When was the last time you challenged your vantage point or position on something? Before you answer too quickly, ask yourself this: To what level did you challenge yourself?
One of my mentors gave me a great lesson—wisdom comes from multiple perspectives.
In fact, when I launched into a study on spirituality and consciousness a few years ago, he recommended some crazy, whacky, off the wall and weird sh%$!
After diving into the books, I asked him, “You don’t believe all this…do you?”
He answered, “No.” Yet, he quickly pointed out that in order to go deeper with my own understanding, my perspective needed to be exposed to alternate possibilities.
Further, he shared a radical idea with me. He asked about some of the books I was reading. So I told him. Then he asked me what I was learning from these books. I told him how the concepts were reinforcing ideas I had already picked up.
Guess what he said next? “Why are you wasting your time?”
“What?” I asked.
He remarked, “Why waste your time reading about something you already know?”
So my task for you is to regularly read and listen to things that challenge your thinking and frame of reference. Not all perspectives are created equal. There is an underpinning here of thinking for yourself and not relying upon others in order to know how things are or aren’t.
Wisdom comes from multiple perspectives; my goal is to continue to contribute to yours.