Wisdom-Trek © - Archive 2

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 376 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday we will explore for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Today we will continue with chapter [12:17]-28.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. On the renovation front, we were able to finish painting the swingset/fort, and we are working on painting the exterior trim on the sun porch and front porch. Both areas are quite large, so we hope to finish that painting by the end of this next week. Inside, I am continuing to apply polyurethane to the woodwork and both stairways with the hope to also finish the floors before the start of next week so they will have adequate time to dry solid. Our renovation contractor was in this week and able to finish up the small amount of crown molding that had to be custom made for three curved areas on the walls. It turned out really nice.

It appears that both the parents and young hawks have left for their summer home. We will miss watching them and hope that they will return again next year.

It is now time to go exploring for those precious nuggets of wisdom that are found in Proverbs. Today our title is…

17 An honest witness tells the truth;

On the surface, this verse appears very obvious, but if you have ever been in the courtroom during a major trial, you know that there are many times where lies are made to appear as truth. I had a friend that went through a very long drawn out legal battle where the prosecutor pushed very hard for a plea bargain. This would have required him to confess to a lesser crime when he committed no crime at all. Although he had to suffer through the process of 18 months, he finally had his day in court and was vindicated of the charges because he was steadfast with the truth. In the same way, God desires us to always be honest in our testimony and cling to the truth. Regardless of the circumstances, we need to stand on the truth. Justice will prevail because a false witness will be known for his lies.

18 Some people make cutting remarks,

Cruel words can cut to the very soul of a person, and those who speak them are not wise. You can know if a person is wise by how they talk to and about others. In contrast, a wise person will heal instead of cut. They are willing and ready to heal the wounds of those who have been cut down by the unwise. It is our responsibility to be kind and compassionate at all times and in every situation.

19 Truthful words stand the test of time,

There is no substitute for always telling the truth. Although it may be difficult, there is never a reason to lie. When you practice telling the truth all the time, you never have to be concerned about what you told to whom because it is the truth and the truth does not change. Our society has become so accustomed to situational ethics, that it has become the norm in both personal and business life. Our ethics, which are driven by our integrity, should never change based on the situation that we happen to be in from one day to another. Truth lasts forever, but those who practice telling lies will be exposed for what they truly are – liars.

20 Deceit fills hearts that are plotting evil;

You can tell a lot about a person just by their demeanor. A person who is contentious and not at peace is a person whose heart is filled with deceit. That person is never satisfied with himself or others so he is always plotting and scheming to take advantage of another person. In contrast, a person who is at peace with himself and others is a person whose heart is filled with joy. The joy promotes peace.

21 No harm comes to the godly,

A person who is good and godly will be wise enough to not put himself in situations that may cause him harm. He dwells in God as his shelter. On the other hand, those who practice evil will end up in situations that are not good and have the potential of continual trouble.

22 The Lord detests lying lips,

As with verses 19 & 20, lying is never wise, and God is opposed to individuals who have chosen a lifestyle that is not truthful. A person who is a habitual liar shows evidence of this every time he opens his mouth. Many times this type of person does not even realize that he is lying. The opposite is someone who always tells the truth. God takes pleasure in such individuals.

23 The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge,

If you are wise and have insight, understanding, and knowledge, there is no reason to flaunt it or to tell others about it. It will be evident in all areas of your life. In the same manner, those who are foolish have a strong desire to proclaim their knowledge to everyone. It will not take long for everyone to understand how foolish they are based on their continual self-proclamation.

24 Work hard and become a leader;

There is no substitute for working hard. When you do, others will see your consistent persistence, ethics, and abilities and will desire to follow your example.  The opposite of this is someone who refuses to work or only works the minimum amount required.  When this happens, they will end up being enslaved by a person who does work hard.

25 Worry weighs a person down;

Worry and stress are harmful and become a burden to anyone who chooses to allow them to control his life. It becomes a heavy weight that restricts the person from living the rich and satisfying life. In contrast to this, when we are free from fear, worry, and stress, then we will have the energy and capacity to proactively encourage others. When we make a habit of encouraging others, we will be refreshed and filled with encouraging cheer also.

26 The godly give good advice to their friends;

A good and Godly person always wants what is best for the other person. He is ready and willing to share advice and instruction when it is needed. The wicked may act as if they desire to assist others, but they selfishly lead others down the wrong path for their own purposes.

27 Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch,

Lazy people waste the resources that they have earned or have been given to them. They are not willing to work hard or do what is necessary to enjoy life and assist others. In contrast to the lazy person, the diligent person works hard and wisely utilizes everything that he has.

28 The way of the godly leads to life;

There are two primary paths in life.  If you follow the way of the godly, then the trail leads you to a rich and satisfying life. When choosing this path, you do not have to be concerned about the outcome because it always leads to life. The path of the wicked is a downhill path of a life of destruction and eventual spiritual death.

