Wisdom is the final act in recovery. We know now what we can change, and what we can't; and we're okay with that either way. I'm not going to be an extrovert, yet I can risk talking more within my comfort level. An ex-boss told me I had a "quiet sparkle," and perhaps she was right. All those years I tried to be someone I'm not, because I was scared of who I'd reveal stripped down to my true self. In some ways, the illness was a protective device.

The trusty Oxford defines wisdom as "the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment; the quality of being wise." It also refers to "the soundness of an action or decision with respect to the application of such experience, knowledge and good judgment." As I evolved in my recovery, I instinctively took the right action because I knew myself better. Though I'm not a saint, it's gotten easier to do things like get to bed earlier on most nights and clean the apartment more frequently.

Wisdom allows us to take on new roles and be nurturing towards ourselves and others. My great goal is to become a peer advocate when I retire from the library. Life demands we share our wisdom, not keep it inside or use it solely to advance our own purposes.

Insight is hard-won wisdom. The Greeks tell us to "Know Thyself." With this self-awareness, we're able to unlock healthy coping skills and recognize triggers before they lead to an episode. One good technique is to go back and ask, "What happened just before this symptom came on?" so you can discover what set you off and make plans to halt it from happening again.

Think of serenity, courage and wisdom as a "skill set" that serves you well as you negotiate the challenges of living well with schizophrenia. The beauty is these traits are achievable for everyone with the diagnosis.

Along the lines of what I've written about in here, a future blog entry will talk shortly about the stages of emotional response to trauma and how we can heal ourselves.

Peacefully,

Chris