Sage (sāj); One venerated for experience, judgment, and wisdom.
Having or exhibiting wisdom and calm judgment.
Having or exhibiting wisdom and calm judgment.
Do you know an advice giver? Someone who's prone to relating personal opinions, and recommendations about...everything. Think through all the counsel you've been given over the years. What opinions and recommendations have stuck with you?
Here are several of mine:
1. Listen first... While this rule is true for all good communication, it is doubly true when we wish to give advice. Issues are often more complex than they initially appear. By first listening, we open a space for the speaker to more fully describe the situation and for us to more fully understand it.
2. Ask permission... Unsolicited advice is a major cause of grief among friends and family members. It might also be seen disrespectful, as implying that a person is incapable of caring for himself and resolving his own issues.
3. Offer without insisting... It is worth keeping in mind that even after we have listened, we can never know with certainty what is best for another person. There is so much that we are not aware of. So we offer our insights, experiences and ideas, with the attitude that our advice is another point of view, and we trust the listener’s inner wisdom to discern what is right for him or her.
Here are several of mine:
- encouragement to lead a Bible study ...thank you, Murphy
- 'don't sweat the small stuff'...good advice for preschoolers and my teenagers today!
- listen more than I speak...two ears and ONE mouth syndrome
- by using cash...I'll spend less $$
Uzi Weingarten is an ordained rabbi and has taught both spirituality and the art of
human communication for many years. He suggests the following three ideas when giving advice:
human communication for many years. He suggests the following three ideas when giving advice:
1. Listen first... While this rule is true for all good communication, it is doubly true when we wish to give advice. Issues are often more complex than they initially appear. By first listening, we open a space for the speaker to more fully describe the situation and for us to more fully understand it.
2. Ask permission... Unsolicited advice is a major cause of grief among friends and family members. It might also be seen disrespectful, as implying that a person is incapable of caring for himself and resolving his own issues.
Here is one way to do this: “As I listen to you, there are some ideas coming up for me that you might find useful. Would you like to hear them?”
3. Offer without insisting... It is worth keeping in mind that even after we have listened, we can never know with certainty what is best for another person. There is so much that we are not aware of. So we offer our insights, experiences and ideas, with the attitude that our advice is another point of view, and we trust the listener’s inner wisdom to discern what is right for him or her.
What advice have you given someone recently?
Would you consider yourself a sage?
Would you consider yourself a sage?
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