Wisdom Comes to Us Whence The Unlikeliest of Places

“Even from a foe, a person may learn wisdom.”

There’s something to learn from everybody. We often find ourselves looking into situations with people who disagree with us, and simply give up the opportunity to learn from them.

Ram Dass, one of my mentors and eminent spiritual masters, once said “When you know how to listen, everybody is the guru.”

And he might’ve been onto something ...

The fact of the matter is, everyone’s experience puts them in a unique position and grants them a unique perspective that is neither right or wrong, but simply special and unique to them. Everyone, due to their experiences, is uniquely positioned and best placed to resolve problems in their own way.

Everyone has something to teach us. When we open the doors of our minds and our hearts and souls, we allow ourselves to learn and grow from those who may have something to teach us that we do not know, simply because we haven’t been exposed to such information before. This is called “breaking the echo chambers.”

And, what gives me hope and cements my faith in the odds of humanity not being completely or hopelessly lost is that I see people everyday striving to do just that. For instance, amongst others, Sophie Beren at The Conversationalist are the type of people who seek to promote such a new perspective on the world to people, where we learn to listen to each other above all else.

There’s a saying “the cave you fear to enter may hold the light you seek.” And similarly, the people we fear to talk to, may hold the lessons, knowledge and insights we might be looking for.

Let us always remember: Everyone’s pain is legitimate for their heart; everyone’s struggle is genuine for their soul; and everyone’s reasons are valid for their mind.

Fear of the unknown is what seems to be lying at the root of our aversion to new ideas and point of views. But by mustering the courage to confront our fears, we empower ourselves to seize all opportunities for growth and learning. That is one of the cornerstones of personal transformation, self-growth and self-discovery.

Dr. Rick Rigsby suggested that wisdom comes to us from the unlikeliest of places. And thus it is incumbent upon us to be seeking that wisdom, whence come it may.

May we have the courage to find ourselves, even in the unlikeliest of places,

May we find the courage to seek the wisdom our little hearts desire, even when it’s not whence we expect.