“Wisdom guards my thoughts, my words, and my ways.”

– Psalms 39:1

We are so wrapped up in seeking to be better, skinnier, faster, and smarter that we miss the true value of self-development. You can read all the “self-help” and personal development books in the world and apply what you learn, but one of the keys to a successful and rewarding life that is often overlooked is wisdom.

But what is wisdom? Wisdom enables us to see the big picture clearly. In short, wisdom is…

• Relational
• Valuable
• Costly
• Continuous

How do you gain more wisdom and knowledge? The search for wisdom is a quest rather than a single question with a single answer. And then, what do you do with it? How do you learn to trust your inner wisdom and apply it to everyday life? Here are some ways to do that…

Wisdom and Intelligence

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

-Socrates-

Intelligence and wisdom aren’t the same, although many use the terms interchangeably. If you were to look up the word wisdom in the dictionary, you would find a simple definition: a person’s ability to act sensibly, reasonably, and correctly.

Doesn’t intelligence play a role here? Doesn’t it provide an individual with the ability to act reasonably? Doesn’t a high IQ guarantee the power to make good decisions? Of course, but there are different types of intelligence.

We live in a society that values efficiency and results, where only the most intelligent can succeed. An intelligent person’s personality, character, and maturity level might influence their success. However, success doesn’t necessarily mean happiness. Only truly wise people achieve genuine joy and happiness. Wisdom is tied to values and ethics. Wise people have strong values to guide them. They always try to do the right thing. They are optimistic.

All in all, breaking down intelligence and wisdom is essential to gain a more precise and useful understanding. As individuals, we must recognize what’s really important. We must have a clear understanding of our WHY. Beyond a high IQ, developing clear values that go beyond cognitive or emotional reasoning is key to gaining and applying true wisdom to daily life.

30 Ways to Use Wisdom in Your Everyday Life

1. Trust Yourself

“Trust your gut”. We’ve all heard this before, and we may even live by it. But what does this mean? Is it truly effective, or are we just succumbing to our own cognitive biases?

There is a difference between being biased and paying attention to and trusting your instincts. Learning the difference between the two can take time and soul-searching, but it is possible. This involves taking time, separating facts from feelings, learning to be still, and listening.

2. Find a Healthy Dose of Pride

Pride is deadly. It is the first chapter in the book of failure. However, there is such a thing as healthy pride and unhealthy pride. Here’s the difference:

Good pride = A deep sense of self-respect and confidence in your ability and confidence to do things

Bad pride = When one thinks too highly of him or herself and consistently puts his or her needs over others’ needs

Transform your moments of bad pride into good, and notice the results.

3. Acknowledge Your Weaknesses

We all have weaknesses. Even though we all have them, and we all know we have them (whether we outwardly admit them or not), they can hold us back. Sometimes, we run or hide from them. Facing our weaknesses is uncomfortable, intimidating, overwhelming, and maybe even a little scary. However, not acknowledging your weaknesses will indubitably cause you more pain than facing them.

According to Principles by Dalio, “Sticking to only what comes naturally to us will eventually lead us to crash. What happens after we crash is most important. Successful people change in ways that allow them to continue to take advantage of their strengths while compensating for their weaknesses, and unsuccessful people don’t… Beneficial change begins when you acknowledge and even embrace your weaknesses.”

4. Maintain a Positive Mindset

Our level of focus determines our mindset. Feelings are not facts! Rather, feelings determine our level of focus and directly impact neuroplasticity. In short, neuroplasticity is how we modify our brains through thinking patterns. It also plays a role in our ability to be creative and, conversely, our ability to procrastinate.

By making wise choices about what to focus on and our attitudes, we can “reshape” our brains. This is also known as strengthening System 2 in our brains, which influences our ability and capacity to feel, think, and act.

By choosing positivity, you will find it easier to respond to and solve challenges and also turn those negatives into positives. Additionally, a positive mindset and attitude are contagious. If you are positive, others around you will catch your positive vibe.

5. Relinquish Control

We try to imagine how everything in our lives will play out. We might also fixate on how to solve all the world’s problems at once. However, remember that this is impossible for one person and is not solely one person’s responsibility. Remember to slow down, focus on what is within your control, and take one moment at a time.

You don’t have to constantly be in the driver’s seat, controlling every aspect of your life. And honestly, why would you want that responsibility? I’m not suggesting you get up every day, sit around, and think, “Welp… I’ll just sit here and wait for the universe to tell me to do something.” I’m talking about letting go of some control and trusting your inner wisdom to guide you.

If you are a “planner”, then this can be difficult. (I know because I have struggled with this for years… and still do to this day.) What have I learned? Having goals and plans to help you achieve them is okay. Create calendars, checklists, to-do lists, and so on, if that helps you, but remember to be “agile” and prepared to pivot when things change. Just know that there may be a greater plan at work—even greater than you could imagine.

All in all, focus on what you can control. Focus on being the best person you can be, and bring your best to the absolute max daily. Everything else around you will fall into place.

6. Embrace Change

As humans, we dislike change. Regardless of whether change is good or bad, uncertainty makes us uncomfortable. However, change is also inevitable. The best way to deal with change is to embrace it, little by little. Have your own change management model or a process for embracing change in healthy ways and in small steps.

