Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 2

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 436 of our Trek and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 1st half of chapter 19.

We are broadcasting from our studio at ‘Home2’ in Charlotte, NC. We do have a busy workload this week filled with client work and podcast related projects. I find myself anxious about the work to be done, especially when my schedule and workload is not necessarily under my control. Since I tend to be structured and like a disciplined workflow I have to continually remind myself that if the work is important enough, that it will be accomplished in its own time. Although at times it is difficult, I try to emulate what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Philippi 4:5-7 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

It is good to gain additional wisdom for life to handle those obstacles and detours that we all run into on a daily basis. For now, it’s time to break camp and head out on our trail in search of those golden nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs.  One sign of a mature and wise person is that they are also sensible and have self-control as verse 11 of this chapter tells us:

Let’s start our trek with verse 1:

1 Better to be poor and honest

than to be dishonest and a fool.

Wealth holds such a sway over our world. While obtaining abundant resources can allow us to have a greater impact in our world for good, if it is obtained dishonestly then it is not worth having. It would be better, to be honest. Otherwise, you are just a rich fool.

2 Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;

haste makes mistakes.

We all know people who get excited over just about anything, but when you dig beneath the surface, you realize that the excitement many times is short lived and comes because of lack of knowledge. When we get excited without thinking through all of the consequences, we will tend to make mistakes. It is much better to logically think through our choices so that we can make choices that are wise. Then they are worth being enthusiastic about.

3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness

and then are angry at the Lord.

Some people always have drama or crises in their lives and as a result of continually making unwise choices. Their lives are in shambles, and then they are angry at God for the outcome. We need to take personal responsibility for every choice that we make. We all would do well to gain wisdom and make choices that are wise.

4 Wealth makes many “friends”;

poverty drives them all away.

Friends that you make, because you have wealth, are fair weather friends at best. If your wealth is gone, so are those friends.

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,

nor will a liar escape.

Although our justice system is not always fair, in the end, a false witness will be found out. There are consequences for our falsehood and lies. Make it a practice of always telling the truth. It is so liberating.

6 Many seek favors from a ruler;

everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

Regardless of who you are or how confident you are about yourself, we all like to gain favor with those that we perceive to be better in some manner than we are. We also tend to want to gain favor with those who we can benefit from. Let us be careful about these traps.

7 The relatives of the poor despise them;

how much more will their friends avoid them!

Though the poor plead with them,

their friends are gone.

This is sad, but true. If you are poor, or have fallen on rough times, it seems like even you family members will stay away. It is even more evident with those who you consider being friends. Even when you beg for assistance when you are poor, you soon realize that your former friends are nowhere to be found when you need them most.

8 To acquire wisdom is to love yourself;

people who cherish understanding will prosper.

With our perverted concept of true love in our modern world, we have a hard time even loving ourselves. We need to love ourselves unconditionally. One way is through obtaining wisdom, insight, and understanding. When we do this, we will have the proper love for ourselves which will, in turn, allow us to prosper.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,

and a liar will be destroyed.

This verse is almost identical to verse five and yet is expands on the gravity of being a false witness and liar. Clearly, if we make a habit of lying, our lives will end up in ruins.

10 It isn’t right for a fool to live in luxury

or for a slave to rule over princes!

There are standards for what is fair and right that we all understand. When we see a foolish person having abundant resources, it is an injustice. In the same manner, as if a servant would usurp authority over their boss.

11 Sensible people control their temper;

they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.

Once again, the mark of a wise person is that they can and will have great self-control. They will not allow their tempers to flare, and they will think before they speak. When a higher level of wisdom is obtained, they will gain respect from others by being mature enough to overlook the weaknesses of others.

12 The king’s anger is like a lion’s roar,

but his favor is like dew on the grass.

When a king, ruler or boss becomes angry, they have the authority to bring great punishment to those who they lead. On the flip side of this, they can also refresh those whom they lead when they show favor to them.

13 A foolish child is a calamity to a father;

a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

When a child, regardless of their age, makes foolish decisions it is a real blow to their father. As a father, we always desire for our children to make wise decisions. Another sad situation is being in a marriage with the wife (or husband) is always quarreling or arguing. It is such an annoyance that it is like the constant dripping of a faucet or leaky roof. It wears a person down to be in that environment.

14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,

but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

Regardless of how wealthy a father may become, materials possessions will not satisfy the children when they are older. It is God alone that will provide a spouse that is loving and understanding. I feel truly blessed that God has provided such a wife for me with Paula. She is very understanding and a real blessing.

The nuggets of wisdom that we gathered verses 1-14 of Proverbs 19 provide more tasty morsels of wisdom, insight, and understanding. Regardless of your faith walk, if the precepts in Proverbs are followed, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of goodness. Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged where we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of ‘Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.’

That will finish our trek for today. Just as you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter or in person when you meet with them and invite them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

The journal for today’s Trek is available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor and most of all your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain….reminding you to ’Keep Moving Forward,’ ‘Enjoy your Journey,’ and ‘Create a Great Day…every day’! See you Tomorrow!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 435 of our trek, and it is Tuesday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom each Tuesday and Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget:

Today’s quote is from an unknown author who says, “As a man grows wiser, he talks less and says more.”

As a man grows wiser, he talks less and says more.

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I realize that this appears to be a recurring theme, but it is so true. The wiser a person becomes, the less he needs to speak when it is not necessary. Many times, excessive talking is a sign of insecurity and low self-esteem. This may take the form of someone who comes off as a know-it-all, but underneath that façade is usually a lack of confidence.

