Janie Martin and Marianna Mancini-Menditto discuss their realization that despite being different ages and having varied life experiences, they share commonalities. They discovered that all humans experience good, bad, and insecurities, showing that no matter what age you are, there is something to learn from everyone, and that wisdom spans across generations.

Jim and Judy Shelly utilized the concept of through lines to explore their life story, recognizing faith, travel, and nursing as persisting themes. Together they learned how to use their gifts for ministry, allowing their talents and strengths to be blessings to others. The Wisdom course helped bring those realizations to life and allowed them to be grateful for the impact they had, and provided frameworks on how to move forward with those realizations.

Discover the unexpected "gifts" you receive during times of disorientation, such as new resilience or deeper self-awareness. Scott shares how difficult pivots, like being unable to run anymore, can open doors to new skills like painting. What would happen if you take some time and try to identify the learning that comes along with challenging experiences?

The wisdom course doesn't require rejecting the past, but rather reinterpreting it and seeing life from a new, constructive perspective. Dave Givens recognizes that the foundational structures of his constructed world provided him with a firm foundation. The course has helped him process life events and see the "bigger picture," which he then uses to help others

Poor choices are inevitable in life and should be viewed as stepping stones to better choices, provided you learn something from them. Scott challenges us to consider what moral judgments we carry about ourselves and others, noting that we are often our own worst critics. Reassessing these self-judgments offers new levels of clarity, allowing you to forgive yourself for past mistakes along the way. By noticing and naming these events, they no longer hold tyranny over your life, enabling intentional pivots and shifts.

Marsha Dawson helps us understand that personal transformation is the key to professional success. Marsha started her career as an introvert on the assembly line, sharing that a pivotal part of her story arc was going into sales in the 1970s – forcing her to find her voice. From that moment on, things changed. She gained the grit to stand up for herself and even successfully challenge the company owner speaking up for those around her.

Discover a fundamental life pattern – orientation, disorientation, reorientation. This cycle helps unlock the wisdom in your personal story. Scott Miller, drawing on wisdom literature, explains how this pattern reveals pivot points that cause us to look at life differently. Consider unpacking past difficulty and suffering to understand how you navigated change and reoriented your life, and apply those learnings moving forward.

Want to learn more and dive deeper into what we discussed today? https://www.gardenspotcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5-Tips-for-Embracing-Your-Story.pdf

Alan Dining candidly discusses feeling marginalized as an older person, sometimes thinking "nobody wants to hear my story". Through the wisdom course, he has felt empowered to tell his faith based story, hoping it will resonate with both family and younger generations who are looking to find their purpose.

Want to learn more and dive deeper into what we discussed today?

https://www.gardenspotcommunities.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/5StepsForDigginginYourBasementPT2.pdf