7. Journal

Journaling is a helpful activity in many ways. One item on the lengthy list of benefits is journaling to get into the proper mindset. Writing out your thoughts and feelings can help you work through challenges and see problems clearly, allowing you to find solutions.

8. Protect Your Time

As busy individuals, it can be difficult to find time to even feed ourselves, let alone sit in stillness and enjoy a few moments of peace. However, scheduling and protecting your “focus” and reflection time is an important practice. This is the time for you when you think, plan, or just be alone with your thoughts. We are often led to believe that being alone is a bad thing; however, it can be one of the most empowering things we do for ourselves. Make space for what matters.

Let’s clarify that Loneliness can be unhealthy, but regardless of your personality type, we all need time alone from time to time to reset, refresh, re-center, and re-focus.

9. Have a Routine

What does having a daily routine have to do with wisdom? Everything. A routine built upon a foundation of healthy habits supports growth. By having a routine, you set many of your daily tasks—getting up, taking a shower, getting dressed, making a cup of coffee—on autopilot. This frees up space in your brain for bigger thoughts, ideas, and decisions. Treat your routine as a gift.

10. Meditate, Pray, and Fast

Of course, we can’t really talk about wisdom without spirituality. If you are a spiritual being or soul, then you know the two go hand in hand. If you seek wisdom from a higher power, then the daily practice of meditation, praying, and even fasting can help you find the answers.

Wisdom is also closely tied to spiritual discernment. If better spiritual discernment is your goal, then regular meditation, prayer, and fasting can help you to recognize the deeper meanings and implications of spiritual experiences, teachings, and events.

11. Choose Joy

“Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things are.”

– Marianne Williamson

When receiving negative or constructive feedback, rather than getting down on yourself or taking it personally, use it as an opportunity to learn, think creatively, and just be better. Treat challenges as opportunities for joy. Focusing on opportunities to learn, solve, and make a difference rather than negativity is a better use of your time and energy and is far more productive. You might even be surprised to discover how this practice changes your mindset and better impacts your life.

12. Adopt an Always-Learning Mindset

When you stop learning, you stop gaining wisdom and knowledge and applying it to your life and work. Remember, you are never too old to learn. Build ways to learn something new into your daily routine. Read a book. Listen to a podcast. Research a topic you want to learn more about. Take an online class. Join a webinar. Network.

As mentioned above, wisdom is continuous. The most successful active learners embrace learning opportunities, are ready and eager to apply their knowledge to everyday life, question things, and are willing to change their thinking patterns.

13. Make Balanced Decisions

We make decisions every day. Some decisions are made on a whim, while others require more thought, deliberation, and time. This is the difference between distracted decisions and destiny decisions.

In fact, studies have shown that mood influences the decisions we make, both good and bad. To ensure you make decisions based on facts, have a decision-making process. This could involve creating a “pros and cons” list or a decision-making matrix in a spreadsheet.

By having a process, you can systematically work through the facts, emotions, and principles relevant to your decision to help you arrive at the best possible decision that improves the quality of your life.

14. Slow Down

There’s nothing more stressful and overwhelming than feeling forced or under extreme pressure to make a difficult decision quickly. Remember, you are in control. Nothing and no one can force you to make a decision before you are ready.

Take the time you need to “un-hurry” yourself and allow yourself to find peace through prayer, meditation, spiritual reflection, or whatever causes you to pause and breathe. This will allow you to connect with your inner wisdom without all the “noise” and make the best decision.

Wisdom isn’t about moving fast and “hard”; it’s about slowing down and learning to listen.

15. Practice an Attitude of Gratitude

We live in an incredibly materialistic society. As humans and consumers, we always want more. We are so focused on what we don’t have and compare ourselves and our situations with others that we lose gratitude. (And, yes, social media only exemplifies this.)

Gratitude is one of the healthiest human emotions you can experience. It’s an attitude, a mindset that you choose. Make it a habit every morning on your way to work, over coffee, during a family dinner, or even after a long day to be grateful and thankful for what you have—a beautiful home, a warm bed, a sleeping family, clothes to wear. Millions of people would love to be in your shoes. Never take even the smallest things in life for granted. Pursue life with gratitude.

16. Remember Your Purpose

If you feel unimportant or overlooked today, don’t stop investing in your purpose. Even if your task feels small, insignificant, or trivial, focus on what I call “big picture positives” and their impact. Regardless of what you’ve been assigned to do today, give it your everything. Don’t get discouraged. Hard work is always rewarded.

17. Have Faith, and Take Action

The role of faith looks different for each person. Faith can mean believing in God or another spirit or deity. It also means having faith in yourself. Stand by your beliefs, your principles, and your boundaries. Develop requirements for a righteous life. Regardless of what you believe, remember that faith by itself isn’t faith without ACTION.

18. Be Present and in the Moment

Every once in a while, life reminds us to slow down—and there’s a reason why. Slowing down, taking a minute to breathe, and admiring something small about your environment can be empowering.