When you are confident and secure, there is no need to let everyone know. It will be evident to all because what you don’t say with words will shout through your confident demeanor and true self-assurance. In the same manner, those individuals that are excessively busy with activities because of a strong need to be around other people is usually a sign of insecurities. A wise and confident person is fine being by himself in quiet reflection. As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 5:3, “Too much activity gives you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.”

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you enjoy these quotes, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com.

So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 434 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate us to live rich and satisfying lives this week. Today we will explore 3 Trails of Personal Development.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We finally had an entire weekend at our home here without traveling, so that was a nice break. We did various projects around the house on Saturday. On Sunday we were able to worship at our church here and had some of our kids over for dinner. This certainly helps to set the tone for the coming week without being too worn out.

All of our lives seem overly busy in today’s world, regardless of who you talk to. We seem to fill our days with activities, and it would do us all well to take some time to relax, recharge, and refocus on what is most important in life. This includes setting time aside for personal development. This includes the three aspects that make us unique and different from any other life form on earth. Let’s break camp for today and conquer the…

If you desire to live the rich and satisfying life that we were all created for, then there are 3 basic areas of personal development that you need to continually work on. Even if you personally love to work as I do, you have to understand and put into practice that you need to learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. I must admit that this is a challenging assignment for me.

This business of personal development lasts a lifetime. What you become is far more important than what you obtain in life. There is an important question to ask yourself regardless of your occupation or duties in life. Most people will ask, “What can I obtain through this work?” or in other words, “What am I getting?” Instead, you should ask, “What am I becoming?” What you become directly influences the level that you obtain in life. Think of it this way. Most of what you have today, you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

Most of what you have today, you have attracted by becoming the person you are today.

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It is a fact that income or status rarely exceeds personal development. Now that does not mean income and status should be the top priority, but it is a gauge measuring personal development. Sure, there are times when someone may excel without corresponding development, but unless you learn to handle the responsibilities that come with it, it will usually shrink back to the amount you can handle. It is difficult to maintain that which has not been obtained through personal development and wisdom.

So here’s the great proverb of life…

To have more than you currently have, you have to become more than you currently are.

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The world can be a demanding place. There are plenty of opportunities, but you have to get ready for it and prepare for it. Just as the farmer must plant in the spring and tend to the crops in the summer in order to expect a harvest in the fall, you have to invest a portion of this year getting ready for next year. You have to invest a portion of this decade getting ready for the next decade.

As the farmer must invest many long months of planting and tending to the crops for a few weeks of harvest, so a big share of your life must be invested in the developing of your skills in all areas of life.

Personal development is a push. It’s a struggle. It’s a challenge. There is no harvest without planting and tending. That is the basic law of life. It’s the struggle and the challenge to develop yourself and your skills to see what you can create in the way of value in the workplace and in any other area of life.

Life is all about creating skills and value and taking those skills and value to your work and indeed the world in order to realize what it will return for you.

There are three primary trails or paths in life that you must take to make continual improvements to living a life that is rich and satisfying. This is especially true in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing, technology-driven world. Those three trails are the body, mind, and soul or Physical, Mental, and Spiritual.

We all know that new habits don’t come easy, but they can be developed. Sometimes when you develop a lot of momentum in one direction, it’s not that easy to change, but it is possible. Thomas Edison once said that “Success is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.” I have certainly found this to be true in my own life. You have to study the courses, learn the skills, put yourself through the grind, and do the mental push-ups to get yourself ready.

Inspiration is fine, but inspiration must lead to discipline. It’s one thing to be motivated, but it’s another thing to be motivated sufficiently to take the classes, do the reading, do the repetition, and go through it over and over until it becomes part of you. Those are the challenges. They’re not easy, but they’re challenges that if you take on, develop, and grow, they will determine your place, your return, your equity, and the worth you get from the marketplace and your world.

As mentioned, there are three trails of personal development, and the first one is…

There may be those who argue about the spiritual aspect of humans, but I have a singular belief that says humans are not just animals. Some people believe we’re just an extension and an advanced form of the animal species, but I believe God created humans to be unique, in that, He made us in His image. Spiritual qualities make us different from all other creations. I have been a devoted student of the Bible, and my faith is built on what I have studied. Regardless of your faith walk, I recommend you be a student of the spiritual side of your nature. I suggest that you invest time getting to know and understand your spiritual side and assimilate that as part of your worldview. In order to be a whole person, you must focus on all three aspects of your being.

The body, mind, and soul are integrated into a cohesive whole and make you who you are today. On the physical side, you have to understand that your body is a temple for God’s spirit. That is a dwelling place. If you don’t take care of your home or apartment, you will have inadequate housing. It is the same with your body. You should do all that you can to take good care of it by eating wholesome, nutritious foods and getting adequate exercise and a proper amount of sleep. Treat your body like a temple, not a woodshed.

The only house your soul and mind have to live in currently is the physical body, and it is a crucial aspect of living a rich and satisfying life. When you are in good physical condition, then your self-worth, self-confidence, and ability to succeed in life will be greatly enhanced. If you are not in good shape, it may take some time to reach that point, but once you are there, maintaining a healthy body is much easier than trying to patch up a sick body. It is worth all the time and effort that is required. In the long run, it is much less expensive to live healthy. There are no excuses today for poor health with all the resources that are available online.