That completes our exploration for the nuggets of wisdom found in the 2nd half of Proverbs 12. There are so many that we can apply to our everyday life so that we will become wiser. The key to this section is to be truthful in all that you do because the truth will stand the test of time.

Our next trek is Philosophy Friday when we will forge the trail of attitude within the Cycles and Seasons of Life. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Friday!

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 375 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday on our trek, we will assist you to motivate yourself so that you can maximize your week in creating and living your legacy, which will positively impact your world.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. During this past week as I have been looking out our office windows, I have made two noteworthy observations. First, our two young hawks are now out of their nest and testing their wings. While they are a little unsteady, they are flying pretty well. They continue to preen the fluffy white down from their bodies, as the new dark feathers are now covering them quite well.

The second observation is the damage to the trees from the cicadas laying their eggs is starting to manifest itself. Most of the time the cicadas will pierce the bark on the tips of the new growth at the end of the tree limbs. As the eggs grow into grubs, it kills the tips of the limbs, which eventually fall to the ground. While it does not impact the large oak trees on our properly in a significant way, I did experience the major damage that the 17-year locust caused to the trees in our apple orchard while growing up. It had a major impact on the trees that took several years to recover from.

This past weekend we had the blessing of having four of our grandkids stay with us Friday night and Saturday while Elizabeth and Nat went to see the musical Oklahoma at the newly renovated Peoples Bank Theater here in Marietta. During high school, I played the part of Little Jake in Oklahoma, thanks to my small stature.

We also had the privilege of attending church with Dad on Father’s Day and also treat him to lunch at his favorite restaurant Cracker Barrel. It is motivating to me to invest time with Dad with his simplistic love for life. He has taught me so many lessons as part of his living legacy to me.

It is now time to head out on our trek for today as we consider some guidelines for motivation so that motivation becomes a habit that is integrated into your daily life. Today and next Monday we will explore…

Although it may not be obvious at first, the lack of motivation many times stems from fear. Fear that we will fail. Fear of not knowing how to proceed. Fear of looking foolish. Fear that we are not as good as someone else. We start to see all of the obstacles that on our trail, and we are fearful to move forward because we are not sure how to overcome those obstacles. I still suffer from some of these thoughts, and I consider myself both optimistic and motivated most of the time. Some have called this the imposter syndrome, where we lack the motivation to move forward because we lack confidence.

To stay motivated, you need to have a burning passion and desire to succeed and reach your goals regardless of the obstacles on your trail of life. Henry Ford put it this way, “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”  You also need to have a plan in place to continue on as Proverbs 21:5 tells us, “Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.”

One of the biggest challenges in meeting any goal, whether it be related to productivity, waking early, changing a habit, exercising, or just becoming happier, is finding the motivation to stick with it. If you can stick with a goal for long enough, then there is a chance that it will become a habit. Once a habit is formed, then it becomes part of your normal routine of life. It just takes patience and persistence. Habitual motivation is the key, but creating motivation as a habit is not easy. As I have learned over the years, very few things in life are worth having if they are easily obtained.

What follows is a guide to motivation using what I’ve learned over the last few years in a series of successful accomplishments, goals, and habit changes. I’ve had many failures but also many successes, and I’ve learned a lot from all of them. Motivation has been a particularly important topic of exploration for me.

Keep in mind as I mentioned two weeks ago, motivation is always an inside job. In other words, you must motivate yourself through an internal drive. All external motivation is temporary at best and usually completely non-effective.

Through this internal motivation, Paula and I have been able to achieve significant accomplishments over the past 37 years from raising and homeschooling our five children to starting and running our own businesses for 31 years to being very active in church and completing major renovations to The Big House. I do not say this to brag at all because we do not have special talents or abilities. We are quite ordinary, but we have set goals and objectives in our lives that were stronger than the obstacles that have fallen into our paths. Yes, we have failed in some areas, but we just climbed over the boulders that blocked the trail and kept on going. With the proper internal motivation, you can also achieve what may seem impossible to others.

Before we get into specific methods, it’s useful to examine what motivation is, what it does, and how it works. Motivation is what drives you toward a goal, what keeps you going when things get tough, the reason you get up early to exercise, or work late to finish a project. There are all kinds of motivations, of course, from positive to negative. Having a boss threaten to fire you is motivation — you’ll likely work harder to complete a project with that kind of pressure. That type of motivation will only work until that threat has passed. I find that positive internal motivation works much better and lasts longer. If it’s something you really want to do, you’ll do a much better job than to avoid something you don’t want (such as being fired).

Internal motivation provides the catalyst to drive you on even when you don’t necessarily want to. There may be times, for example, when you don’t feel like getting up early to exercise, and in those times, you may seriously just want to sleep in. I find myself with those same feelings almost every morning. If you have a reason to want to get up early, something you desire strong enough, you will get up and pay the price now, so that you don’t have to pay a much larger price later.

You may be thinking, how do I instill this internal drive so that I can accomplish meaningful and significant goals and objectives?  Here are some tips to help you.

