Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 42 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

The Science of Thinking Big

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast and journal. This is Day 42 of our Trek, and for the next few days, we are going ponder the science or concept of thinking big versus thinking small and how dramatically our thinking impacts us today and through eternity.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As we end another week and start a new one, I like to reflect on what I was able to accomplish and look forward in anticipation to what I can accomplish in the next week. I ask myself, "What actions can I take to impact my world for good this coming week?"  Many times our Trek is to just continue on what we are doing, to take one step after another, and to be faithful and consistent in doing what is right, just, and fair in every interaction or transaction that we have.  Small incremental actions consistently practiced each day will have an enormous impact over time.

So let’s start up the trail today on our Wisdom-Trek to continue to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before and to leave a living legacy each day. As we start on the trail today we see the huge mountains before us.  As we view these mountains we can look at them in one of two ways.  We can say:

These mountains are so huge that I will never be able to scale them

Or, we can look at the challenge before us with excitement and enthusiasm and think, "What a great day it is to Trek to the summit and see the beautiful view that waits for me there!"

Today’s trek is about the science of thinking big versus thinking small. I call it a science because it has been proven continually that what we think about a situation, or indeed life, largely determines how it will turn out.  Now, if you find yourself in a valley of despair at the moment and desire to scale to the mountain peaks, it may take some time.  As with everything in life, we need to take it one step at a time. Given enough time, being persistent and consistent, we can even move mountains.  An old Chinese Proverb puts it this way,   So, regardless of where you are on your trek, start carrying away small stones, and soon the mountains will be moved.

As a person of faith, I recognize there is also clear evidence from Scripture that our thinking or faith has a major impact on the outcomes in our lives. I always want to be very careful that I do not take verses of Scripture out of context in order to fit my point, but there are many instances within Scripture where Christ taught that our thinking, or faith, was a contributing factor in the outcome of healings and other miracles.

Now, I do not profess to fully understand how our thinking and/or faith intertwine with the sovereign will of God. I realize that people with great faith still become ill or have other problems in life, seemingly outside of their control. Things break down and fall apart, whether it is a car, washing machine, or even our bodies.  This is due to the fact that we are part of a fallen world, and that there are certain "laws of nature" that God allows to play out in our lives. Obviously, the better we take care of any of these, the better chance that they will not break down as quickly.

Even though I do not fully understand the mind of God in many matters, I do understand there is a direct correlation between our thinking and beliefs (or faith) and the results. One example of this is when Christ disciples were unable to heal a demon possessed boy in Matthew 17:19-20, "Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, 'Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?'  'You don’t have enough faith,' Jesus told them. 'I tell you the truth,