When you feel well and look well, you will be amazed at the opportunities that come rushing towards you. How you appear to other people whether it is on the job, in your various communities, or elsewhere, your appearance and self-confidence will come shining through. You may think people shouldn’t judge you by your appearance, and that may be true. But let me tell you, they do. Don’t base your life on should and shouldn’t. Only base your life on realities. Sure, when people get to know you they’ll judge you by more than what they see, but at first, they’re going to take a look. So, physical appearance is part of the physical side of personal development.

Be conscious of self but not self-conscious. There’s a certain point that we need to be conscious of ourselves, take care of it, and then let it go. Some people worry about their appearance all day, and it detracts rather than adds. So take care of it, and then let it go. Do the best you can, and let that get the job done. Be conscious of yourself, but not to the point of being self-conscious.

The third part of personal development is the mind. Stretching your mind, developing good thinking and study habits, pursuing ideas, and trying to find ways to apply them to human behavior and in your world. All of that takes mind-stretch and mind-exercise. Part of stretching yourself is reading and studying. You can’t live on mental candy, so you’ve got to have the full range of mental food in order to grow. I call that mind-stretch.

Your willingness to tackle subjects that are difficult and that most people have decided to let slide gives you an extraordinary edge in your world. It takes mind-stretch. If you always back away from something that seems a little difficult at first, you leave yourself weak. You leave yourself unprepared to tackle the changes in your world. Guard your mind carefully and don’t take on the thinking patterns of the world. As Romans 12:2 tells us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Another great quote from Zig Ziglar puts it so well, “You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you are and where you are by changing what goes into your mind.”

The 3 Trails of Personal Productivity are your body, mind, and soul. Take time today to hike these three trails of self-improvement. If you don’t take personal responsibility for yourself, then you will fall prey to someone else’s plan for your life, and they will not have your best interest in mind. Please let me know how I can assist you in getting on your trails to personal productivity by emailing me at [email protected].

Tomorrow’s short trek is part of our Wisdom Unplugged series that we are now hiking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These 2-3 minute wisdom supplements will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise throughout the entire week. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically. I would also appreciate it if you would rate and review us on iTunes or Google Play so that others will find out about Wisdom-Trek and join us.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you on Monday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 433 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

Currently, we are in a multi-week trek as we explore the teachings from some of my virtual mentors, such as Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Earl Nightingale. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book called The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. I have learned a considerable amount from reading and re-reading this book on my own trek of life, and I trust that it will benefit you also. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I will be adapting it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This evening we are having our daughter Janet and her husband Rowan over for dinner to assist them with tax planning for this year. What we have learned through the years as small business owners has given us the experience we need to be able to assist others with tax questions and planning.

This week has been a continuation of steady client work, and podcast related projects. It is sometimes hard to prioritize all the work that needs to be completed, which can lead to not being as effective as we would like. Our core values do help, but it is a struggle at times to make the progress that we plan on. Even when we do end up heading down a rabbit trail or become distracted from what our focus should be, our personal philosophy of life will help get us back on the trail and heading in the correct direction.

We all have a particular philosophy or worldview about life. It is what our integrity or value system is based on. This is why it is so important that we create a powerful personal philosophy that will drive us forward, even with the distractions and obstacles of life.

On our trek for today, we will continue on the first of five trails on life’s trek, which is the Philosophy Trail. Specifically, we want to continue our exploration of How to Develop a Powerful Personal Philosophy. If you have missed the past few Philosophy Friday treks, it would be good to go back and review them to get caught up on our progress so far.  We have a lot of ground to cover today, so let’s break camp and continue on the first trail of this extended trek as we cover…

As a reminder, our overall extended trek will cover The Five Trails on Life’s Trek. Those five trails are:

Last week on our hike you learned that to create a Powerful Personal Philosophy you must learn from your own past experiences and then from those trusted mentors that can guide you where you do not have experience. You must be willing to expand your horizons and break free of the shackles of an incorrect mindset that is holding you back. Today we want to start out by realizing that you must also be willing to:

You don’t have to experience everything in life yourself. Other people and their personal experiences offer untold opportunities for learning. Through the experiences of others, there are two valuable sources of information available; two attitudes of mind; two categories of those with similar experiences but with remarkably different results. You are exposed on a daily basis to representatives of both groups. Each group seeks its own audience, and each has an effect on those who choose to listen. You must understand that both sources are important. One serves as an example to be followed, the other as an example to be avoided, as a warning to be studied but not emulated.

First, you should be a student of failure. It is part of the world experience and part of the life experience. Why would you want to study the failures? To learn what not to do.

All experiences can serve as your teachers provided you learn from the information and invest its value into your life. There are those who teach that associations with people who have not done well with their lives and their opportunities should be avoided at all cost for fear that you will learn their poor habits and as a consequence, repeat their unfortunate mistakes. However, think about it in this manner, “Those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them.” If you ignore the lessons of the past, from whatever the source, then you may become a victim of the process of trial and error. By ignoring the lessons of history, your own trials will inevitably try you, and your own errors will ultimately destroy you.

All experiences can serve as your teachers provided you learn from the information and invest its value into your life.

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It is unfortunate, perhaps, that those who fail do not teach their experiences for all to hear. If you had more opportunity to learn from the negative experiences of others, you might well save your own life from certain disaster. Paula and I have had business and personal failures that we have had to learn from even though it would have been better to have learned them from others so we did not have to experience them ourselves.

