Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 36 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Wisdom from Ben Franklin - Part 4

Hello and welcome to Wisdom-Trek! This is Guthrie Chamberlain, and I am your Guide to Wisdom. Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast.  This is Day 36 of our Trek, and in honor of Independence Day in the United States, Friday we started a 5-day series of episodes in which we are consulting one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who was known for his wisdom and practical sage advice.

Today we are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio.  It has been a pleasant week although we have been getting a lot of rain in Ohio this summer.  It sure keeps all of the foliage green and nice looking.  We were unable to get started sanding the floor in the Eating Area prior to leaving for North Carolina on Sunday, so that project will be at the top of the list when we return in mid-July.

On our Trek today, we will continue our review of the 85 practical tips written by Benjamin Franklin called The Way of Wealth. In order to keep our daily Wisdom-Trek near the 7 minute length, I have split up the remaining tips over the next two days, so this series will be one day longer than expected.  I hope you don’t mind. I want to keep our daily wisdom nuggets short and digestible. So, let’s venture on our trail today as we examine steps 58-71.

When consumed regularly, these nuggets of truth and wisdom  help us to grow and mature and to become healthy, wealthy, and wise in all areas of life.

Wise men learn by others’ harms, fools scarcely by their own. – When a wise person observes the wrongs done by others, he will learn and not fall trap to the same actions. A foolish person rarely learns from his own mistakes.

Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets put out the kitchen fire. – If you spend money on luxuries when you cannot really afford them (especially if the money is borrowed), then you will not have money for the basic necessities of life when you really need it.

A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees. – A honest hard working person, even in a common occupation, has more honor than a person of high status that is lazy and unethical. Proverbs 12:11 reminds, "A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense."

Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom. If we are always taking without giving back, then we will soon find there is nothing left to take. On the converse, if we give generously, we will have plenty to spare. Luke 6:38 reminds, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

When the well’s dry, they know the worth of water. – As with most things in life, we don’t really recognize the value of something until it is gone. This could be our health, our wealth, or our relationships. It has been said that

If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some. – While I am not a big proponent of borrowing money with the possible exception of a home purchase, I do realize there are times when it may be a necessity. If you have ever tried to borrow money through conventional channels, especially for a business or other major purposes, you soon realized that the banks require everything that you own or might possibly own as collateral.  If you do need to borrow money, make sure you are realistic and willing to lose everything you own.

He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing. – This quote is not understood in today’s economy where it is so easy borrow money through a ...