Know Who Taught the Book, and Who Heard It
At the beginning of Devarim, the Gaon finds that every act has a doer, a deed, a recipient and a root, and says what a learner should ask before he opens any sefer.
The opening of Devarim, the Gaon explains, teaches that every action has four parts: the one who does it, the act, the one on whom it acts, and the root of all. A farmer sows seed in the earth, and behind them all stands Hashem, the cause of all causes. So too here. Moshe is the doer, Klal Yisroel the recipients, what Hashem commanded is the act, and Hashem is the root. From this the Gaon draws a lesson for every learner. Before studying any book, one should know who wrote it and with whom he learned, because even a great author will not reveal the deepest secrets if he studied only with young students. Moshe spoke to all of Israel, and the source was Hashem Himself.
Source: Aderet Eliyahu, Deuteronomy 1:1 (on 'asher diber Moshe')
Before you open a sefer or listen to a shiur this week, spend a moment asking who wrote it, for whom, and from what root of Torah it grew. Then notice how that context changes what you hear. In your own life, do the same with a piece of advice you receive. Consider who is speaking and what experience stands behind the words. The Gaon teaches that a thoughtful learner values the source as much as the message.