As you learn from the failures of others you must also be willing to:

It is worth whatever time you must take and whatever you must invest to make a study of people who do well. Gather the ideas and the information from all of the available sources. Read the books. Attend the seminars. Invest time gathering the knowledge that success requires. Study the habits, the language, the manner of dress, and the discipline of those who have succeeded. Proverbs 15:22 tells us, “Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

One of the great sources of wisdom from those who have done well can be found in the many quote books that are available in bookstores or online. Just by reading the words of what the greatest among us (past and present) have had to say, we can come to a better understanding of the thoughts that guided the lives of those who were great enough, persuasive enough, influential enough, and successful enough to be quoted. To assist you in your quest for success, I have created and published a searchable database of over 10,000 quotes that I have collected for many years. If you would like access to my database of inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page of Wisdom-Trek.com. At this point, there is no charge for the use of this resource, but you do have to sign up online to access the quotes so we can assist you if you need it and to keep you informed of enhancements to the program. This quote database can be a treasure to help you along your trek. As Proverbs 1:3 mentions, “Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.”

Click on Picture to Access the WIsdom-Trek Quote Database

In addition to learning from other people’s failures and successes you also need to learn how to:

You should be in constant search of people you can admire and respect. People after whom you can pattern part of your own behavior. Much of who and what you are at this very moment is a composite of the many people who have influenced you over the years. When you were younger, your idols were often superheroes, storybook characters, movie stars, sports players, and famous musicians. For a while, you may have even walked, dressed and even tried to talk like your heroes. As you grew older and your own unique personality began to develop, your emulation of others became less apparent. But the influence was there nonetheless.

Regardless of your age or circumstances, you are never beyond the reach of influence. The key is to find unique human beings whose personalities and achievements stimulate, fascinate, and inspire you, and then strive to assimilate their best qualities. Proverbs 18:15 encourages us to be continually learning, “Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.”

Great projects are always built from a pattern or blueprint. In this lifetime there is no greater project than the deliberate development of your own life. Therefore, you need a “blueprint,” something or someone to look at and pattern yourself after — if you want to make change and progress. Your Life Plan Blueprint which is on the resources page of Wisdom-Trek.com can assist you in this aspect.

You are continually being influenced by someone. Since this influence will determine to some extent the direction of your life, it is far better to deliberately choose the people you will permit to influence you than to allow the power of the wrong influence to weave its effect on you without your knowledge or conscious choice. Within time, as the student, you may even exceed your teachers. As Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.”

We are deliberately taking our trek slowly as we ponder How to Develop a Powerful Personal Philosophy on our continued hike up the Trail of Philosophy today. This is not an easy hike to make. It requires absorbing new information that may challenge your current philosophy. It will require learning from the failures and successes of others as well as capitalizing on the power of positive influence from those who are your heroes and mentors.

Next week on Philosophy Friday, we will explore how to become a good observer, a good listener, and much more in your pursuit of a powerful personal philosophy. Make sure to join us for the continuation of our trek on the Trail of Philosophy next Friday. I know you will find these insights interesting and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life.

Our next trek will be Motivation Monday when we explore more trails of how to get and stay motivated to bring value to your world. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically. I would also appreciate it if you would rate and review us on iTunes or Google Play so that others will find out about Wisdom-Trek and join us.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you in through this Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you on Monday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 432 of our trek, and it is Thursday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom each Tuesday and Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from one of my favorite virtual mentors Zig Ziglar who says, “Ambition, fueled by compassion, wisdom, and integrity, is a powerful force for good that will turn the wheels of industry and open the doors of opportunity for you and countless others.”

There is a strategic combination of good traits when coupled together form a cohesive bond that will guarantee success. Wisdom and integrity are the foundation for success, but they will not impact others unless they are powered by compassion. Even with those three powerful attributes, there will be no force for movement without ambition. It is then that the wheels start to turn, and as the momentum increases, this combination flings open the floodgate of opportunity allowing them to pour over you to such an extent that there will be plenty for you and the countless others that you impact. Plant wisdom, integrity, compassion, and ambition in your lives, and your harvest will be overflowing. As we are reminded in Romans 12:9, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.”

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. If you would like access to my database of over 10,000 inspirational quotes, the link is available on the main page Wisdom-Trek.com. As you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 431 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the 2nd half of Chapter 18.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Sunday after church, we headed back to Indian Trail and arrived by late evening. Our plans to watch the fireworks display at Marietta’s Sternwheel Festival were canceled due to a line of severe thunderstorms that went through Marietta that evening. Although they ended up having the fireworks after the storms, we decided that we did not want to deal with the crowds and wet grass. There will be other years to enjoy it in the future.

We are back in the thick of work with many projects and client work on our schedule for this week, but for now, it’s time to break camp and head out on our trail in search of those golden nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. One nugget King Solomon continually emphasizes is how we speak. It is a continual theme on today’s trek also. How we speak to others is so important it can literally bring life or death as verse 21 starts out with is…

Let’s start our trek with verse 13.

 13 Spouting off before listening to the facts

is both shameful and foolish.

We all fall into this trap, don’t we? In many conversations, we are so busy preparing our reply we are not really listening to what is being said. This type of communication is shameful and makes us a fool. A truly wise person will speak little and listen much to hear what is really being said. There is much to learn from a conversation of what is not being said by others, but we can only hear it if we keep our own mouth shut.

14 The human spirit can endure a sick body,

but who can bear a crushed spirit?

