Great Lessons

Dear Victorious,

What is the greatest lesson you've ever learned?

Gene W. - Sheffield, U.K.

Dear Gene,

My first instinct is to ask you to define the term "greatest." It can probably be defined in several different ways. For the sake of brevity though, let's assume that greatest means "most valuable." In that context, let me answer your question.

The greatest (i.e., most valuable) life lesson I've ever learned is that truth and circumstances are not the same thing. Similarly, and equally important, I've learned that feelings and perceptions are not always true. In fact, they are great liars.

The Bible tells us to "lean not on your own understanding." This is sage advice for anyone. Our understanding is flawed and often biased. It can be based on incomplete or inaccurate information. Often our perceptions or feelings drive our understanding.

The best wisdom I've gained in life is to look for the truth. To do so, I often have to set aside what I know, think, feel, hear, see, or even experience. And I definitely have to set aside what other people say!