The Power of Knowledge
Knowledge is a joy to acquire when we know it will improve our lives, and ultimately, the lives of others.
The universe and the sky, “Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” Psalms 19:2
The Power of Knowledge
It is said that knowledge is power. It’s easy to see the connection.
With knowledge we can create language and use it to communicate and understand one another. With knowledge we can build bridges to reach what was once unreachable. With knowledge we can heal diseases and ease suffering. With knowledge we can build telescopes and explore the universe.
Knowledge is power to do meaningful things. And power is the ability to make progress, push through obstacles, and get things done.
Knowledge is power if it produces meaningful outcomes for ourselves and for others.
To Survive and Thrive
We need to have sufficient knowledge in order to take care of ourselves and be independent. This is our foundation for success. It is no small thing to obtain self sufficiency and independence! But absolutely, we get by with a little help from our friends.
The next level of knowledge is that which helps us thrive. To thrive is to be independent and have some level of security. Of course, life is never certain, but it is good to have a growth path and accumulate resources that can help maintain our independence through difficult times.
Another level of knowledge is that which inspires us. When we have sufficient resources and a sense of security, we are free to explore our curiosities and follow our passions. For example, we might pursue our interest in fine art, write novels, or restore old cars. The psychological term for this level is self-actualization.
Self-actualization is important as it is key to pursuing our dreams. The most important knowledge to obtain is knowledge about ourselves.
Know Thyself
Philosophers have said "Know thyself" throughout the ages. But, what does it mean to know ourselves? Why know ourselves?
One of the reasons to know ourselves is for our own protection. The better we know ourselves, the easier it is to make choices that actually produce a more fulfilling life.
Why do people keep repeating the same mistakes? Why do people waste time? Why do people hate their jobs? Why do people die with regrets? Why don’t people try to live their dreams? Maybe it’s because they didn’t take the time to know themselves. They allocated precious resources on other things.
The key to knowing yourself is to ask questions and examine your past actions. What do you want? What are your dreams? What do you believe? What are your values? How would you rank your values highest to lowest? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What do you enjoy? What do you hate? And of course, the existential questions of: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do with my life?
We wrestle with these questions because it is worthwhile, even if the answer is “I don’t know.” (If you have never seen “Finding Joe,” it’s pretty cool.)
Know Your Dream
Our dream is something we are not yet capable of achieving. That is why it’s a dream. We will have to learn and try many things in order to build our dreams. When we experiment and try things, we will learn many lessons. Some lessons might be costly or take more time than we imagined. All this knowledge is gold.
We should know every detail about our dream. We could write a book about our dream, and we should! We are the founder and builder of our dreams. I talk about this in detail in chapter 3 of my book “BUILDER.”
Finally
There is no end to knowledge. Knowledge could easily be the subject of a multitude of books (I’m pretty sure I will write one). But for our purposes, for dream building, these are some of the most important points.
Knowledge is a joy to obtain when we know it will improve our lives, and ultimately, the lives of others. Learning becomes a lifelong practice. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright said "The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes."
Self knowledge is power. The deeper we know ourselves, the better choices we make, and the better actions we take. Self knowledge is deeply tied to our DNA. It is unique power.
Knowledge is a component of abundance. As we build knowledge, we build the conditions for abundance. (I just added my new book on abundance to my books page! It is also listed below.)
Be open to change and avoid being overconfident in what we think we know. Over confidence tends to keep us from improving. Read or listen to opposing beliefs to stay sharp and perhaps improve our understanding. Everyone has a perspective.
The key is to obtain the knowledge that gives us the most power to accomplish our dreams and goals.
To your success!
"If a man empties his purse into his head no man can take it from him. An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." -Ben Franklin
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What is Your Dream?
My dream is to write small but powerful books that simplify success and inspire greatness.
You can read these books, and more, FREE at www.jamesonsuccess.com/books.
FOUNDER - How to Build a Foundation for your Dreams.
BUILDER - The five pillars of following your dream and building something that matters.
ABUNDANCE - Living a life of more than enough.
Articles Referenced in this Post