We can endure much physically and still survive, but once a person’s spirit is wounded or destroyed that person will be defeated. We need to be very careful not to abuse others physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Words can cut a deeper wound than physical abuse.

15 Intelligent people are always ready to learn.

Their ears are open for knowledge.

The key to becoming a truly intelligent person is to keep your mouth shut and ears open. I have yet to learn anything when I am speaking myself, other than to realize how foolish I sound at times. Let us make it a habit of listening and learning, then speak only when it is appropriate or to ask questions so we can learn more.

16 Giving a gift can open doors;

it gives access to important people!

Within today’s political environment, we see how this is so true. Gifts for political favors seem to be an epidemic. It probably has always been the case, as it is mentioned a few times within the book of Proverbs. This does not always have to be a bad situation, but let me ask this question, “How willing are you to give gifts to others with no expectation of anything in return?” That is the truest form of love and compassion.

17 The first to speak in court sounds right—

until the cross-examination begins.

We see this situation so often in court but also in regular dialog with others. When someone presents their case or argument, they may sound very convincing at least until the opposing counsel has the opportunity to present their case. It would serve us all well to remember that there are two sides to every story or conflict, and it would be best if we listen to all the information before making a decision.

18 Flipping a coin can end arguments;

it settles disputes between powerful opponents.

Most of us probably feel that flipping a coin to make decisions is just a game of chance, but throughout scripture, we see that it is often used. If you have to make a choice between two equally good choices, it may be a very good tool to use to make a final decision. Even when there is a dispute that is not being settled, consider flipping a coin. It is fair for everyone involved.

19 An offended friend is harder to win back than a fortified city.

Arguments separate friends like a gate locked with bars.

Arguments between friends should not happen if we truly have our friend’s best interest in mind, but the fact is that they do. Keep the question “Is it worth it?” in mind before saying or doing something that might cause a friend to be offended. Offending or arguing with a friend can cause damage that will take years to repair, if it is possible at all. Is it worth offending another or winning an argument? It would be much better to lose an argument and keep a friend.

20 Wise words satisfy like a good meal;

the right words bring satisfaction.

When you hear truly wise words from a wise person, they are like eating a deliciously prepared meal. They just “hit the spot.” The right words are satisfying to the soul as a great meal is to the body.

21 The tongue can bring death or life;

those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

The tongue is one of the smallest organs of our body, and yet it has the capacity to cause more damage and harm than any other part. You can destroy a person with the words that you say, or you can encourage and breathe life into that same person. It is up to you. The problem with people that love to talk is that they will inevitably hurt someone with their many words. It is best to only speak when it is needed, helpful, and encouraging to others.

22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,

and he receives favor from the Lord.

I can only speak from my personal experience, but for me, Paula is a treasure in my life. I cannot imagine being in a marriage where there is strife and turmoil. A marriage built on God’s precepts with a mutual love for each other and for God is a blessing. I have received favor from the Lord in my marriage.

23 The poor plead for mercy;

the rich answer with insults.

God has compassion on those who are poor. If we have resources beyond our needs, we should not wait for the poor to plead for mercy before assisting them but rather be willing and ready to help others. If you do have wealth, you should not answer the poor with insults and no compassion. We should show our love for God through our love to other people, especially the less fortunate.

24 There are “friends” who destroy each other,

but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

A true friend will be there during good and bad times. They will even be more available than a physical brother, especially if they live close by. If you see those who are supposed to be friends, but they don’t care for or assist each other, then they are not true friends.

The nuggets of wisdom that we gathered in verses 13-24 of Proverbs 18 provide more tasty morsels of wisdom, insight, and understanding. Regardless of your faith walk, if the precepts in Proverbs are followed, your life will be rich and satisfying. Take them and plant them in your heart so that you will reap a harvest of goodness.

Tomorrow we will hike another short trail of Wisdom Unplugged on which we will discover an inspirational wisdom quote. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along with us tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy these daily doses of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 430 of our trek, and it is Tuesday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom each Tuesday and Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget…

Today’s quote is from an Alexandre Dumas who says, “All human wisdom is summed up in two words; wait and hope.”

A truly wise person realizes that life is a long-term trek that must be hiked one day at at time. It requires management of expectations, perseverance, consistency, and endurance. There are no shortcuts in life, and all of our trails are filled with obstacles, detours, and disappointments, as well as excitement, joy, and peace. Life at times is a wearisome trek, so it is important that we take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. A wise person understands this and knows that our wait and hope is found in God, as described in one of my favorite Bible passages Isaiah [40:28]-31:

28 Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the Lord

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

That’s a wrap for today’s Wisdom Unplugged. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. 

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Wisdom Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 429 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate us to live rich and satisfying lives this week. Today we will explore The Fear of Success.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. If all goes according to plan, when this episode originally airs, we will be back in Charlotte for a couple of weeks. Paula’s quilting retreat went well, and they all had a great time. Paula and her friends were able to accomplish a good bit on their projects.

We all have our areas of strengths and weaknesses, and the detail work of quilting and cross stitching that Paula does so well would not be an area where I would excel. I do enjoy helping pick out the materials, though, as I seem to have an eye for coordinating the colors and patterns, and then Paula makes them look great. It is the same for each of us. We have areas of strength where we should focus the majority of our time to maximize our efforts and bring the most impact to our world as we create our living legacy each day.

