Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 2

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 406 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 first half of chapter 16.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The day this episode is released, Paula and I will be heading to Atlanta and then on to Scottsdale, Arizona to work for a few days with our partners on our construction project in Mesa. Even with the ability to do most of the financial work remotely for our Arizona project, it is always great to be onsite for a few days to catch up on the project details and plan for the next few months.

It does require a lot of wisdom, insight, and understanding to handle the details of the various companies that we work with, and there is no better source of wisdom for business and life than in the book of Proverbs. On our trek for today, we will dig into verses 1-16 of Chapter 16. The title for today’s trek is taken from verse 16, and it is…

Let’s start in with verse 1.

1 We can make our own plans,

You do need to be responsible and plan, but you also need to consider God’s precepts in all the plans that you make. God gives you the guidelines in His Word to make the correct plans if you are willing to study and apply those guidelines to your life.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,

We as humans have been given free will and have the capability to rationalize and justify just about any type of behavior, good or bad. The more you know, understand, and apply God’s Word to your life, the closer your motives will be in line with God’s principles. God knows your motives, even when it is difficult to discern them for yourself.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord,

When you truly commit your plans and action steps to God, they will succeed. The caveat that many of us miss is that these plans and actions have to be in line with God’s precepts found in His Word. Too many times we want God to help us succeed when our plans do not follow those precepts. You must know His Word to understand His principles.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,

It is hard for us to understand why a just and holy God would seemingly make something that is wicked. To understand it properly, you have to understand that God created everyone with a free will. We can choose to follow His Word, or not. Those who choose not to are choosing to be made into that which is wicked. The opposite is also true. If you choose to follow His Word, you are made right and just through His Son.

5 The Lord detests the proud;

Pride is one of the most grievous sins because when you are proud, you lose your dependency on God and desire to usurp what belongs to God.  Because of this, if you do not humble yourself, then you will suffer the consequence of your pride.

6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.

This verse is two-fold. God’s love and faithfulness to you completely annul your sin, as if you do not have any. In the same way, when you unconditionally love others and are faithful to them, then you will overlook sin in their lives and be much more forgiving. Along with this thought, if you respect and love God, you will do all that you can to avoid acts that are contrary to His Word.

7 When people’s lives please the Lord,

One of the sure signs of a wise and understanding person who lives according to God’s principles is that they will not be contentious with others. They will not be pompous or self-righteous but live in such a manner that even those who don’t like them will be respectful of them.

8 Better to have little, with godliness,

While we all desire to have wealth, money and possessions are not what makes us truly wealthy. There is nothing wrong with having wealth, but it is much better to have less and follow God’s principles than to violate those principles in order to gain money and possessions.

9 We can make our plans,

This verse is very similar to the first verse of this chapter. You do need to be responsible and plan, but you also need to consider God’s precepts in all the plans that you make. When you do this, then God will ultimately guide you in the situation and circumstances that He desires for your lives.

10 The king speaks with divine wisdom;

A Godly leader will gain his wisdom from God. His advisers will also be wise people, providing the leader with sage advice. When doing so, all decisions will be fair, right, and just.

11 The Lord demands accurate scales and balances;

God is just in all ways. In business and in life, you need to make sure that all of your transactions and interactions with others are fair and balanced. God’s standards for fairness are true and always accurate

12 A king detests wrongdoing,

A good and Godly leader should abhor actions within the workplace, church, or family that are not good. Integrity woven with justice should be the priority of a leader.

13 The king is pleased with words from righteous lips;

A good leader desires to have individuals and advisers around him/her that speak what is right and true, regardless if it is not what they necessarily want to hear. As a leader, to have people around you that are willing to speak the truth in love is of a great benefit.

14 The anger of the king is a deadly threat;

While few of us live in a monarchical society where we have to be concerned with death for lack of compliance, we should be respectful of those in leadership positions in our work and other situations. We should always do our best and be wise and prudent in our interactions with leaders.

15 When the king smiles, there is life;

There is an innate desire in all of us to please others, especially those in positions of authority over us. You should strive to do your best for those who you are responsible to and ultimately perform in such a way as if you were doing the tasks directly for God because ultimately you are. When we do please those who are in authority, it is refreshing to them and to us.

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,

We all, including myself, would love to have more money and resources. The older I get, the more I realize that money and material possessions are of little importance once you have your basic needs covered. How much more valuable are the close relationships with family and friends? We gain what is truly valuable in life by increasing our wisdom and good judgment. When we have that, then we will desire little else in life.

The nuggets of wisdom that we gather every Wisdom Wednesday provide the stepping stones that we need on our daily trek to grow emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Making plans based on God’s guidelines while keeping the proper perspective on what is really important and will allow us to grow wiser each day.

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 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 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. 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 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 405 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 & Thursday. So, let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is a Chinese Proverb which says, “A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.”

In our politically correct world, and especially in the midst of the election cycle within the United States, it is very evident that most politicians must lack wisdom and according to this proverb would be considered ignorant. If you desire to be wise, you must know, understand, and hold to your set of core values. A person who is wise is a person of integrity. Integrity is the quality of being honest, having strong moral principles, and possessing moral uprightness. In fact, in the letter that Jesus’s half-brother James wrote, he explains the double-minded, ignorant man quite well, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” This certainly sounds like a person who is always following public opinion instead of standing on his or her integrity.

