Intelligence is about what you know. Wisdom is about what you choose to do with that knowledge.
While the importance of knowledge and technical skills is not to be underestimated, success can only occur when we put that knowledge into action (at the right time and for the right reasons). We all know that we need to cultivate our fields when the weeds are at the white thread or cotyledon stage, and yet how often do we fail to take action at the key moment because…. (insert reason here)?
In that moment, when we fail to make that action which we know we need and want to take, what is happening? For me, what prevented me was not lack of knowledge or the absence of the correct tool… it was because I wasn’t in the right mind set (Be it time management issues, prioritization, efficiency, procrastination (which is just a long way of spelling FEAR), low energy)… these are direct results of my attitude, my mind set, and my beliefs.
It is our attitude, or mindset, that is key in determining our capacity to implement those strategies which know are best and have decided to use.
And yet, we hardly heard this discussed in agricultural circles. We love to geek out about the latest variety of vegetable, the better piece of equipment, the precise way to celebrate a seeder…. but we so often overlook the the fact that we as individuals need to be in an optimal state of being to be able to skillfully implement the given technique.
Confirmation Bias
Through our actions and observations, we essentially seek to confirm what we already believe about a certain element. Rather than gathering evidence and developing theories based on that data, we actually form a theory of how something is , or how it works… and then go about gathering evidence to support this vision of the world… even going so far as to generating that evidence ourselves through our actions.
It is of critical importance to be aware of what we believe to be true, because what we believe determines how we show up in our lives, what actions we take, and ultimately the outcome. It’s a self perpetuating cycle. Belief -> Action -> Outcome -> Belief. Let us be very clear with ourselves here regarding the proverbial chicken and the egg… the belief comes first, the observed “reality” comes second.
Herein lies the power of paradigms. Paradigms are the lens with which we see our world. The len we use determines how we see the world. Our vision of the world dictates how we interact with it and what actions we take. And the outcomes of those actions reinforce the use of the given lens.
If you’re looking for better answers in your life… it’s time to ask better quality questions!