Widsom

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.”- Confucius

Intellect is very important to develop and challenge in an ever changing world. This is why education systems are put in place and children are required to go to school in the majority of countries in the world. Intellect is something that can be conditioned and practiced until it is mastered. Intellect separates the smart from the dumb.

            Though intellect is a foundation for progress in the world I believe that change can only come through wisdom. Wisdom is intellect, but inspired intellect. Wisdom is knowledge that comes from a deep understanding of self and surroundings. I believe that that wisdom is an unwavering knowledge that develops from the spirit of an individual.

            What does that mean, that it develops from the spirit of an individual? Many people can unlock true knowledge just by studying and training their brain to recite facts. This is the great skill of intellect. It is the few people that can search deep within themselves and use their intellect along with their faith and belief in truths that go beyond the realm of physical proof to make a decision.

            Religion is one way in which we can start to understand the importance of wisdom. We see countless times in the bible the mention of wisdom, and God putting those who have wisdom in power. Wisdom is a gift given by God to his people, which is what we see with characters in the Bible such as Solomon. A great passage in the bible which describes wisdom can be found in James 3:13-3:18. It says:

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

            This passage describes wisdom as something greater than what can be acquired here on earth. It describes wisdom as a heavenly quality. It is a heavenly knowledge that is characterized by peace, servant hood, mercy and sincerity. Those who have wisdom have righteousness. Wisdom is also rejoiced in other religions. In the Qur’an in the second Surah it says:

2:167

Those who followed will say, "If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us." Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.

2:168

O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.

2:169

He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.

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And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers were void of wisdom, nor were they guided?

2:171

The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what hears nothing but calls and cries cattle or sheep - deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.

            Just as the Bible states over and over, so does the Qur’an, wisdom is heaven sent. Wisdom is not something to be achieved through following others, but it is something to be revealed to us by heaven. Just as people of faith are on a quest for sanctity, we are also on a quest for understanding that comes from wisdom.

            Now wisdom can be defined in that spiritual way, but there are many people who do not have faith, but this does not mean they are not seeking wisdom. Wisdom is a knowledge that can be characterized by choice and decision. Sure we can understand the symbiotic relationship between African Oxpeckers and Elephants but that does not make a wise person. It makes us an intelligent person because it does not involve critical thinking, decision making or demand a trust greater than what is known. A wise person is one who can step back from a problem, view it from all angles, throw away any preconceived notions and make the proper decision. Intellect precedes knowledge, knowledge precedes understanding, and understanding develops ones knowledge and intellect into wisdom. It is not about what you know, but how you use what you know. That is how you become wise.

            I value wisdom as the greatest of all qualities because with wisdom comes the understanding that it is not a choice whether or not to be respectful, to have integrity, to serve others or to give your all in everything, but it is an obligation. I want to lead people in a way that shows it’s not a choice whether to be a good person or not. It is everyone’s obligation to not just be a good person, but a great one! It is this wisdom that I have learned from my parents and all the great leaders that I have had in my life that I want to lead with. I want to lead with the wisdom that no matter what the world will be a better place because I am part of it. This is the wisdom I wish to instill in every player I touch and every person I can touch with this blog.

Here is a spoken word poem I wrote on Wisdom… I will try to record it and post it on here soon.

My name is wisdom

Son of love and intellect

Grandson of maturity and respect

Enemy of closed-mindedness

And let me tell you this

The world is in serious trouble

We’ve become so free

Others have no right to be

They’ve been stripped the opportunity to succeed

Happiness and industry

Has been replaced by money and greed

Now days people cant climb the ladder

Without stepping on someone else’s feet

But I am what the world needs

I am the foundation

The father of prosperity

Wisdom is my name

And I am always looking forward

Always looking beyond

Always looking toward

That better day head

When success is measured in self-satisfaction

Not only daily bread

And in those days we will see

A society based on equality

Integrity and unity

We will all live in a perfect and peaceful community

I am wisdom…. Follow me

Expressiveness

Second letter in the acronym ME WISH is the E, which stands for expressiveness. I wanted to put creativity in there, but then the acronym wouldn’t have worked out as well as I planned. Expressiveness is a more powerful word than creativity anyway.