As I have had six decades so far to observe and help others, one phenomenon that I have noticed of those who have a limited impact on others is they have an excessive amount of fear in their lives. Many would assume that the lack of impact is the result of fear of failure, but think about it this way…Inactivity, procrastination, and perfectionism automatically produce failure, so if a person truly fears failure, then it would encourage them to be motivated. In most cases, that is not the case. The more I observe, the more evident it is that for most people that are stymied in life because of the fear of success. Success requires action, being uncomfortable, and taking personal responsibility for the outcome…These are traits that many people choose not to possess. As we break camp and head out on today’s trek, let me ask you this question that may spur you to be motivated…

Sometimes you find yourself with a goal you want to achieve, but you just don’t take the appropriate action to reach it. You aren’t really afraid of failure or rejection, and doing nothing will allow you to succeed at failure. The path to the goal seems clear enough and might even be an interesting challenge, and occasionally you’ll make some progress. When you think about moving forward, though, you can’t seem to motivate yourself, and you’re not sure why. This often happens with long-term goals that require intermittent action, like losing weight or transitioning to start a new business and eventually quit your job.

One question I’ve found helpful to ask in these situations is this, “What will happen if you succeed?” Forget about what you hope will happen or what you fear might happen, but realistically consider what probably will happen. So you achieve your goal. Then what? What else will change? What additional responsibilities will you have? How much of a greater impact will you have on others?

I’m not talking about giving a 5-second cursory answer, like “If I lose the weight, then I’ll be thin.” Set aside at least 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time with no internet, TV, radio, or other distractions just to ponder about how your life will really change once you achieve a particular goal. There are often unexpected side effects that you may not be aware of consciously, but subconsciously they can be enough to prevent you from taking committed action.

As an example, if you lose a lot of weight, here are some possible side effects. People will notice and will comment about it. Other people will ask you for diet advice. You may feel you need to continue with a permanent lifestyle change to maintain your new weight. You may need to buy new clothes. You may become more attractive to others and thereby attract more social encounters (wanted or unwanted). Overweight friends might become jealous. Your family may resist your changes. You may feel stressed about whether you can keep the weight off. You may worry about the loss of certain favorite foods from your diet, and the list could go on and on.

Success requires change, and all change has both positive and negative consequences.

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It’s rare that a goal is all roses. Success requires change, and all change has both positive and negative consequences. Often while people claim to want to succeed at something, the reality is that the perceived negatives outweigh the positives for them. One way to overcome this problem is to consciously think about what those negatives are, and then uproot them one by one just as you would if you were weeding your flower or vegetable garden. Uprooting a negative side effect could mean figuring out how to eliminate it completely, or it could mean just accepting it and learning to live with it.

It’s certainly helpful to focus on the positive side of a goal. But don’t forget to take an occasional survey of the dark side and accept that you’re going to have to deal with that too. Just as inactivity and failure have consequences, so does success.

Unlike fear of failure and fear of rejection, fear of success can be far more insidious because it’s almost always unconscious. But it’s not fear of success itself that is the problem but rather fear of the side effects of success, many of which may be genuinely unwanted. Failure and success both require sacrifices, but you may not be consciously aware of them. Fears that are never evaluated consciously have a tendency to grow stronger. The reason is simple behavioral conditioning — when you avoid something you fear (either consciously or subconsciously), you automatically reinforce the avoidance behavior. So when you (even unknowingly) avoid working on your goal because of a hidden fear of success, you actually reinforce the habit of procrastination, so as time goes by, it becomes harder and harder to get yourself to take action. This is a very devious and many times unconscious deception.

Asking, “What will happen if I succeed?” can solve this problem because it focuses your conscious attention on those fears. Fear has a tendency to shrink under direct examination, making it easier for you to take action. When I say that fear shrinks, another way of stating this is that subconscious behavioral conditioning weakens under conscious scrutiny. I know some people dislike the word “fear” with respect to their own behavior. Realize, though, anytime you consciously or unconsciously choose not to take action, or act in such a way that you avoid succeeding, it is because of fear.

When you confront fear for what it is, an additional benefit is that you can also devise intelligent workarounds for those fears-made-conscious, some of which may indeed be valid signals of unsolved problems. Going back to the weight loss example, if you lose a lot of weight, you probably will need new clothes. If you don’t have the money to buy new clothes, then that may be a real problem you’ll need to address. You may see yourself as needing to wear oversized outfits, which may be necessary for a period of time. Left unacknowledged, even a simple problem like this can be enough to subconsciously sabotage you from achieving your goal. Once you examine the situation consciously and figure out a way to deal with it in advance, you’re sending a message to your subconscious that you needn’t fear this problem because you have a practical way to solve it. There are always ways to work through these excuses that may manifest themselves. In this example, you may need to purchase secondhand clothes for a while until you have adequate money to buy new.

Now let’s consider from a different perspective. Suppose you ask, “What will happen if I succeed?” Upon considering all the side effects, you realize that you don’t actually want to achieve the goal at all. The negatives outweigh the positives. At this point, you can dismiss it and alleviate the associated guilt and pressure. I encounter this at times when I look at the various options to expand our business offerings.

When I ask this magic question, I realize that the sacrifice of family time or health would not be congruent with my overall life purpose and goals. There are certain business ventures that while they may bring monetary success are not worth the sacrifices that would have to be made. After analyzing all issues, I realize it wouldn’t be the success I truly want and is most important. This, at times, is a difficult realization for me. When everything is taken into consideration, I recognize that my trail of success which I had plotted out is now taking me up the wrong mountain. When I reach these reflection points and have to understand the likely consequences of hiking that trail on my life’s treks. I may have to choose an alternative trail that keeps me on the path to my summit.

