I love pearls. I love the look and feel of pearl jewelry, whether it’s a pair of earrings, a necklace, ring or bracelet. I own several pieces of pearl jewelry and despite them being all pearls, they are all different.
As I was picking out a pair of earrings to wear for the day, I thought out the phrase “pearl of wisdom.” When someone refers to a pearl of wisdom they are referring to something that someone has said or written that is helpful or they deem to be a wise statement.
Throughout my life, I’ve collected many pearls of wisdom, enough to string a long necklace in fact. The first pearls came from my grandparents and parents, then teachers and mentors. I pass those pearls to my daughters in the hope that they will find value in them as well.
Here are a few that you might find helpful or wise:
My grandfather used to say – “Can’t is dead. I buried it, so you don’t have to worry about it ever again.”
My mother said “When you go into a new situation or a new job, keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth closed and you’ll learn a lot.”
My dad told me once that “When you we’re born, it was our first time raising you and your first time being a child in this household. We all had to learn each other and cut each other some slack.”
A mentor said to me to “start each day with a grateful heart.”
A dear friend reminded me to avoid gossip. She said “even if a statement about someone is true, it doesn’t have to be repeated by you.”
A colleague used to quote this pearl often, “Be curious, not judgmental.”
In the book of Matthew 13:45 it states “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls.”
This passage refers to a parable about a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself.
In other words, seek out the wise thing and keep it close to you. Wisdom, wise choices, and wise words are enduring and are liken to a treasure that continues to teach and nurture you throughout time.
What “pearls” of wisdom have been shared with you and which ones do you share with others?
