Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 173 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

4 Steps to Unleash Gratitude in Your Life

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 173 of our Trek, and yesterday we hiked on the trails of gratitude and thanksgiving through a series of inspirational stories for our trek of life. Today and for the next week, we will continue this hike on the trails of gratitude and thanksgiving. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As we continue our focus on the season of Thanksgiving, regardless of how difficult life may or may not have been during this past year, each of us has much to be thankful for. The best way to maintain an attitude of gratitude is to make a gratitude list and review it daily to focus on those blessings that we have each day. It’s the best way to start each day.

On today’s trek, we want to head down memory lane and learn how to…

Unleash Gratitude in Your Life!

I have many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving on the Farm. Mom always prepared a huge turkey with all the trimmings and side dishes. I have continued that tradition with hosting family Thanksgivings at The Big House for many years.  During my trek of life, I had a mom who loved us and taught all 10 of us to cook.  I especially enjoyed the times in the kitchen that we spent together as she taught me the love of cooking. One of my favorite memories is mom and I making fruit cakes.  It was one baking event that just mom and I did together.

 

It’s been over 16 years since mom lost her battle with cancer, but I am so thankful for the 68 years of life that she was granted. She lived life to the fullest. While it would be wonderful if she were still with us to impact our lives and the lives of her grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, in a very real way she is through the impact that we can make each day. All who knew and loved her are reminded and thankful for all the great moments they shared. The laughter, the lessons, and the wisdom that she shared with me is invaluable. What I have learned is that she is not in my past but in my future. I celebrate her life and blessing of mentorship that she shared.

During this next week in the United States, everybody is getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy spending time with my family, sitting around the table and enjoying good food and the incredible opportunity to express gratitude for all the many blessings in my life. Thanksgiving is not something that should be restricted to a day, though. Thanksgiving is a lifestyle that anybody can cultivate. Gratitude is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Here are a few lessons on how you can unleash gratitude in your life.

1. Gratitude is one of the most important habits you can ever develop.

As a business person, church leader, gramps, dad, and husband, I have been privileged to influence and encourage many throughout the world to have a greater impact on their world. Many people wonder and desire to learn how to be happy and successful. However, many don’t immediately realize that the first lesson they must learn is in gratitude. This may be puzzling at first, but I know that no other force but gratitude will empower you for true joy and success in life.

For many years, I have made a conscious decision to keep a list of what I am grateful for. I then review that list first thing every morning and thank God for each blessing on the list.  There are seasons and circumstances that change,