In my last blog post, I expressed my anxiousness for my next daughter being born, and of the "unknown" regarding how it will ultimately change my life. I stated that I truly believe you can never fully anticipate exactly what's to come, and by knowing that, I am more prepared to take on what life has to throw at me. The quote above continues that thought, and helps me express it a little differently. Although the dictionary defines wisdom as "knowledge of what is true or right," I consider wisdom to be not only having knowledge of something, but also understanding how it came to be and that things can change. It takes wonder to allow this kind of understanding that ultimately leads to wisdom.

I've seen in business throughout the years, too many situations where one thinks they have all the answers and isn't open to the possibilities of an alternative consideration. Often times this was something witnessed in our clients' organizations, and sometimes even within our own. No matter where it happened, it often came with the same result; an effort not succeeding and a lot of upset people affected by the outcome. Although one may have had the knowledge to support their theory, it takes wisdom to consider there may be other possibilities with a greater outcome.

Our life outside of business carries many examples of this as well. Whether you see it when interacting with retail employees, customer support personnel or other family members, there is no shortage of interaction with those that may be knowledgable, but certainly don't seem wise. The ones that are caught up in the day-to-day giving the same answers over and over, never considering an alternative each time they gave a response, are the ones that will likely never get any wiser about the situations at hand. By keeping your mind open and continuing to wonder about the possibilities, you allow yourself further knowledge and understanding that can often lead to bigger and better outcomes.

Don't just be smart, be wise. Keep your mind open to wonder so that you continue to gain more wisdom.

Jeff R. Helvin is Blogging for Balance - a balance of both personal and professional aspects, to ultimately achieve more in life overall.