Even now as I plan future trails for our business and life, I attempt to factor in all the possible rabbit trails and obstacles that we may face. I simply have to realize that I don’t have the bandwidth during this season of life for certain endeavors to still be true to my life purpose. One of the more difficult decisions for me is letting go of the goals and dreams I have for certain aspects of our business. If they are worth pursuing, they may need to be set aside for a more appropriate season. There are many creative ideas and potential opportunities that are available in today’s connected environment. I have to realize though that God has called me to brighten my portion of the world with the light that I currently have and to do it well. I have grown to learn that we go through certain cycles and seasons of life, and sometimes we have to wait until it is planting season once again before we move forward with certain endeavors.

Many people do not succeed because of their fear of success, which is masked as fear of failure. Are you willing to push past those fears and ask the magic question? What will happen if I succeed? If I lose the weight? Get the date? Earn the promotion? Start the business? Get pregnant? Quit smoking? Become a millionaire? Stretch myself? With an open analysis of your life, you can move forward motivated to succeed without fear of success or failure. As Paul wrote in his 2nd letter to his apprentice in Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

Today on our trek I asked you this question, “What would happen if you succeed?” What is your answer? Please let me know by posting a comment on today’s journal page, or emailing me at [email protected].

Tomorrow’s short trek is part of our Wisdom Unplugged series that we are now hiking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These 2-3 minute wisdom supplements will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise throughout the entire week. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy these daily doses of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and inviting them to come along with us each day. If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 428 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy.

Currently, each Friday we are in a multi-week trek as we explore the teachings from some of my virtual mentors, such as Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar, and Earl Nightingale. The core of our current trek is based primarily on Jim Rohn’s book called The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle. I have learned a considerable amount from reading and re-reading this book on my own trek of life, and I trust that it will benefit you also. Keeping with the continuity of Wisdom-Trek, I will be adapting it to The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Paula has a couple of her Charlotte friends, which are part of her monthly quilting group, here this week for a retreat. They are busy working on some neat projects, and it is great to be able to share this time with friends. We love to have others share our home here, as it is our philosophy that we are just stewards of what we have.

This week has been a continuation of steady client work and podcast related projects. Even with a steady workload, my mind is constantly seeing new opportunities in so many areas of business and life. I have to continually remind myself, to maintain the lifestyle that we enjoy and is concurrent with our life’s philosophy that we need to focus on any new opportunities in order of importance for this season of life.

We all have a particular philosophy or worldview about life. It is what our integrity or value system is based on. It is also important that we continually refine that philosophy to be successful in any area of life. So far on this extended trek, we have explored what makes up our unique philosophy. On our trek for today, we will continue on the first of five trails on life’s trek, which is the Philosophy Trail. Specifically, we want to explore How to Develop a Powerful Personal Philosophy. So let’s break camp and continue on the first trail of this extended trek as we cover…

As a reminder, our overall extended trek will cover The Five Trails on Life’s Trek. Those five trails are:

The greatest influence on what you decide to do with tomorrow’s opportunity is not going to be circumstance but rather what and how you think. What you think and the conclusions you reach regarding life’s challenges is the sum total of what you have learned until now.

The learning process plays a major role in determining your personal philosophy. Over the years you have managed to gather up considerable knowledge. You cannot live without the information that surrounds you making an impact on how you think. The human mind is continually taking pictures and recording the sights and sounds around us. Every experience is etched into the neurons of the brain. Every word, every song, every television program, every conversation, and every book has made an electrical or chemical imprint on your mental computers. Each emotion, each thought, each activity in which you have been engaged has created a new circuit in the brain, which is linked to all of the other circuits that already existed. All that has touched your life has been indelibly recorded in your mind. All that you are is the result of an accumulation of input, which is intricately connected by a delicate combination of chemical and electrical impulses stored in your three-pound brain. All that has ever happened in and around you is now this uniqueness you call self as an individual human being.

How you use all of this information and the way in which you assemble the knowledge you have gathered forms your personal philosophy. The problem is that much of the information you have gathered has resulted in erroneous conclusions about life that can actually block the achievement of your goals. The only way to eliminate these mental barriers is to review, realign, and revise your personal philosophy.

The best way to establish a new and powerful personal philosophy is to begin with an objective review of the conclusions you have drawn about life. Any conclusion that is not working for you may actually be working against you. Suppose, for example, you decide that your current employer is not paying you enough.  Your value system, based on several years of accumulated information and experiences says, “That’s not fair!” This value judgment causes you to take specific steps in retaliation. As a result, you reduce your efforts, and you do only those things you feel your current paycheck justifies. There is nothing wrong with this decision…provided your goal is to remain where you are, doing what you are currently doing, and getting paid what you are currently getting paid for the rest of your life.

All of your counter-productive beliefs and choices may be the result of years of accumulating misinformation. Perhaps you have simply been around the wrong sources and gathered up the wrong data. The decisions you are making are not wrong based on the information you have, but consider this…What if the information that you have is based on wrong information, which is causing you to make wrong decisions? Unfortunately, these wrong decisions could be leading you further away from rather than closer toward the achievement of your goals.

