Seasons of life. Growth opportunities. Trials. Whatever one calls them, out of these experiences our character is formed. If we are so fortunate, we become acquainted with wisdom along the way. Since our world is desperately in need of wisdom, I want to encourage you to celebrate it — “to make it known publicly,” according to the dictionary. Celebrate wisdom you have earned and learned, and share those guiding principles with others.

“Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.” — Tom Wilson

Here are a few lessons learned over the course of my life from childhood to mother of a teenager:

1. Problems vs. tragedies. When I was a child, my parents experienced severe financial difficulties. In the midst of this trial, we traveled to see friends in Canada and discovered that their teenage son had run away from home and was choosing to live on the streets. Money couldn’t take away our friends’ sorrow, whereas new jobs the following year restored my parents’ fortune. The wisdom earned by my parents in this experience was this: There are problems and then there are tragedies. Problems can be solved by throwing money at them. Tragedies cannot be fixed no matter how much money you have.

I can’t tell you the number of times these words of wisdom have been called to mind or shared with a friend or colleague when it was necessary to get correct perspective on a problem; they are a powerful reminder to be thankful that it’s only a problem.

2. Work; really! Before I started my first job after college, I spent three months unemployed during which time I spent two hours every day at the gym. After my first week of full-time employment, I complained to my father that now I didn’t have time for exercise. I’m sure he was biting his tongue when he passed on this reality of life: Work really cuts into your day.

I have found that, by and large, my friends wouldn’t go back in time to their 20s for any amount of money because they so value the wisdom they’ve attained since that age.

3. Don’t tell me there is a problem; that’s business. Tell me what you are doing to work the problem. This commandment was spoken to me early in my career at Cornerstone by the former CEO of the Boeing Company, T.A. Wilson. This direct counsel helped me immensely to first recognize that problems weren’t really problems; they were the entire reason why I had a job. And secondly, I learned not to call a client about a problem until I could follow up immediately with the solution I was going to provide.

4. Reality is always your friend. These words of wisdom come from Dr. Henry Cloud’s fine book, Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality. They are equally powerful when you flip them around: Lack of reality is never your friend. This insight can be applied no matter if the challenge experienced is financial, relational or medical. One cannot solve a problem that has not been recognized and faced.

5. Hope is not a good business plan. It’s commendable to be optimistic and “expect a favorable outcome even when unfavorable outcomes are possible,” but foolish to be so without a plan that works toward that end. That’s why my long-time business partner, Bob Trenner, is fond of saying, “Hope is not a good business plan” (or marriage plan or financial plan). If there is anything I want to pass on to the upcoming generation, it is to not just “hope for the best” and do nothing else or believe “that it will all just work out” with no action or prayer. Hope must be combined with rolling up your sleeves and facing the reality of the situation.

Tell us what you’ve discovered, in the comments section, so we can celebrate the richness of shared experiences.

Now that I’ve shared the wisdom I’ve earned and learned over the past 40 years of my life, I encourage you to pick up a pen and jot down guiding principles of your life. Take a time during your life, whether a phase of your schooling, career, parenting or marriage, and think about those “growth opportunities” that then led to a change in how you viewed the world, felt about yourself, or approached a problem. Include your spouse or a long-time friend or colleague in the process, and reminisce and laugh about how far you’ve come. I have found that, by and large, my friends wouldn’t go back in time to their 20s for any amount of money because they so value the wisdom they’ve attained since that age. That’s something to celebrate and memorialize for the next generation. Tell us what you’ve discovered, in the comments section, so we can celebrate the richness of shared experiences.