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:

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 404 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate you to live a rich and satisfying life this week. Today we will explore how to find your motivation each day.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. I am recording some episodes in advance of our trip to Arizona this week. We will be leaving late on Wednesday and will return very early on Monday the 15th.  We have decided to fly out of Atlanta so that Paula’s mom can visit her sister Gerri while we are gone. Aunt Gerri lives in an assisted living facility in Atlanta now, so it makes it convenient for all of us if we fly from there. If all goes according to plan, when this episode is released, I will have replaced the garbage disposal at Home2. The one that was installed when the house was built 6 years ago was a lower end unit, which was prone to clogging and now has cracks in the housing of it. We plan to install a significantly better unit in its place. Although I am not looking forward to the installation, I have the motivation to save money and sufficient ability to install it, so those two factors made our decision.

On our trek for today, let us explore the practical steps for… 

While motivation is needed to complete tasks, it also requires the ability to complete tasks, and we need to understand that. As an example, I may have the motivation to become a quarterback for the NFL but since I am only 5’4” and 122 pounds, there is no way that would be physically possible. In most cases, though, if you are motivated to do something, you will also have sufficient ability to do so, or you will be motivated enough to learn how. As John Maxwell puts it, “You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.”

Where there’s no will, there’s no way, even if you have the ability. One of the best ways to improve your personal effectiveness is to find the drive to master your motivation. If you can master motivation, you can deal with life’s setbacks through the various seasons of life.  As with success in most of life, there are certain steps that can be followed to ensure the desired outcomes.  Here are 15 steps along our trail for today that will help you to find your motivation each day.

This is the ultimate secret. If you can connect the work you do to your values, even in small ways, you will be motivated to succeed. One of my values is making a positive impact on everyone that I contact each day. This may be through this podcast, online, or in person.

Your WHY is your overriding purpose in life. You may have to drill down to find your true why, but keep asking yourself why until you find what really drives you.

As you continue to drill down on your why, you may find out that you are doing tasks for the wrong reason. Are you doing that task to get it done, or does it fulfill your purpose? Changing your why may be what you need to motivate yourself.

You may need to analyze how you complete your tasks. Is there a more enjoyable or efficient way? Are you doing the tasks correctly, or are you just trying to get through them? I like to think of it as mastering your craft. Sometimes slower is better. Other times, the key is to make it a game and actually speed it up. You can set time limits and race against the clock. Changing your how can get you out of ruts and find new ways to escape the mundane.

When was the last time you felt good about completing particular tasks? How can you replicate that time? Tie your tasks completion to an individual reward system that will be fulfilling to you. Anticipate the outcome, and you will find the motivation for improvement.

If you find yourself lacking the motivation to complete tasks because they were not pleasant in the past, make a mind shift to the future and how you will feel when it is completed. Choose your mindset before you begin, and your outcomes in the present will improve.

Maybe you are the early bird that catches the worm, or a stitch in time saves nine. Place in your mind a catch phrase that will drive you on like, no tasks left behind. Yes, it does sound a bit corny, but what we feed our minds will become our reality. That is why I turn all of my projects into “epic adventures to be conquered.”

Here’s a secret that once you know it can change your life. Action often comes before motivation. You simply start doing an activity, and then your motivation kicks in. Nike was right with the saying, “Just do it.”  For example, I don’t always look forward to getting up at [5:30] each morning for my 70-minute workout, but once I start, I find my flow.

Find a way to link tasks to good feelings. I know that although I am tired after my workout, it is also a good tired and that I have reached my objectives. My workout time is also when I have my devotional time and listen to other uplifting podcasts which prepares my mind for the day. On days when I cannot get a workout in, I miss that feeling of accomplishment.

Connect to your passion and set the bar for yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others, unless that is truly motivating. Instead, compare yourself to you yesterday. Let your internal benchmark be you.

If you tell yourself you “HAVE” to do this or you “MUST” do that or you “SHOULD” do this, you can weaken your motivation. The power of choice and simply reframing your language to “CHOOSE” can be incredibly empowering and exactly the motivating language you need to hear. Choose your words carefully and make them work for you.

This is one of my favorite ways to make something fun. One person’s painful task is another’s pleasure. Partner with somebody who compliments your skill or who can mentor you and get you over the humps. As King Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 4:9, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.”

Sometimes you need to change your focus. To change your focus, change the question. If you ask yourself what’s wrong with this situation, of course, you’ll find things to complain about. Ask yourself what’s right about the situation, and you can quickly find the positives and get your groove on.

Sometimes your body or emotions are working against you because you’re not giving them a break or fueling them the right way. One simple way to improve results here is to find a routine for eating, sleeping, and moving or working out that supports you. Many times this is the key to motivating you to succeed.

Spending too much time in your weaknesses wears you down. Investing more time in your strengths helps you renew your energy and find your flow. It’s the place where you can grow your best. Success begets success, and this helps you build momentum. What goes into your mind is what will come out.

In most cases, we choose to move toward pleasure. When we do, we move away from pain. It’s that simple. We do more to avoid pain. Keep that in mind when you find it tough to change a habit. Change can often be temporary pain. Keep this in mind when you need to motivate yourself and make a conscious choice to endure temporary pain to ensure long term pleasure.