Everyone in the world is creative in his or her own way, but it is how he or she decides to express that creativity which is important. In this way I really value expressiveness. Someone who is willing and able to express him or her confidently is someone who is grounded and understands who he or she is.

A weakness I believe in society today, especially in western society is that we don’t have the confidence in ourselves to express who we really are. We have so much freedom and opportunity to express ourselves yet we shut ourselves off because we aren’t confident in whom we are. Self-expression… true self-expression is a liberating experience as it allows us to make ourselves vulnerable by showing who we really are.

I feel like there is so much that is fake in our lives in the western world because true self-expression is looked down upon. If who we are doesn’t match the standards of what is expected from our parents, our friends, or society in general than we feel we need to conform and instead of expressing ourselves, we hide ourselves. We hide behind our clothes, our accessories, our cars, our money, our music, and all the other comforts that we can lose our true selves in to become something else.

I value expressiveness because when people can express themselves truly you know that they have found themselves. Especially as a basketball coach I wish for nothing more than for my players and those I affect to reach their fullest potential as a human being. It takes a person to understand themselves truly until they can understand what it means to reach their potential. Each person is born different with different gifts. It is up to the individual to unlock those gifts and potentials and express them in a way that leads them to success and happiness. At the end of the day each individual knows who they are, and it is up to them to figure out how to properly express themselves.

It is awe inspiring to watch as a person finds their true self. It is even greater to watch them express that self in a way that fits them so perfectly. That is why the Olympics are so great to watch. That is why I cannot help but fight back emotions as I watch a mother in the stands watching their kid on the basketball court because they know that their kids is exactly who and where they want to be at that exact moment. Parents know, coaches know, teachers know, and leaders all over the world know the feeling of watching true expression and when someone is doing it there is nothing more breathtaking.

Part of expression that I really admire is creativity. I am always searching for ways to express my creativity, but I figure I’m not the most creative person. Only in a goofy way, but I want to try and express who I am through this poem.

I’m vulnerable in a way that I’ve never been before

Right now in life I am searching for who I am

Even though it’s not time I want my life to begin

But that isn’t what the future has for me in store

Now I’m in the city with just my dreams and ambitions with me

Even though opportunity seems empty and dire

I know I have to stay positive and be worry free

Because my time will come and I will achieve my desire

I hope that someday I can look back and say I did it right

And I can tell my kids that I never gave up the fight

I want to be a leader through action that inspires

And I won’t stop until I get there even when my comfort is under fire

I will never give up and never give in

I just wish I knew how to begin

Maturity

            In my acronym for my core values, I put my most important value first and that is Maturity. To be mature means that one has taken personal responsibility for their own character and who they are. Maturity is so important is because it encompasses a wide range of desirable qualities; four of which I believe to be most valuable are Realness, Integrity, Wisdom and Love.

            Also in my core values I include Integrity and Wisdom because they are such important qualities to have, but I don’t think you can describe a mature person without those two qualities as well. While thinking about maturity I quickly jotted down some quick thoughts on the four aforementioned qualities of maturity and how a mature person would exhibit these qualities. Also I added some character traits that a mature person would develop from having that specific quality.

Realness	Character Traits
Someone with maturity knows who they are and sticks with it. There is nothing fake about this person. They will not boast, show shame, arrogance or prejudices for they are real through and through. Their confidence is in their character, not in the belittling of others.	Poise Confidence Self-Esteem

Integrity	Character Traits
A mature person is honest and loyal. They have a solid moral and ethical foundation and can be depended upon to stick to those foundations. A mature person will always keep their promises, live up to their commitments, and will always be responsible.	Trust Respect Responsibility

Wisdom	Character Traits
More than smarts, a mature person is wise. They have the knowledge to use intellectual ability as well as decision making to always do what is right. A mature person is one who can guide through and step up in tough situations. A wise person does not fear for they understand how to make decisions and always do what is right.	Decision Making Leadership Spirituality

Love	Character Traits
A mature person can love. It takes a strong person to truly love. A mature person focuses on the good of those around them. This person can lose themselves for the good of others. They have compassion and show forgiveness. A mature person is accepting of all and can love even their enemy as they love themselves.	Teamwork Sportsmanship Hard-work