When I was younger I thought I knew so much. I thought my views and opinions were correct. I was convinced I knew the answers. And as such, I had pretty strong opinions on subjects like love, family, friendship, religion, God, wealth, happiness, and career.
As I get older and more introspective, I am becoming increasingly aware that I find many of these past views or opinions lacking. In many cases, and under the bright light of old age (well, let’s call it “wisdom”), I look back and see more clearly so many flaws in my thinking.
When I was working and hired new people, I would often tell them that ours was a complicated industry, and that it would take years for them to realize how little they know. In those first years they would learn enough to give them a false confidence, to think that they have become competent and “skilled” at what they do. But at some point they would realize that there was so much more they didn’t know. That early confidence, combined with a lack of real knowledge and understanding, might be the cause of many errors in judgment. Real wisdom, I’ve come to learn, comes with realizing that you do not have all the answers. And that we may not always be right. No matter how many Google searches you have executed, or how many Facebook posts you “liked” and shared.
I allowed my employees a few years to come to this realization, but then it took me over sixty years to figure this out for myself. To see it in the context of my own life.
I’ve learned so much in these last few years alone, most importantly that I didn’t and don’t have all the answers. Hell, I don’t even know all the questions. But recognizing this, even so late in life, allows me a more interesting and inquisitive mindset going forward. I've found that seeking perspective, focusing on learning and listening, rather than espousing an opinion, makes for more meaningful connections and a far deeper understanding of the things that matter.
It is frustrating that I was not wiser. But I should be thankful.
I’m thankful that I am not looking back at a life that I ignorantly felt was all it could be. And that I am not now sleepwalking into a future in which I don’t understand that the only thing I know for certain is that I have so much more to learn.