This is why sometimes you can’t think your way into something. For example, your mind wants one thing, but your body wants another. You tell yourself working out is good for you, but your body just doesn’t want the pain. Be willing to choose what is best long term. It is then that you will truly be motivated to make the most of every opportunity. As Colossians 4:5 tells us, “Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.”

Today on our trek we hiked through the 15 steps for finding your motivation. Make a conscious effort to apply these steps to your life so that you can create and live a positive legacy for all to see.

Tomorrow’s short trek is part of our Wisdom Unplugged series that we are now hiking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are 2-3 minute wisdom supplements that 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 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. 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 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 podcast. This is Day 403 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. Today we will complete our trek covering the Cycles and Seasons of Life. We will continue the winter season that we started last Friday and then wrap up the trek with a recap

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Our workload has been steady this week, and we continue to make slow but sure progress on the various projects we are working on. This is not unlike the cycles that a farmer goes through during the various seasons of the year. The analogy comparing waiting for the Lord’s return to the farmer in James 5:7 explains life pretty well, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.”

To be successful in life, it is imperative that we fully understand the laws of planting and harvesting. Realize also that during your lifetime, there will be many different cycles of seasons. Just because particular cycles of seasons did not produce the harvest you expected, don’t let that control future seasons or the entirety of your life. Today on our trek, let us continue the winter season which must be a time for reflection and planning while each new spring season gives you an opportunity to start new again. Today’s trek is titled…

As we continue to contemplate the winter seasons of life, you need to grasp that throughout all the seasons of the year. Winter can touch your lives in many small ways, as if it were testing you and providing you with subtle reminders of the plight of those whose lives are surrounded by winter. Winter can be a lost opportunity or the loss of love. A winter is when a trusted friend gives you cause for disappointment when your children young or old make unwise decisions that will force them into a winter season, or even when expected business goes to a competitor. A frigid blast from the cold, harsh words of someone you love is winter, and so is the pessimism or cynicism from someone whose advice and counsel you seek.

The major challenge confronting those who seem to be in a perpetual winter is that they don’t prepare for the arrival of spring, and lack the ability to recognize that arrival. So that you don’t become like this yourself, you must be planning, learning, and preparing so that you become part of the solution rather than allowing yourself to remain part of the problem.

If you are currently without love, money, or employment, it is a winter, and its very appearance is because you’ve missed a springtime somewhere. Even if it was not your intention, neglect is always costly, and winter is merely a circumstance—an effect brought on by some earlier cause. Dwelling on the severity of your personal winter merely makes the winter more difficult to endure. You must search the inner confines of your mind and your soul for the purpose of discovering the real cause within you.

Adversity is seldom attributable to someone or something outside of ourselves. To blame outside influences for the circumstance of winter is a convenient excuse for misplacing your responsibility. It is the normal human tendency to place blame for a winter of life on someone else, which is why most humans harvest the result of mediocrity that accompanies such behavior.

For circumstances to change, your attitudes, opinions, and habits must change. Conversation on how circumstances ought to be or on why situations aren’t fair is just that conversation! Unproductive conversation is what the lazy and unambitious engage in during the winters of life, for there is a certain euphoria that such empty conversation produces which dulls the senses from the harsh reality of how circumstances really are. The same euphoria is found on television and the internet. It will get you all worked up but does not provide a solution to your winter seasons. It is so easy to use it as an attempt to escape from an empty life. Since this will not solve the issues, many turn to alcohol and other drugs seeking solutions in external means. Others turn to idle gossip, which allows those who engage in it to overlook their own weaknesses by attacking the weaknesses of others.

Instead, let winter find you planning for the arrival of spring, not contemplating the errors of commission and omission of last year. Let winter find you with a joyful countenance and a happy heart. Even if your winter is still dark and cold currently, share a good word for all those around you. Do it with confidence in the future, not apprehension; with an appreciation of the past, not regret; and finally, with gratitude for your achievements, adversities, and uncertainties of life, for each is a form of blessing which removes all limitations from the future possibilities of life.

Winter is a time for examining, pondering, and reflecting. It is a time for re-evaluating both purpose and procedure, for rediscovering an often misplaced sense of purpose. It is a time for finding new ways of solving old dilemmas and for devising unique plans for contributing to others less fortunate than yourself. It is a time for understanding and controlling anger, that frequent human emotion which causes us to pass judgment without fair deliberation. It is a time to analyze your fairness and to overcome your tendency to hastily spew out condemnation without a full investigation, which is the height of ignorance.

Winter is a time for being sincere with yourself and about yourself when the tendency is to fool yourself. It is a time for developing the skills that allow you to get along with imperfect people, for even a fool can get along with perfect people. It is also a time for becoming wise enough to know what to say, as well as to know what to overlook and what not to say.

The wisdom that comes with the careful use of winter teaches you also that evolution is merely revolution at a slower pace and that constant gradual change is the order of God’s universe. Only those worthy human attributes of honesty, loyalty, love, and trust in God and in your fellow humans are meant to remain constant. Winter is a time for being grateful for your achievements or for having endured your lack of achievement.

The physically inactive season of winter is a time for adding to your storehouse of knowledge through continued education, which in truth does not mean learning things that you do not know but in learning to behave as you do not now behave. The facts and things of life are automatically learned when you become inspired with the excitement of high expectation and belief in your own abilities.

