Wisdom occurs when intelligence is aged by experiences. Garden Spot Village (GSV) believes that it can also be taught; that wisdom can be learned - or uncovered.

"Wisdom is discovery," said Scott Miller, who's been the chief marketing officer at GSV for 21 years. "When we discover wisdom, we discover universal truths. They apply to everyone, and they lead to more fulfilling and richer lives. When you release the grudges and hurt you have, it sets you free. It creates a peace beyond understanding. We use our intelligence to reflect on our lives, but wisdom is experiential."

Miller is also an instructor for GSV's Wisdom Course, a series of classes designed to help seasoned individuals explore their wisdom, develop it and harness its power. The Wisdom Course is taught in a conference room on the campus of Garden Spot Village, 433 S. Kinzer Ave., New Holland.

"The purpose of the Wisdom Course is to help older adults review their life stories and harvest their wisdom from within," said Miller. "We introduce people to wisdom, and we talk elderhood. Elders carry the traditions and the stories of our culture and pass them along to younger people."

The Wisdom Course consists of a series of three-hour sessions presented from 9 a.m. to noon on the third Friday of every month, from May through the end of the calendar year.

The learning sessions include instruction, writing, interaction, exercises designed to inspire reflection and the sharing of classmate stories. Near the end of the Wisdom Course, participants travel to Elizabethtown College to share their stories with college students and to learn their stories in turn.

The Wisdom Course is free to attend.

"We don't have a map for the second half of our lives. The Wisdom Course provides the map," said Miller, a resident of Lititz. "From youth to 35, we're learning, we're trying to figure things out. From 35 to 50 is mid-life, and at 50 people have a tendency to look over the horizon and ask, 'What's next?' That's the ideal time to step into our elderhood, unpack our lives and live them in balance."

The Wisdom Course's curriculum is built around six key developmental elements - the constructed world, the concept of objectification, the process of internalization, absolutization, renovation and rejuvenation.

"We explain this framework to people, and we have people write about portions of their lives and significant people in their lives," said Miller. "People begin to explore their memories. We do this exercise called 'Digging in the Basement,' where people explore the boxes they have left closed. A lot of wisdom comes from suffering and hard times in our lives.

"People who have harvested their wisdom can share it with younger people," added Miller. "The older generation, that's where the wisdom is held. Everyone will listen to a good story, and then you will draw your own conclusions. The message is, 'Everything does work out; you've just got to ride things out and do the best you can.'"

The Wisdom Course's class size is limited to 16 participants. The course is open to residents of GSV and members of the community.

"They're the people who want to contribute to the lives of others and society at large," said Miller. "They want to continue to contribute. They're people seeking wisdom. It's available to everyone, but we've got to seek it. It doesn't just happen."

Elizabethtown College professor Conrad Kanagy was instrumental in the founding of the Wisdom Course in 2022. Kanagy instructed the initial Wisdom Course, then taught Miller and GSV pastor Karyn Nancarvis how to teach it.

"Garden Spot Communities is a fabulous place to live because we create these opportunities to live with purpose," said Miller. "This is one of the ways we do that. I've been a student of wisdom for the last 20 years. There are wise people in the world, but we don't embrace wisdom. If we don't, we just go through life. (Embracing wisdom) really is life changing."

For additional information, go to http://www.gardenspotvillage.org.