Being present in conversations with others is another wise act. This means actively listening to others, avoiding distractions, and tuning into the other person. Not only will this help you strengthen your relationships, but it will also help you to avoid missing important details and information.

19. Be Patient

Being patient with others can sometimes be incredibly difficult, but it is an incredibly important principle. They say patience is a virtue. Being patient is also the most effective way to A) resolve a conflict, B) persuade or negotiate with someone, C) develop and/or repair a relationship, and so on. Remember to also be patient with yourself. Patience not only strengthens your character but also builds endurance.

20. Listen and Smile

We all find ourselves in awkward and difficult situations. Even if you follow your principles, stick to your guns, and deploy your best demeanor and communication tactics, sometimes others are just… difficult. This can be discouraging and make you feel like you’re at a loss. Maybe you are. But when all else fails, listen and smile. You’ll be a better person for it.

21. Dig for Answers, Seek Truth, Question Your Own Knowledge

Truth comes in different forms and is shaped by different perspectives and experiences. There is truth and what we perceive to be true. According to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature, man is limited by matter and physical science. Push and question facts and knowledge assumptions, or what we think are known truths. Thoughts are beautiful and know no limits. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.

The Power of WHY

One of the most important questions one can ask—regardless of situation or context—is WHY. In fact, this is perhaps one of the most powerful lessons I have learned, personally and professionally.

Asking WHY not only helps dive into the root cause of a problem (in fact, “the ‘5 Whys'” is an effective root cause analysis [RCA] technique for a reason…), but also deepens our understanding of a topic.

22. Ask Questions

Similar to the point above, in addition to asking WHY, there are benefits to asking questions in general. Asking questions is useful when reacting to what you are hearing or reading. Asking questions also helps improve your own writing and speaking. One of the questions to ask can be how you should think about a particular problem, decision, issue, fill in the blank.

We may even want to question ourselves and our consistency at times in order to encourage great thought and learn new things about ourselves and our world.

The knowledge you gain from asking questions not only encourages your own individual thinking and opinions but also provides a foundation for more complicated thinking in the future.

Remember, what and who you listen to does not matter; what and who you believe does.

23. Form Good Arguments

Many people avoid disagreements or arguments out of fear of conflict or confrontations. However, arguing can be positive, especially if it is well-structured. Rather than focus on the negative aspects of arguments, focus on engaging in good arguments that highlight and respect others’ opinions and encourage others to see the positives behind differing opinions and perspectives.

Remember, engaging in an argument—even a good one—requires time, effort, and energy. Before engaging in an argument, ask yourself if it’s worth your time and energy. Be sure to also stop and ensure you and the other party(ies) are progressing toward an end goal in the argument. If not, step out and walk away.

24. Build a Foundation

Much like building a strong house, we can choose the foundation we need, designed to withstand many years of weight, elements, and time. We build our lives upon a foundation. That foundation might be built upon soft soil or sand—based upon lies, deceit, and a weak character—in which case it will crumble over time. A foundation can also be rock solid, built upon ethics, values, and truth. We have the choice. What will you build your life upon?

25. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

“Winners never sweat the small stuff.” – Anonymous

Enough said.

26. Embrace Complexity and Ambiguity

Complex problems and situations can naturally overwhelm us. Our “System 1’s” first reaction is to avoid complexity. On the other hand, the desire of “System 2” is to unravel the complexity. By embracing complexity and clarifying the ambiguity, we are able to see new problem-solving approaches and workarounds.

Learning to recognize the limits of your own knowledge and thinking outside the box will help you embrace complexity and even discover ways to simplify the complexity.

27. Know Your WHY

This relates to #16, knowing your purpose. When you ask yourself why you get up and go to work every day, what is your answer? It may be that you need to earn a paycheck and benefits to care for your own needs and those of your family. It might be to support your lifestyle. Or it might be something greater… to help, influence, or motivate others.

28. Don’t React, Respond

When something is said or done that makes us angry, emotionally hurt, or sad, we naturally react according to our emotions. It is part of the brain’s natural “fight or flight” response. However, the words you choose to say reveal your inner wisdom.

Choosing your words wisely and speaking with purpose and intent separates the boys and girls from men and women. Girls and boys react; real men and women RESPOND.

29. Always Work to Be BETTER

As mentioned above, wisdom is continuous and is therefore tied to continuous improvement. Wisdom is a quest, not a single answer or specific destination that you find overnight. We often make mistakes or learn new things along the way. This is part of the journey. However, we have two choices: we can continue to make the same mistakes, or we can embrace the opportunities to course-correct. Applying wisdom to your everyday life involves the latter—responding positively to opportunities to learn from a mistake (rather than reacting).

30. Be Humble

Humility is a quiet strength of wisdom. It’s knowing your worth without feeling the need to announce it. Being humble looks like this:

• Being open to feedback rather than defending yourself.
• Admitting when you don’t know something, and being curious enough to learn.
• Celebrating others’ successes without letting envy get in the way.
• Taking responsibility for mistakes rather than blaming circumstances or people.

True humility pairs well with confidence. Additionally, being humble also allows you to periodically take a step back, examine your life, identify opportunities to learn or do better, and execute.