With winter comes the opportunity to catch up on unkempt promises and on unanswered letters. It is a time also for encouraging the young, who with their inexperience are insecure, and for encouraging the old, whom because of their experience are apprehensive of the future. Let not a winter go by without investing much of your time in assuring, teaching, and encouraging others. For in so doing, your reward will be an uplifted confidence in yourself; the teacher is always the greatest recipient of the lessons he seeks to teach to others. Let winter find you thinking first of someone else, appreciating, being kind, and being gentle. And by all means, let winter find you laughing more, even though the winds blow cold and the snows cover the soil which will soon bring new life.

Someone once said, “Don’t pray for things to be easier, rather, pray for more obstacles and more challenges, for it is out of these that man’s character and will to succeed are formed.”  Nearly every success story that I am aware of began when the person first lay flat on his mental and financial back. In this condition, people usually become sufficiently disgusted to reach deep down inside and pull out talent, ability, desire, and determination, which are the basic essentials required of anyone wishing to free themselves from the winters of life. It is in the face of adversity that circumstances begin to change, and the circumstances always change as a result of the personal change that takes place.

I have discovered that circumstances never change by themselves. It’s when a human with sufficient disgust, desire, and determination to change his life finally steps up and shouts for all the world to hear, “I have had it with defeat and humiliation, and I will tolerate it no longer.” That is when time, fate, and circumstances call a hasty conference, and all three wearily agree, “We had best step aside because we are powerless to stop that kind of resolve.”  Unfortunately, the masses of people don’t change, they wait for circumstances to change, blaming others or blaming circumstances for their meager progress. They accept defeat as though it was God’s design for humanity to wallow in pools of defeat and self-pity.

The fact is, life is going to continue, even though you may now be defeated. The world will wake up tomorrow just as it did today, and events will continue to unfold with repeated regularity of God’s creation. Your role of present failure, or success, is a temporary condition. You can rebound from failure as surely as you gravitated into failure. The condition of any person who feels defeated and ashamed is being repeated by thousands of humans around the world at this same moment in time. You must bring to mind the phrase, “This too shall pass” each time you are tempted to think you have accepted all the negativity and failure that your life could tolerate.

For everyone who is mentally, spiritually, and financially exhausted, a few will grasp for a new beginning. When they find it, they will pull themselves to their feet and move back into the world. It is then that they will not only do well, but leave their mark indelibly impressed upon the spiritual, business, political, or social world. They will be written about, talked about, and examined by their peers in numerous ways. The world will then pass judgment upon them as being “lucky” in some way and will be unaware of the agony and loneliness that each one experienced before he or began his or her march upward toward accomplishment.

So, foolish as it may sound, thank God for your present limitations or failure if that should be the case, for you now occupy a status from which nearly all success stories originate. You can go where you want to go, do what you want to do, and become what you want to become, right from where you are today.

Over the time of recorded history, millions who were in abject poverty, had significant handicaps, or had failed many times chose through faith and hope that they would not remain in that circumstance. We can think of Longfellow, Michelangelo, Lincoln, George Washington Carver, Ford, Disney, and many others.

So be grateful for your adversity for it is the seed that you can now plant in the spring seasons of life for your own better future.  The world will willingly stand by and let you feel sorry for yourself until you finally die, broke and alone, if that’s what you desire. It will also stand aside for you once you firmly decide that your present winter season is only temporary and that you will get back up and go on to make your impact on your world. The fact is, the world doesn’t really have time to care which choice you make, so for yourself at least, give a run at adventure with your eyes firmly set on achievement, not merely existence and self-pity.

From this moment on, and for what remains of the balance of your life, make your commitment to excellence, remembering that it is your challenge to succeed. After all, you only have one life!  Do something remarkable!

We have now completed our series of the Cycles and Seasons of Life. Let us commit to living effectively during each season. Our next Philosophy Friday will begin a new series as we discover the truths and mysteries of 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 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. 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 together, let us always:

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 402 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 on each Tuesday & Thursday. So, let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Jonathan Swift, who tells us, “A wise man is never less alone than when he is alone.”

A sign of a truly wise person is that he is very comfortable with being alone. He is able to use this time for reflection, meditation, and prayer.  This is a time away from the noise and distractions of the world to enter a world of solitude. To gain true wisdom, you must become comfortable with who you are and that your life is uniquely valuable. Invest time each day in peaceful reflection and realize that God made you special, and you are valuable because you are unique. God loves you unconditionally so that you can love yourself and then others unconditionally. When you gain this realization, it is then you will have the wisdom and strength to have a significant and positive impact on the lives of others. Never underestimate your impact on others because your impact will ripple throughout eternity.

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:

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 401 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 second half of Chapter 15.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. By the time this episode is released, we will be back in Charlotte, but I am recording a few days in advance so that when we travel to Arizona next week, I will have the days prepared ahead of time.

I have been able to get caught up with most of the client work and have been working on some of the longer term podcast related projects we have. We are making progress, but we are taking our time to learn, plan, and prepare to ensure everything is done as correctly as possible. I should be able to make some announcements on more definitive plans within the next couple of weeks. We depend on our years of experience and wisdom from God to guide us in the planning and execution.

