they may act in a joking sort of way with a fake laugh.  Or, if a person is sarcastic, they may use a kind of sneer.  But that is definitely not a happy face.  I like to really try to look happy even in hard times, because I believe that an attitude, (when positive), can help a person become that way.

In fact, “in the journal Experimental Psychology, research found that the physical act of smiling not only created internal positive feelings, but also caused participants to see the world around them in a more positive way, according to lead researcher Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos, PhD, a research fellow at the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning at the University of South Australia.”  Wow!  That’s pretty cool.  And there are many other sources of this kind of information if you want to search it on your laptop.

So you see, a person really can put on a happy face.  The only thing one needs is the willingness to try faking it till you make it.  Aren’t computer searches awesome?