“First ponder, then dare” (Helmuth von Moltke).
IT’S TRUE THAT MOST OF US NEED TO BE MORE ADVENTURESOME, BUT IT’S ALSO TRUE THAT WE NEED TO PONDER OUR DEEDS BEFORE WE DO THEM. As von Moltke says, the correct order of action is “First ponder, then dare.” And the more consequential the dare, the more profound should be the pondering that precedes it.
“Ponder” comes from the Latin pondus (“weight”). It means to consider something carefully. When we ponder, we “weigh” an idea in our minds, thinking how significant it is or, if the thought is one of action, what its outcome might be. Pondering is more than casual thinking — it is thinking with care and thoroughness.
There is no better way to build credibility than to be a person who ponders things. Living impulsively is not the way to become trustworthy. In fact, we shouldn’t have much credibility if we don’t consider things carefully. If we’re known to act rashly, we’ll not be the people our friends turn to in times of need or difficulty. Our carelessness will keep us from being as trusted as we’d like to be.
The notion that ideas can be “weighed” in our minds ought to be of more than passing interest. Contrary to what many seem to think nowadays, not all ideas are equal and interchangeable. Some have more weight than others; that is, some are more true, significant, beneficial, beautiful, and so forth. The challenge in thinking is to discern, by pondering them, which ideas are weighty and which are not. When we’re making decisions, we need to let the weighty ideas count for more and pay less attention to the lighter-weight trivia. And the same principle applies when we’re weighing our words: we should choose wisely between words that are good, better, and best.
Being a person who ponders things may sound pretty dull, as if that person never did anything but think. But the truth is, life is never dull when we’re in a receptive state of mind. Those who take the time to ponder the world and its happenings often find that surprises break into their reveries. When we meditate wisely, we’re not merely passing time; we’re preparing for a breakthrough. Pondering opens our hearts and minds to happy discoveries!
“I keep the subject constantly before me, and wait till the first dawnings open slowly, by little and little, into a full and clear light” (Isaac Newton).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