As we relate back to the principles of planting and harvesting, the time we invest planting through learning and preparing gives us the harvest of both experience and wisdom. We are in continual learning mode with the study of the Book of Wisdom, which is Proverbs. On our trek for today, we will dig into the verses 18-33 of chapter 15.  The title for today’s trek is taken from verse 30, and it is…

Let’s start in with verse 18.

18 A hot-tempered person starts fights;

A person who chooses not to control their temper is one who is always looking for a fight with someone. More often than not, this person is really upset with himself, is very selfish, and does not love himself properly. Because of this lack of self-worth, this individual is always trying to prove himself by fighting with others.  This could be physical or emotional abuse to others. In contrast to this is a person who chooses to keep his emotions under control because he is comfortable and confident with who he is and will do the opposite and stop fighting when it does occur.

19 A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers,

A person who lacks initiative and is generally lazy will not take the time to properly maintain his life so that he can be efficient and effective. This may result in a messy desk, messy home, or in our analogy from this verse, a trail that is blocked with the briers of life. This type of person seems to have more crises and drama in life because he does not tend to the minor issues. If you are effective and efficient with your life, then you take notice of and correct minor issues, such as the briers of life, before they grow out of hand. Because of this, your trails of life will be open so that you can make the progress needed.

20 Sensible children bring joy to their father;

This verse is interesting from two aspects. Not to generalize the gender role, but I think it does play a part here. When a child is sensible, the father is joyful and will take credit for the child’s sensibility. On the other hand, when a child is foolish, the mother will usually take it much more personally and feel that the children despise her through their foolish actions. There should be a balance between the two, realizing that both the father and mother have some responsibility for training a child properly, but ultimately the child is responsible for the decisions that he or she makes.

21 Foolishness brings joy to those with no sense;

Somehow in his or her perverted mind, a person who is foolish will take joy in his or her foolish actions. This is a clear indication that the person has no sense. In contrast, a person who is truly sensible will stay on the path that is right and their actions will be right.

22 Plans go wrong for lack of advice;

This is such an important and crucial aspect in all areas of life. We all have the capacity to be so wrapped up with our own plans that we cannot see the forest for the trees. This is why it is wise to seek wise and Godly counsel in all major decisions in our lives. The concept of mastermind groups is built on this. Other people, outside of our immediate sphere of influence can bring much insight that will help us to succeed.

23 Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;

In a world of constant and immediate sound bites and news, it is so refreshing to be around a wise person who, when he or she does speak, has appropriate and timely advice. It is especially rewarding when you are able to speak only when it is needed and what is needed.

24 The path of life leads upward for the wise;

A wise person does what is good and godly in all areas of life, which brings everlasting life to his soul. This person is not plagued or scared of the grave because he knows his eternity is secure.

25 The Lord tears down the house of the proud,

God will not allow the proud and arrogant person to continue on forever. The persons foolish decisions, based on pride will be his downfall. On the other hand, God will honor and protect the most vulnerable people, of which widows are one.

26 The Lord detests evil plans,

God is never pleased when we choose to go against His precepts and plan that which is not pleasing to Him. He will delight in us as we humbly follow His commands.

27 Greed brings grief to the whole family,

A family who is led by a person with a lack of integrity will all suffer because of the decisions that are made by those leading the family. In this case, it would indicate one whose integrity will change for self-benefit.  If a family leader stands strong, with integrity, and does not bow to fleeting pleasures, the whole family will live at peace

28 The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;

Once again Solomon is referencing our speech.  A wise and godly person will think before opening his mouth to speak and will only speak if it is needed and helpful. An unwise and wicked person spews out verbal garbage most of the time. This person’s speech will overflow with evil.

29 The Lord is far from the wicked,

If a person chooses to ignore God and his commands, then he cannot expect Him to be around when crises hit. The opposite of that is a person who comes to God for guidance and follows His Word. God will be there listening to their petitions

30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart;

It is a real joy to be around people who not only look cheerful but radiate cheerfulness in all that they do. A cheerful look coupled with good news truly is good for your health. Emotionally, physically, and spiritually, we will be strengthened through a cheerful person who brings us good news.

31 If you listen to constructive criticism,

Criticism in not bad if it is constructive and given so that we can improve ourselves. Be willing to listen and learn from those who genuinely care for you and desire what is best for you. When you have this kind of attitude, you will grow wise and find yourself being at home with the wise.

32 If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself;

A person who is too foolish to be disciplined by another person is only harming himself and limiting his God-given potential. On the other hand, if you are willing to listen to correction and discipline, then you will grow in wisdom, insight, and understanding.

33 Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom;

Respect and admiration for God Himself and who He is will bring wisdom into our lives and help us to grow wise. As we gain this good and godly wisdom, we need to remain humble and respectful.

Today’s trail was once again filled with so many nuggets of wisdom. If we can grasp how important this wisdom is to our emotional, physical, and spiritual health, and how keeping a good attitude contributes to that, we will have learned a great amount of wisdom.   We were also reminded to hold our speaking until it is appropriate and of value. Let’s work at incorporating these wise principles into our lives.

Tomorrow we will have another short segment of Wisdom Unplugged where we will uncover 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 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. 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 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. Today we reach another milestone with our 400th day on our wisdom trek. Thank you for coming along with us each day. 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 on each Tuesday & Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Paul Dudely White, who tells us, “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.”

