A Key (Knowledge Empowers You)

A KEY (Knowledge Empowers You)

A key is an opener of locks. Whether it’s a door, a treasure chest, or our heart ❤️. It lets us into unknown worlds. It symbolises the freedom that opens things up and locks precious things away. It reveals the secrets to hidden treasures.

• A piece of key jewellery represents the start of the rest of our lives, the opening of many exciting doors to come. Keys are also traditionally given to graduates, and indeed anyone at the threshold to their next adventure.

• It serves as a security token for access to the locked area; locks are meant to only allow persons having the correct key to open it and gain access.

• It operates one lock or set of locks that are keyed alike, a lock/key system where each similarly keyed lock requires the same, unique key.

• Any key that can open two or more locks is considered a master key. Many master keys use pin and tumbler locks. For a master key to work, though, there must be something called master wafers inside the lock.

• A little “thank you” that we will say to someone for a “little favour” shown to us is a key to unlock the doors that hide unseen great favours.

Life is like a tin of sardines that we’re all searching for the keys. Many never realise they always had the key in their pocket, so they die at the locked door, never reaching deep inside to pull it out.

Reading is a Key to Knowledge.

Reading is a foundational skill, which enables us to gain knowledge, acquire perspective and even do better at competitive exams. Reading books is like acquiring a new set of eyes. It lets us experience new worlds, cultures, etc. without actually being there.

• Learning to read is about listening and understanding as well as working out what is printed on the page. Through hearing stories, we are exposed to a wide range of words. This helps us build our vocabulary and improve our understanding when we listen, which is vital as we start to read.

• When we have a strong knowledge base, it’s easier to learn new things and solve new problems. Reading a wide range of books will help expand our general knowledge. Specific knowledge can be acquired by taking a deep dive into a subject or topic.

• Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.

• When we read for enjoyment daily, we not only perform better in reading tests than those who do not but also develop a broader vocabulary, increased general knowledge and a better understanding of other cultures.

• The purpose of reading is to connect the ideas on the page to what we already know. If we don’t know anything about a subject, then pouring words of text into our minds is like pouring water into our hands.

• Reading improves memory and increases mental stimulation, developing new neurons in our brain. The more we read, the easier it is to recall certain things. Our brain benefits incredibly from reading. It helps decrease stress and improve our concentration.

It helps us develop our thoughts and express our opinions. New ideas and thoughts pop up in our minds by active reading. It stimulates and develops our brains and gives us a new perspective.

Knowledge is key to Understanding.

Knowing and understanding are related concepts, but they’re not the same. Knowing is static, referring to discrete facts, while understanding is active, describing the ability to analyse and place those facts in context to form a big picture.

• Without knowledge, understanding is impossible. But knowing doesn’t necessarily lead to an understanding of a greater narrative, which is the real point of gathering information.

• Understanding is a tool; it helps us assimilate new information and continually refine our worldview by seeing connections. We can pass an exam because of memorisation, but to live a better and fuller life, we must learn to understand.

• Understanding is also necessary to evaluate new information; the more we can contextualise what we’re being told, and evaluate it from many angles, the less likely we are to be taken in by manipulative language, bad data, poorly sourced stories, or pure propaganda.

• Any fool can know. The point is to understand. To know requires memory, but to understand requires more. Understanding and making meaning of something involves judgment. The type of judgment that helps us to understand and make meaning of things.

• Without judgment, we take everything at face value without much further thought. With judgment, we take different views or perspectives about life and all it contains, including knowledge. To attempt to understand anything without judgment can lead to ignorance.

Through education, we gain knowledge. Through experience, we gain understanding and can make meaning of knowledge. Over time this process leads to developing wisdom.

Doubt is the origin of Wisdom.

Doubt is the feeling of uncertainty towards the truth. It is the uncertain feelings that bring us closer to the truth and increase our knowledge.

• Doubt is to call into question the truth of or to be uncertain. It demonstrates a lack of confidence. It is a prowling force that can rob us of joy and hope. It sends us spiralling from a self-assured state of mind to one of worry, self-consciousness and uncertainty.

• We can be riding high emotionally and mentally, believing we’re going in the right direction with our purpose and dreams. Then suddenly, overthinking, too much self-questioning leads to doubt.

• To doubt is a wonder of human evolution; it forces us to think twice about drinking the Kool-Aid. It proved that the earth isn’t flat and the stars aren’t made of fire; it’s progress, enlightenment. It keeps our world sceptical and dynamic. 

• Doubt makes us fair, balanced, and open. It’s a prerogative of the old rather than the young; a rare vintage, aged by humility and experience of the complexities of human nature as well as knowledge of the way history throws up grim patterns that generations down the track forget. 

• Those big dreams and goals seem far away. The life we want to live most feels like less of a certainty and much more of a question mark. It can distract our lives and lead us to question the people, dreams and purpose we believe in.

• The key to overcoming the emotions and external forces that challenge us is to remove ourselves as much as possible from the situation mentally and emotionally. Take a break. Then, spend some clear, deep thinking objectively analysing things and ask ourselves; How would we advise or help someone else in the same situation.

• Many of us are embarrassed about how to handle doubt and make sense of it. We are less likely to open up to others because it’s a blow to our ego. We think we are alone and we struggle, often in silence, yet it’s the playback that occurs in our minds that can be truly destructive.

• Know the signs and be willing to fight back by sticking to our values, morals and records of achievement that drive us toward happiness.

The wisdom of doubt comes early to some, and the greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.

Wisdom is the key to success.

Through education, we gain knowledge. Through experience, we gain understanding and can make meaning of knowledge. Over time this process leads to developing wisdom.

• Wisdom allows us to make better contributions to our community by balancing our needs and boundaries with those of others.

• When we make wise decisions, we keep our immediate needs in mind, along with holding long-term perspectives. This is key to making choices that bring us joy.

• Wisdom is the ability to know what is true or right, common sense or the collection of one’s knowledge. An example of wisdom is the quote The best mind-altering drug is truth.

• It’s taking what we’ve learned and used it in beneficial ways. It’s not only about what we learn, but what we do with that knowledge that’s important.

• It is all those things that allow us to grow. To expand. To succeed and reach our potential. But it is also how we use our knowledge and the things we discover. It’s taking that information and transforming it.

• Wisdom leads to understanding and understanding leads to acceptance, tolerance, and love. While creativity is the paintbrush through which we show love, wisdom is the book through which we learn how to love others.

It comes with experience, but also from understanding those experiences. We can’t assume children will grow into wisdom. They must be given opportunities. Opportunities to discover, to explore, and opportunities to fail.

Knowledge is Key.

More than knowledge being power, it is the key to empowerment. The more we know, the more capable we become to gain control over multiple aspects of our life. This is why so many of our “leaders” do whatever they can to disempower as many people as possible.

• Self-empowerment means making a conscious decision to take charge of your destiny. It involves making positive choices, taking action to advance, and being confident in your ability to make and execute decisions.

• When we believe we can control our destiny rather than give in to external concepts such as fate, luck, or circumstance, we are more likely to take charge of our future.

• Self-care includes any activity that we do for ourselves to feel happy and healthy. It can include everything from eating right and exercising to treating ourselves to a spa treatment. Scheduling time to relax and rejuvenate will make us more productive. 

For knowledge to empower us we need to focus on what we can do as opposed to what we can’t. Practising self-affirmations and displaying confidence in our ability to achieve our goals can help us take steps to achieve them.