One of my wisdom teachers explained to me that it is important to seek advice of those with grey hair. I was told that the grey hairs of wisdom are based on experience and the wisdom given by those with grey hair should be cherished. I understood the position he was taking and also the advice that he was attempting to give. But in my flair for the extra I asked him several questions that would get him to further explain his position. I asked the following questions:
What about those like myself that have no hair, Should I ignore their wisdom?
Does grey haired wisdom diminish just because a person does not have hair?
How do I know the person with grey hair actually has any wisdom? (I have heard of many old fools)
He obviously knew that I was joking with the question I had asked but I wanted to make a point in explaining that general or blanket statements have no real meaning.
When trying to cover a topic, give helpful advice or when explaining one’s point of view, it is important to use your own words to express what dwells inside your mind. Learning to express your opinion based on your own words helps to not only expand your vocabulary but it also sets you apart. Everyone has something to say and it is important to say it in our own way. There are hundreds of mentors, coaches and motivational speakers that are in high demand because they have learned to use their own words to express their opinions.
Just about everything you will ever learn has been said at one time or another. What makes those words stand out above the crowd is how they are said. My wisdom teacher actually gave me a pat on the back for enlightening the conversation. He looked at me and said, “I guess you can teach an old dog a new trick.” I looked at him and said, “Here we go again!”