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Recently, I visited two friends in Colorado.  Brother and sister, living across the street from each other, they are close.  I’ve known them both over 20 years.  It’s always a pleasure to visit them and enjoy the clean fresh Colorado air and those beautiful mountains!  Such a treat!

On this particular visit, I have the pleasure of spending the evening with their community.  About 13 of us in all.  We share a meal in the backyard.  Potluck .. so a smorgasbord of unique recipes.  Delectable and (for me) exotic tastes. 

As dinner around the picnic tables winds down, I head for the small fire to warm my hands.  I sit alone in silence, staring into the fire.  You know how that goes, right?  It’s a meditation, watching the fire dance.  Eventually, another person meanders over and sits down across from me.  And then another.  ...

In the late 90's I was asked to speak on a Change Management panel.  About 60 people packed into the little classroom.  During Q&A, someone asked about the Graying of America.  The first two panelists gave their answers about investing in pharmaceuticals, boomerang parents and dementia.  Basically, the burden old folks put on our society.  I was next and I'm sure I gave an incredibly enlightened answer which I can't remember today. 

The fourth panelist glanced down at the three of us, looked at the crowd and said, "My fellow panelists have interesting and important perspectives, but I have a different one.  We are entering an unprecedented time in our human history when we have more wisdom on the planet than any other time.  And we're wasting it."  

You could hear a pin drop.

Something in me changed forever in that moment.  Ask yourself, do you feel like you are basking in the amazing wisdom that exists IN THIS MOMENT on our...

Have you ever wondered if you adequately develop your Character or show up with Character at work?  With your kids?  In your life? 

What Does Character Even Mean? 

Let's start with the definition of Character.  Webster dictionary gives us all sorts of definitions of the word, Character.

• Attribute that distinguishes an individual
• Mental or ethical traits that individualize a person, group or nation
• Essential nature, strongly marked to distinguish
• Moral excellence
• Graphic symbol, as in an alphabet

What do you see as common elements in those five definitions of Character?  I see … DISTINGUISH.  After all, who wants to go to the movies or a watch a play or read a novel with bland characters?  Or how could you read an alphabet where all characters looked alike!?!  They must be distinguishable, each with their own sound or meaning.

The second common component in the five definitions of Character is ethical traits and moral...

I LOVE the definition of WISDOM as the soundness of act or decision based on good judgment, knowledge and experience.  I love it because Wisdom is in MOTION through our actions and decisions.  It's not just some bottled up concept that sits on a shelf.  Wisdom doesn't just sit in the brains of our elders! 

Want to make wise decisions and act wisely?  Yep, Me too!

The definition tells us HOW to act and decide with Wisdom.  We base them on good judgment, knowledge and experience.  Okay, I bet you're thinking, "I have experience.  I know stuff.  And I have good judgment." 

Are you wise? 

Ah, that leads us to the last key word in the definition:  Soundness.  There it is.  The qualifier.  The component that separates wheat from chaff.  Significance from Norm.  Soundness.

Soundness is a high standard to meet.  Webster dictionary says it is the ability to withstand force or stress without being...