If you have followed along on our Wisdom-Trek for any length of time, you know that I strive to be very health conscious, and I do exercise extensively. For me personally, I can verify that even when I am feeling unhappy or out of energy, a good brisk walk will help me clear my mind and set my thoughts on what is most important in life. I am then re-energized to be much more productive, efficient, and happy. I would encourage you, even if you can’t walk five miles, to get outside and walk as briskly as you can for as far as you can. Just like you may take vitamins or medicine every day, take a brisk walk each day and see how much your life will change. There is no single thing that you can do with as much impact. Best of all, it is free. Now that is a wise investment with a great return.

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:

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 399 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate you to live a rich and satisfying life this week. Today we will explore the 8 components of healthy relationships.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. After a quick five day trip to Marietta and back to Charlotte, we have 10 days here before heading to Scottsdale and Mesa Arizona to work with our partners on our construction project there. We are nearing completion of the first 12 townhome units that are part of a much larger development.

Our company in Arizona is the general contractor for the funding group that actually owns the project. It is certainly our hope that the first units sell quickly, so the project will continue on a timely basis. We are motivated, and it is important that we maintain a healthy relationship with the funding group throughout the project.

This is very true in all areas of life. Any relationship whether it is in business, church, friends, or family is a personal relationship. We can only relate effectively when we relate personally. On our motivation trek today, we will hike the trail called…

While some relationships will be closer than others, all relationships, especially with your family and those you love deepest, must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be called on constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing. Nothing can bring more joy to life than beautifully fulfilling relationships. The depth of meaning, understanding, and appreciation that these kinds of relationships bring is almost immeasurable. Of course, as many people find out, nothing can bring so much pain as a broken relationship with someone dear to you.

Yes, relationships are what drives us as humans, for better or for worse. What you need to understand is that you can do much to increase your chances of having terrific relationships that are fulfilling and exciting, and rich with meaning, joy, and love. This will make you a truly wealthy person.

There are 8 basic components that govern most human relationships, and these basics make up our trek for today.  So, let’s explore the trail for the eight components that I believe make up the basics of healthy relationships.

It is not surprising that love it the first component, as we have discussed previously that love is the hub or core of all relationships. If you desire a healthy relationship, you must understand the real definition of love. Most people think that love is a feeling, but I would strongly debate that point. Actually, the concept of “like” is really about feelings. When you say you like someone, you are talking about how you feel. But when you say that you love someone, you are not necessarily talking about how you feel about them. Love is much deeper than a feeling. Love is a commitment and a daily choice that you make to people where you pledge to always treat that person right and honorably.

Yes, for those whom you become especially close to, you will also have feelings of love, but I believe it is time for you to re-examine what you mean by love. You must expand your definition of what love means by including the concept that love is a daily choice and commitment to love without conditions. For healthy relationships, you must choose to love everyone. You may not particularly like a person based on how you feel about them, but you should love them based on our definition of love, which in turn determines how you should act toward them – that is, treat them right and honorably. Unconditional love is the basis of all healthy relationships. Christ taught us about real love in John 15:13, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

My virtual mentor Zig Ziglar frequently said that “You can have everything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want out of life.”

The concept he is talking about is to have a heart and life that is focused on serving other people. Life is best lived in service to others. This does not mean that we do not strive for the best for ourselves. It does mean that in all things we serve other people, including our family, co-workers, and friends. We must learn to help those who deserve it, not just those who need it. Christ was our example when he was quoted in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

In any good relationship, you will find open and honest communication. Communication is so important because it is the vehicle that allows you to verbalize what is inside you and enables you to connect with another person.

Empathetic communication is a vital goal in good relationships. To communicate is to tell each other what you are thinking and what you are feeling. It enables you to make a connection. Sometimes you are the one speaking and other times you are listening. Either way, the central tenet is communication that enables building the relationship and making it stronger. Here is the goal…If you just communicate, you can get by, but if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles!

Put simply, relationships just work better when you are kind to others. Being kind can cushion the bumpy ride you may sometimes experience in your relationships. Kindness and cheerfulness go a long way toward building lasting relationships. I mean, nobody wants to be around an unkind and grumpy person, do they? The fact is that the kinder you are, the more you are going to have people who want to pursue longer-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with you. So put on a smile, always have kind words to say to others, treat people with a great deal of kindness, and you will see your relationships improve. As Proverbs 3:3 tells us, “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Most of us need some practice in the area of patience. People are not perfect and will constantly fail us. Conversely, you will fail other people. So while you try to have more patience for others, you need their patience as well.

So often, relationships break down because people give up and lose patience. I am talking about all kinds of relationships – friendships, marriages, and business relationships to name a few. Even in the closeness of the bonds of marriage, if you go through major turmoil and you use that time to work on growing patience with each other, your marriage will grow even stronger. If you allow it, patience wins out. The lack of patience in almost all areas is a sign of selfishness on our part. We feel that what we desire is more important than the other person. Those who give up on relationships too early or because the other person isn’t perfect, often forget that their next friend, their next spouse, or business partner will not be perfect either! 

