Listen to Her

Weekend Musings from Ashton

Ashton Gustafson
August 17, 2025

Friends,

I’ve been obsessed with wisdom for as long as I can remember. But what exactly is wisdom? As I lean into the second half of life, wisdom to me is the ability to synthesize my experiences—to gather the lessons, failures, joys, and struggles—and let them form an alchemy that goes beyond knowledge. It’s taking all of that and shaping it into something sustainable, something peaceful, and something truly enjoyable.

Proverbs 3 gives us perhaps the clearest picture:

Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.

Pause with those promises:

Long life?
All her paths are peace?
Nothing we desire can compare?
Her ways are pleasant?
Better returns than gold?

It’s probably safe to say she outperforms Bitcoin too.

If wisdom really yields better than every asset, every ambition, and every desire we chase, then maybe she’s worth pursuing above all else. The markets, our investments, and our projects promise much—but they never promise peace. Wisdom does.

Three Ways to Pursue Wisdom This Week

In the markets: Remember that wisdom isn’t about predicting tomorrow but stewarding today. Instead of chasing every high, build for the long run.
In leadership: Wisdom listens more than it speaks. Before you give direction, pause long enough to hear what is and isn’t being said in the room.
In family and daily life: Wisdom chooses peace over winning. When tension rises, ask: what does love require of me here?

As you step into the week, may wisdom guide your decisions, your work, and your relationships. May you hold her fast—and find life.

Carry on,

Ashton