There is a well known adage that perhaps was coined by Confucoius or is alluded to in the Bible. Either way it goes like this:
‘Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.’
It would appear to hold true. This is very much the Rich Dad/Poor Dad juxtaposition.
Perhaps, in hindsight, there is a line missing:
Forget to demand respect for the planet from the man and he will destroy fish stocks and end up giving his children farmed fish full of chemicals.
Let’s look at the adage through the lens of: Advice, Guidance and Wisdom.
At the level of advice is ‘give a man a fish’
At the level of guidance is ‘teach him to fish’
At the level of wisdom is ‘demand respect, from yourself and others, on behalf of the planet’
Advice
Is for guys
Application is to work life, guy life, ego buoyancy, for not looking stupid, to the now
Forms of Advice – tips, sayings, phrases, guyisms, answers, encouragement
Advice provides timely ideas for someone to make decisions to get results.
Advice for any person, at any age in any stage in life. It is useful to daily life and can stand the test of time.
Provenance – brain
Relevance – bridging the moment with what you want
Guidance
Guidance is for men.
Application – Guidance is a resource for learning to deal with fear, for growing awareness, for understanding others, for facing the future.
Forms of Guidance – story, map, the legend on a map, questions, challenges
Guidance hints at the man you become if you listen to it and let it impact your life
Provenance – heart
Relevance – love, the need to love and be loved
Wisdom
Is for The New You,
Application is for participation in service to something bigger than you, curiosity and reflection
Forms of Wisdom – crystalized, dense yet light in its transmission, mysterious and confusing and settling
Wisdom is the language of the instinct talking about finding meaning and integrating it into life
Provenance – soul
Relevance – magnetizing to the truth and electrifying to action
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Practice all 3 (Advice – Guidance – Wisdom): Know the difference so advice doesn’t get passed off as guidance; and wisdom doesn’t get reduced to guidance.
Demand advice from your peers, guidance from your parents and wisdom from your elders.
The Wild Coach 