Sunday, January 10, 2016

Clever vs. Wise


 
by Janet M. Shlaes, Ph.D.

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”  ~ Rumi

Attempting to change someone who doesn’t want to change reminds me of the Greek myth of Sisyphus. You expend a great deal of psychic and physical energy under the illusion of progress, only to find yourself repeatedly back at your original starting point. An immense amount of energy is expended for a highly unlikely result and you and your object of change are increasingly aggravated. Over time, and hopefully with a bit of maturity, you wind up with the realization that the only person you can ultimately change is yourself. That seemingly small bit of wisdom releases a huge amount of personal power. Paradoxically, as you let go of your attempts to force change on someone else and shift your focus and energy toward changing yourself, the people around you wind up changing or leaving so that the right people can come into your life – personally and professionally.

Janet

For additional observations and insights, check out the following posts:







 
 
 

 

No comments:

Post a Comment