Loyalty is a commitment to another person. Sadly, loyalty is often a missing element in many relationships today. Have you forgotten what it means to be loyal? Your consumer mentality may have affected this to some degree. People are no longer loyal to a company they work for or a particular brand of product they purchase. Unfortunately, it also goes both ways, many companies are not loyal to employees, vendors, clients, or patrons.

Regrettably, this has spilled over into our relationships. It is one thing to switch brands of shampoo, it is another thing altogether to switch friends or even spouses. Sometimes you just need to choose and commit to being loyal and let the relationship move forward. You may need a higher level of stick-to-it-iveness! This kind of loyalty will take your relationships to a much deeper level. What a powerful and secure feeling of knowing that you have a relationship with someone who is loyal to you and you to them. You know without a doubt that neither of you is going anywhere even when things get tough. What a powerful concept is in today’s throw-away, instant-everything world.

One of the basics of healthy relationships is to have a common purpose and set of values you hold dear. Often this is a component that is initially overlooked, but for a long-term, long-lasting relationship, it is vital. Think about how many friends you have met through the years while working for a common purpose. Maybe it was someone you met while participating in sports while working on a political campaign, attending church, at your office, or anything that brought you together to work on a common purpose.

You had that strong common bond of purpose and values that brought you together and held you together. Working together, building together, failing and succeeding together, all while pursuing a common purpose, is what lasting relationships are made of. Find people with whom you have common purposes and values. Plant these seeds to form great relationships, and then harvest the long-lasting benefits. The principle of planting and harvesting impact all of world life.

All good relationships have some element of fun. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean loud, wild fun, though that is appropriate for some relationships. But even in business relationships, there should be some fun. It should be fun to do business with those who you are going to have a long-term business relationship with.

Fun brings enjoyment to the relationship, and that is important. Often this key element can be easily forgotten or neglected in our family and spousal relationships. The fun things you did initially in a new relationship after a while can be taken for granted or simply fall by the wayside, and you stop creating the fun and joy. So remember to consciously plan fun situations and moments, for fun is the glue that holds your memories together and makes your lives  sweet.

There are so many key ingredients to making and maintaining great, long-lasting relationships. Each of the eight components we discussed brings unique dynamics and rewards to your relationships. So begin to focus on improving your relationships in these areas, and see what miracles occur!

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians summed up the art of relationship-building quite well in Chapter 3:12-13, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

If you follow these 8 components that we visited on today’s trek, your relationships will prosper and so will you. Let us apply them to our lives so that we can create and live a positive legacy for all to see.

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 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...

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 398 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. Today we are continuing our trek covering the Cycles and Seasons of Life. In particular, we are moving forward and focusing on the winter season of life. These concepts come from that which I have learned from Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar and of course the Bible.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. With our tight schedule and travel plans this week, I recorded the podcasts a little in advance. When this episode is released, we will be back at The Big House in Marietta until late Sunday when we will head back to Charlotte once again.

Weather permitting, my plans are to finish up a small amount of outside trim around the dining windows that we were unable to complete earlier this month.  Depending on the growth of the lawn, I may be able to mow the yard also.

The seasons of the year are not unlike the seasons in our lives. Growing up on an apple orchard, we became very familiar with the various seasons and what each season had in store for us. If we did not complete our task during the proper season, then it directly impacted the next.

During summer there was mowing to do and gardens to weed. Near the end of August, the apple harvest season started, which lasted until late October. This was definitely our busiest season of the year. It was all hands busy picking, sorting, and storing apples. We also had a roadside stand that needed to be attended, as well as deliveries to health food stores across the state. We had to work very hard because even in good years, all income generated was barely enough to keep the 12 of us fed and clothed. In the bad years, it was slim pickings in every area of life. After working hard for an extended harvest time, we kept in mind that there would be some time for resting in the winter season. Growing up as a farmer, the cycles and seasons of life mean so much more.

You must also realize that during your entire lifetime, there will be many different cycles of seasons. Just because a particular season did not turn out as you expected, don’t let that control the entirety of your life. Each winter season is a time for reflection and planning while each new spring season gives you an opportunity to start new again.

This brings us to our trek for today as we consider moving from fall to winter within the Cycles and Seasons of Life and this section of our trek is titled…

As certain as night will always follow day, every season of life will have a time of winter. There will never be an endless summer, nor a continual harvest in the fall. Winter can make its appearance during any season, as a brief reminder of its ultimate power. In mid-summer, while you are consciously tending your carefully growing crops, a winter-like storm in the form of hail and wind can momentarily descend upon you threatening to take away the fruits of your efforts.

Winter can make its threatening appearance during the season of planting and sprouting, the spring, and if you do not quickly respond to cancel its potentially devastating effect, the season of opportunity will be taken from you by one of the storms of life, leaving you with yet another full year of waiting. We certainly experienced this in several years when the apple blossoms were hit with a late frost. Winter can also prematurely appear during the season of harvest, the fall, just as you are about to reap the rewards of expended and extended human effort, and leave you with crops, or results in your work, which are of little value.

The first great lesson of life to learn is that winter will always come; not only during the time when the winter of cold, wind, ice, and snow are expected, but at other times also. Winter within your life can rear its cold winds and snow in the form of despair, loneliness, disappointment, or tragedy. It is winter when your prayers go unanswered or when the acts of your children young or old leave you shaken and stunned. It is winter of your life when the economy turns against you and when creditors come after you. It is winter when competition threatens or when a friend takes advantage of you. Winter comes in many forms, and at any time, both to the planter of crops as well as to the person in business or even to your personal lives.