Since it is virtually impossible to identify and erase all of the misleading information in your mental computers, the only way to change your thinking habits is to input new information. Unless you change what you know, you will continue to believe, decide, and act in a manner that is contrary to your best interests. The unfortunate aspect of this is that unless you proactively obtain new information, you may not even realize that your current thinking patterns are detrimental to your overall success.  You need to be continually renewing your mind as the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Getting the information that success and happiness require – and getting it accurately – is essential. Otherwise, you will inevitably drift into ignorance, becoming deluded by your power, your prestige, and your possessions.

The question you need to ask yourself is, “Where can I get new, accurate, and better ideas and information that will enable me to become more than I currently am?” Fortunately, there is a wealth of positive information all around you, just waiting to be used. This is especially true with a world of vast resources on the internet. The next portion of our hike will take us to those points along our trek where you can obtain this information. We will explore the first two points today and continue with more next week.

The first area to consider is learning from your own personal experiences. One of the best ways to expand the dimensions of your knowledge is by conducting a serious review of your own past experiences. You have virtually a university of experience within you. The books lining the shelves of your minds were written and placed there by all that you have experienced since birth. These experiences continually suggest to you that there is a right way and a wrong way to everything you do, and to every decision that confronts you, as well as to every obstacle that challenges you.

One way to learn to do something right is to do something wrong. You can learn from failure as well as success. Failure must teach you, or surely success will not reward you. Past failures and errors must prompt you to amend current conduct, or the present and the future will be little more than a duplicate of your past.

Regardless of whether you can recall them all, you have recorded memories of past deeds and of the subsequent rewards or consequences of those deeds. The key is to make the memories of past events your servants otherwise the repetition of those events will make you their slave.

You must be diligent to make certain that your memories of past experiences, whether good or bad, are accurate if they are to serve you to make the future better than your past. You must reflect on your past, reliving the moments, pondering the lessons, and refining your current conduct based on the lessons of your personal history. If you have manipulated the truth of the past and if you have tended to blame others, rather than taking responsibility, then you are seeking an escape from reality, and you will be destined to repeat past errors and relive present difficulties.

Once you have reviewed your lessons from your past, then you need to be open to learning from an outside voice. We could all use a little coaching. In a sense, that is the purpose of this podcast and journal. It brings a new and objective voice to those in search of insights and ideas. You are capable of correcting your own errors, but there is often great value in an outside voice – someone who can provide an objective appraisal of how you are, what you are doing, and the potential impact of your thoughts and actions on your better future.

An objective appraisal from someone whose opinion you respect (someone other than yourself) will enable you to see things that you do not see. In your personal world, you tend to see only the trees, while an objective and capable friend will more likely see the forest. If this information is objectivity brought to you in the form of wise counsel from one you trust and respect, it can lead you to early and accurate information about yourself and your decision-making process. It can prevent you from reaching faulty conclusions based on familiarity with your environment.

You are indeed wise if you discipline yourself to take counsel and suggestion from someone who cares, because the alternative to this is that circumstances will force you to take it from one who does not care.

In the world of business, successful executives often turn to consultants who bring the freshness of an outside voice. Company employees can become so familiar with the problem at hand that they have lost their ability to see the solution that sits on their shoulders.

You must make certain that you have access to your own select person or group of associates to whom you can turn for counsel especially during those times when the winds of life have changed so often that you are no longer certain if you are still on course. Others can help you to examine your actions objectively to ensure that you have not drifted too far away from the fundamentals – the basics.

Today we continued up the Trail of Philosophy, and we began constructing the framework of How to Develop a Powerful Personal Philosophy. This is not an easy hike to make. It requires absorbing new information that may challenge your current philosophy. It will require learning from you own personal experiences. It will also require that you learn from outside mentors that have your best interest in mind.

Next week on Philosophy Friday, we will explore how to learn from other people’s failures and successes. Make sure to join the continuation of our trek on the Trail of Philosophy next Friday. We will discover more information about your philosophy on The Five Trails on Life’s Trek.  I know you will find these insights interesting and profitable in living a rich and satisfying life.

Our next trek will be Motivation Monday where we explore more trails of how to get and stay motivated to bring value to your world. So encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your daily dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person inviting them to come along with us each day.

If you would like to listen to any of the past daily treks, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically. I would also appreciate it if you would rate and review us on iTunes or Google Play so that others will find out about Wisdom-Trek and join us.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you on Monday!

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 427 of our trek, and it is Thursday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom each Tuesday and Thursday.

So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Henry Ward Beecher, a clergyman who lived in the late 1800s and was a strong force in the abolition of slavery. His said, “Affliction comes to the believer not to make him sad, but sober; not to make him sorry, but wise. Even as the plow enriches the field so that the seed is multiplied a thousandfold, so affliction should magnify our joy and increase our spiritual harvest.”

We will all face times of affliction during various seasons of our life. How we respond to that affliction is the key to living a life that is rich and satisfying. When affliction comes, and it will, do you become sad and sorry that it is in your life, or do you allow it to be a time of reflection so that you can gain wisdom? I like this quote because of its reference to planting and harvesting. Only when the soil is disrupted by a plow is it then prepared for the seed to be planted. Otherwise, the seed may never flourish or grow into an abundant crop for the harvest. In the same manner, affliction allows the seeds of our soul to grow in our lives to produce an abundance of life within us. It is through our abundance that we have a harvest to share with others.

That is a wrap for Wisdom Unplugged for today. Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.

As we take this trek of life together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!