Golden Rule #12: Learn From the Wisdom Around You.

I often tell people, I really don’t know how to do so terribly many things. I do, however, know lots of people who DO know how to do many things very well. I don’t have to know what they know. I just have to know how to find them.

This makes all the difference when approaching a project that can feel rather daunting. The unknowns creep in and threaten to overwhelm me before things even get off the ground. When that happens, it’s so reassuring to talk to someone who has the wisdom and experience I lack. They understand the process that has to happen in order to get something from the very nebulous talking and planning stage to the very satisfying point of completion.

How do we learn from the wisdom around us? One very simple trick I’ve learned along the way: listen more than you talk. We reveal how much we don’t know by how much we say. Wisdom shows up in unexpected places: at the grocery store, at the auto repair shop, and while walking Copper around the neighborhood. I’ve met computer experts, military service members, university department heads, middle school students, and people from other countries while holding the other end of the leash. All of them can share some wisdom — you just have to know how to perceive it. And, even more important, you have to be open to it.