You will be prepared if you have planted abundantly in the spring, guarded your crops carefully during the summer, and harvested massively during the fall. It is then that winter can be yet another season of opportunity. It can be a time for reflection, a time for reading, a time for learning, a time for planning, a time for gathering your strength for the coming spring, and a time for taking the comfortable shelter of rest and relaxation. It can be a time of great enjoyment and a time to be shared with those you love and with those with whom you have labored. It is a time of thanksgiving and a time for the sharing of life’s bountiful gifts. Winter is a time for being grateful, both for what you have, as well as for what you can yet achieve. Winter is a time for rest but not excessive rest. It is a time to enjoy the fruits of your labors but not a time for gluttony. It is a time for warm conversations but not a time for gossip. It is a time of gratitude but not a time for complacency. It is a time to be proud but not a time to be egotistical.

Keep in mind though that what you do with your time, with yourself, with your friends, and with your attitudes during the season of winter determines what you will do with the coming spring. You are meant to constantly improve your conditions, your results, and yourself. During winter you either improve or you regress, for never do you remain the same. If you do not improve, it is because you do not use your intelligence, your reasoning, and your full potential. Finally, what you do not use, you lose. Through lack of use, you may lose your intelligence, reasoning, potential, and strength. When lack of use, or misuse, costs you these worthy human attributes, you predictably regress. 

Again, it is one of God’s basic laws of life that demands either human progression or human regression.  

When you are prepared for winter’s arrival, you can use the season to properly prepare for your next season. Take advantage of the time to prepare in a relaxed and non-hurried environment. Make wise choices so that when spring arrives, your plan will already be in place.

If you have not properly prepared, the arrival of winter is a time for regret and a time for sorrow. Having lacked the willingness to pay the pain price of earlier discipline, you will now pay the heavier pain price of regret. The burdens and chains of discipline will now seem insignificant when compared to the massive weights and cumbersome restraints of regret. Regret is an empty storehouse or bank account and will result in an empty kitchen when the coming fall is yet a full year away. Even with the arrival of spring, your efforts will be expended with an empty stomach and an empty purse. If you are prepared, winter is springtime in yet another form, but if you are not prepared; winter’s arrival is full of horror and uncertainty. Love and harmony give way to accusations and anger.

Too many people live their lives in this manner. They live on other people’s money and resources until there is no more available. Without attempting to paint too negative of picture, think about your situation if you have not prepared in the previous seasons of your life.  Coming to grips with the reality of a situation may be the catalyst you need for improvement in the next season.

The time to imagine the horrors of a winter for which you are unprepared is in the springtime, and in your mind. Let this picture illustrate for you the chilling winds, snow-blown fields, and ice covered trees. Imagine and then experience in your mind’s eye the wailing of a hungry child, and the disappointment showing in the eyes of the ones you love.  Emotionally experience the fumbling for excuses and apologies for your past mistakes. The fear that comes with a knock on the door, the phone calls, or the delivery of the mail. Anticipating these scenes in advance can provide the shock that moves you into the massive effort in the spring. It is those massive efforts that will prevent your horrified imaginings from becoming reality.

There is still more to consider about the winter seasons of life, but that will have to wait as we ponder these thoughts until next week’s Philosophy Friday.  At that point, we will conclude our series on The Cycles and Seasons of Life.

Planting, nurturing, harvesting and planning are all part of the cycles and seasons of life.  It reminds me of Proverbs 24:27 where the wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon instructed us to, “Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”

You might think it would be wiser to build shelter first, but if you do that, then you will not have your planting done in time so that you can harvest in the fall.  If you have a shelter, but no food, the winter nights will be long and cold, and you will be hungry. Plus there will be yet an entire cycle of the seasons to endure before the next food source arrives. There is a logical order to the seasons of life. As Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

All of us will face obstacles and hardships in life, but that does not change God’s immutable laws of planning, planting, nurturing, and harvestings. We will harvest what we plant. We cannot allow the obstacles and hardships to be an excuse for a meager harvest. We all know of those who have overcome massive mountains of opposition to produce a bountiful harvest in their lives.

When you grasp this concept, then you can achieve the rich and satisfying life that Jesus offers in John [10:10]. Next Friday we will finish the winter season of life and recap the series covering the cycles and seasons of life.

Our next trek will be Motivation Monday when we explore more trails of how to get and stay motivated so that you can 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 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. 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 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 397 of our trek. It is Thursday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom will include an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom on each Tuesday & Thursday. So, let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from Alexander Pope, who tells us, “A man should never be ashamed to own that he has been in the wrong, which is but saying he is wiser today than he was yesterday.”

Taking personal responsibility for your failures and mistakes is the first sign of a mature and wise person.  In addition to that, you should never be ashamed to admit when you have been wrong about something you have said or a decision or a choice that you have made.  To do so is to be vulnerable and authentic, which allows others to know that you are not perfect. You are continually growing and learning. The key is to gain wisdom every time you have been wrong and then learn from that mistake so that you do not repeat the mistake.  If you are willing to have this attitude, then indeed you will become wiser each day.

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 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 tomorrow for Philosophy Friday!