How Much Do You REALLY Know?

Finding a way to put today's message into words was challenging.  Then I remembered this scene from Good Will Hunting:

The lesson Sean conveys to Will is powerful, but the emotions generated in the way he conveys it is even moreso.  I wonder if the message would've resonated the same if it had been left only to written word.

Which is exactly the point of what I wanted to share with you (and remind myself of) . . . 

Book smart is one thing.  Knowledge through experience is something else.

The technical knowledge we gather from books is critical -- without it, it's hard to build understanding about this life we're trying to be a part of.  But if we limit our knowledge to books - even if we've read every piece of material that exists on a topic; even if it's the most in-depth knowledge that written word can share - do we really know as much as we think?

One of the greatest challenges we face is going beyond our mind and feeling life as we live it.  Feeling requires and openness to being vulnerable.  Being vulnerable pushes you to face your fears. . . and defeat them.

Make an effort to TOUCH, SMELL, TASTE, HEAR and SEE all that life has to offer.  It's not easy, but a concerted effort to do so can save you from going through life without "having the faintest idea of what you're talking about."

Comments

[heidi]

Great point that makes a lot of sense to me. I agree that you can only get so much from books and that life experience is so important.

[spindiva]

great article here...considering the fact that what we read is basically the interpretation and experience from someone else. It is important to take the knowledge we get from any reading material and use it as a guide or background when or if a particular event crosses our path. We can read about what it feels like to eat healthy and about the high we feel after a good workout, but we will never know until we actually do it for ourselves.