Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 28 of our Wisdom-Trek and thank you for joining me.  

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Today we look at the 12 Trails of Courage (Trails 7-12).

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast.  This is Day 28 of our Trek. Yesterday we looked at 6 trails that we can take to gain courage, and today we are going to look at the remaining 6 trails of life where we can be infused with courage. We cover a lot of topics on our podcasts – all focused on gaining wisdom and insight that help us to create a living legacy. Many of the podcasts are in a series of steps that cover multiple days, so if you have missed any episodes, please subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes or Stitcher or listen on Wisdom-Trek.com.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, but by the time that it airs, we should be back at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio.  If you have not heard the story of our primary home in Ohio, please check out the About Us page. We are blessed to have a history rich with stories.  The stories that all of us share about life are the spice that makes life interesting and allows us to live abundantly.

Let’s begin up the trails of courage, and see how we can apply them.

The Trail of Taking Bold Action

It takes courage to take bold action, but nothing changes if nothing changes. Have the guts to step boldly from your comfort zone to make the changes and take the chances that call you forward to fulfilling the potential within you. Courage allows you to trade procrastination and excuses for a commitment to being a person who is willing to do what it takes to live life abundantly. Whatever the risks you face on your trail of life, it is a much greater risk not to do anything.

The Trail of Perseverance

It takes courage to overcome the setbacks and failures that present themselves on the way to your goals, ambitions, and dreams. Perseverance and reaching those dreams is what brings the greatest sense of achievement. Face your challenges with a deep determination to stay the trail. When the trails become rough and the obstacles seem insurmountable, resist surrendering in the face of adversity.  You can continue to climb, for any goal worth pursuing will require its share of determination and perseverance. Plug into the dreams and ambitions that make your spirit soar, and remember that it matters not that you reach the summit but that you had the guts to try. It is through perseverance in the face of adversity that the ordinary become extra-ordinary.

 

The Trail of Saying No

Sometimes we need the courage to say no to the good in order to make room for the great. Every time we say "yes" to a request or offering, we are automatically saying "no" to some other choice.  However, finding the courage to say "no" first requires being clear about what you most want in life so you can say "yes" to the right choices.  This practice will help you set boundaries in the midst of conflicting directions and requests.  It will also teach people what you will and will not accept. Saying "no" when you need to may not be easy, but the price you pay for not doing so far exceeds any momentary discomfort.

 

10. The Trail of the Open Heart

It takes courage to be open to experiencing life's pain as deeply as its joy, and yet this can be life's richest fulfillment.  Opening your heart fully to the depths of emotion that come with a life lived abundantly takes great courage, but it is the only way worth living life. It takes courage to let down your defenses and make yourself vulnerable to the anguish that life can sometimes bring so that you can experience the joy that comes from connecting with others openly, intimately,