Aren’t we all seeking wisdom?
Isn’t that what living is about?
For some wisdom means efficiency or effectiveness. For another it could be more rewarding relationships. And to another still, it may be the meaning of life.
In every age there is the noise of passing fads. The booms and busts. That which is hot and then quickly, ’so last year’. Wisdom is that which is true in any time in any context.
Never fashionable, but also never outdated. It builds on what has gone before block by block. Once the wheel was invented, it doesn’t have to be discovered again with every generation. Wisdom becomes about better ways to use the wheel. So there are layers upon layers of wisdom underpinning our efforts at the cutting edge.
Often though people are so caught up with the excitement of the newest and latest that they overlook the less trendy foundations. I’m amazed that so many people avidly read modern self-help books, yet have never read some of the greatest Classics.
Truth and wisdom, with regard to living with integrity, are timeless. There have always been a few people who got it. Lao Tsu, Buddha, Socrates, Confucius, Sun Tzu and many more like them. To attempt to find truth and wisdom is to join their path. Their work has stood the test of time. When the dust has settled, much of the bestseller’s of today will be long forgotten.
Your time and attention are precious. Invest them as prudently and wisely as you would your nest egg and you will find the answers you seek.
To get you started, if you haven’t read Plato’s Allegory of The Cave, click the link for a taste of wisdom.
Why not share the books that have been most powerful for you, new or old, in developing your wisdom and understanding in the comments below so that others can investigate them.
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7 comments ↓
The Bible
The Master Key System, by Charles Haanel
Acres of Diamonds, by Russell Conwell
The Science of Getting Rich, by Wallace Wattles
The Generosity Factor, by Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy
Hey Rob,
I´ve been reading your articles for some time now and I really enjoy reading them. I also really feel a connection and agree with most, if not all, of your articles and I know I´m not the only one because there is a lot of ¨truth¨ in your articles. I think it´s really amazing your doing this and look forward to reading your next articles. Like you where saying wisdom is timeless. Wisdom is something you can fall back on, a thing once cultivated that never will dissapear and that can make your life easier.
I´m wondering what made you come this point? Why and when did you decide to really find ¨real¨ happiness Rob? This is a question for everybody reading this comment.
In my case I sort of got forced, I had a serious depression for 7 years, starting when my parents got divorced when I was 10. I thought about killing myself when I was 14/ It forced me to think about if life really was worth to live and even if it was worth it ,was there really a goal to strife for?
I totally isolated myself and did´nt have anyone to talk about my feelings, well maybe I had but thats how I felt. I´ve always had some serious problems with authorithy and that gave me a lot of problems, especially on school. Nobody knew that I felt so extremely unhappy. I was really shy and quite insecure eventhough people thought I was arrogant because of my strong believe in my opinions and I wasn´t scared about giving them. I failed almost every year and people saw me as ¨the¨ rebel that did not want to learn. When i ever told people that I ever read a book they started laughing or didn´t believe me. I felt really different from other people of my age and they and others did not see me as the person that I was.They only saw me as the person that did not give a shit about people or school and that I never thought about my future. The opposite was true, one of the reasons that I´m still here was that I always had at least a Little bit of confidence in my future, enough to not kill myself. I think I can say that i was and still am ¨extraordinary¨ eager to learn. That´s why I am here in the first place.
Right now I finally overcame my depression and have my own philosofy about life, that will make my future a lot easier.
Right now I know what my goal is; to be as happy as a human being can be and help other people being so too.
I´m very excited about my future. Although I still have a long way to go to get my consciouss level in a state that truly nothing of the ¨outher¨ world will influence my well being. But like they say, its not the destination that matters but the path towards it.
One of the thirst books I read about happiness when I was 16 was The Dalai Lama, The art of Happinness. That book really inspired me. I recommend that book to everyone. There are more books of the Dalai Lama but this is yet the only one I read.
The bible and the Koran.
The ¨filosofy¨ of Buddhism is full of wisdom (not a book
I look forward to see the books that other people recommend.
I am ¨only¨ 18 but that only makes me more motivated to get really far in ¨the art of happiness¨ Besides, wisdom is timeless.
I hope I´m understandable because I´m not an native english speaker but from the Netherlands. Once again, I think its amazing your doing this Rob and realize that your helping people from any age and country.
So many books, but a very short list for me includes:
a very old book, The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale,
a much newer book, The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer
and for me personally the last book I read, Happiness 2.0 by our own Rob, which you can download free on this site. Enormously insightful.
I also can’t help but mention a site maintained and shared by a man named Ralph Marston in Texas, which provides me the sort of “timeless” wisdom Rob describes above. He’s also written a book full of these kind of insight, which you’ll also find on his site. Powerful stuff.
I hope it’s OK to post the link.? If not I apologize in advance. It is http://greatday.com/
That’s my two cents!
Thanks for sharing your list Tom. I enjoyed Acres of Diamonds, but haven’t read the other books.
Hi Vincent,
What a great idea! To find out everyone’s story. We all have some kind of a turning point, where we learned something and headed for the light.
I’m going to use this idea for a post soon.
Your story is a testament to the power of wanting to find a happier state of mind. Congratulations and with so many years ahead of you, there is so much more you can attain.
Hi Brian, the link is fine. Thanks for sharing I haven’t read those either and especially for saying nice things about my report :).
hey vincent i m really happy for you….happy that you have a clear picture of what really matters in life so early on.
The books that really inspired me are:
Conversations with God (1,2,3)- Neale Donald Walsh (It made me think)
The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle (Made me realize how great it feels to live and relish present moment, btw i read this book when Oprah recommended it on her show)
You’ll see it when you believe it - Wayne Dyer ( re-inforced my belief in the power of thoughts)
Interesting….
I don’t really like to read
strange huh
Most people
critisize me when I confess it
but I’m very selective
it has to capture my attention
I like having conversations
with people….
eye to eye….
Vincent you discribe my youngest son
in yourself
I had sadness
overwhelm me
he’s 22
free2rhyme@yahoo.com)
vincent my son’s e-mail address
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