I’ve found that it’s important to start out with the right motivation because a good start can build momentum that you can sustain for a long time. If you start out with the correct mindset, you have a much better chance of building that internal drive. Here are some tips if you are just starting out.

That completes this segment of the Guide to Motivation Trail for today. Next Monday we will continue on this trail as we explore ways to sustain motivation when you struggle. Our next trek will be Wisdom Wednesday, and we will dig for more nuggets of wisdom found in Proverbs 12. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Wednesday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. Just as you enjoy your 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 374 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday on our trek we ponder life, consider our purpose within life, and how we can make the greatest impact on the world around us.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Paula should be heading back to Marietta on Friday and will be dropping Mom Jarvis off at her sister’s as we are making our final preparations for the reunion and will be traveling the week after that. Our daughter Elizabeth and Nat are celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary, so we have the blessing of watching four of our grandkids on Friday night and Saturday.

We also continue to prepare for the Chamberlain reunion, which starts in two weeks. The following week Paula and I will be driving to Chicago for the Podcast Movement Conference. At the conference, I have the privilege of speaking at one of the sessions about creating and living your legacy. We are also honored that Wisdom-Trek has been nominated for the Academy of Podcasters Award in the Religion and Spirituality category. In addition to that, our client work has been steady but not overwhelming this week, so it has allowed us a bit more time to focus on some of our longer term projects.

It is now time to head out on the third trail of our trek for Philosophy Friday as we consider and ponder The Cycles and Seasons of Life.

This is the third Philosophy Friday trek within this series as we consider how others impact our lives and legacy either positively or negatively and how we must consciously choose who we invest a significant amount of time with. Today we will continue along that same trail.

Life is a delicate maneuver of selection, rejection, review, and change. Each person entering your world brings either a contribution or destruction. Trying to accommodate everyone is to invite certain disaster. Those with poisonous attitudes, strange opinions, and caustic conversations love to look for someone accommodating or nice who will listen to them. They love to dump their verbal garbage into the mental factory of anyone willing to listen. A major challenge in life is that you must learn the art of standing guard at the doorway of your mind. Carefully examine the credentials and authority of those seeking to enter within that place where your attitudes are formed.

The words, opinions, and comments of others are constantly shaping your mind and life. You must be careful who you invest time with because subtly, the conversations of fear, gloom, despair, complaining, condemning, and criticizing are forming your temporary moods and your permanent personality and character. Remember that 

Children are often told by well-intentioned but misguided parents that they are bad, naughty, selfish, or shy. Teachers by their actions or their expressions sometimes report to the parents that their child is slow, uncooperative, or poor as a student.

Throughout your early years, you may have been subjected to impulsive remarks of those who were unaware that it was those very words that were forming your character. As we become adults, we then seem to choose to associate with those most like you. The weak attract the weak; the poor are most comfortable with the poor; the successful are drawn toward those who are successful; those of optimistic views and attitudes select those of their own kind.  The old proverb “Birds of a feather flock together” is certainly true.

Fortunately, once you recognize this, you can change your flock if needed. What you have become as an adult largely determines the kind of people, events, books, TV programs, and lifestyle that you select to invest your time.

If you are ever going to change your personal and financial circumstances from one level up to another, you must accept the fact that such progress consists of “doing” as well as “un-doing.” Many of the events and people who currently influence you must be sacrificed. Those sources of doubt, worry, negativity, greed, and selfishness must be cut free, for as long as that influence remains, change will not likely occur.

If you attempt to change yourself or your circumstances without severing the “mental anchors,” which you have attached to yourself then change is nearly impossible. “Undoing” the past is difficult enough by itself even without the constant influence of those who, by their conversation, remarks, or attitudes keep pulling you back toward that which you are trying to leave behind.

Does the following scenario sound like you?  You are constantly trying to make ends meet and are paying only a portion of your debts, you’re buying the bargain-priced clothes, shopping to save a few pennies on a can of beans, and the countless other things because you are unable to earn enough money.  If so, the day needs to come when you combine the right mixture of anger, frustration, humiliation, confidence, determination, and courage to say — “Never again!” Your resolve to change yourself, and your situation needs to be unshakeable. You will need to thrust yourselves into reading the right books, dressing the right way, thinking the right thoughts, and going to the right places. Your life must be committed toward changing your life for the better.

After your new found commitment and new excitement, determination, and effort, imagine for a moment, what are your chances of success if you return and continue to be influenced by those whose voices ring with discouragement, ridicule, fear, and exaggerated doubt. There will always be the negative family member or friend who is there to say “For someone who’s always been broke, you’re sure putting on quite a show. Yeah, good luck with your changed life!”

If you make the commitment to changing your life, you must be very careful of the situation in this story. If you don’t change your environment, you will be subjected to and conflicted by both your “new determination to succeed” as well as to those close to you whose words remind you of an unproductive past.  It is like being on a mental elevator ride; you move upward with your thoughts and actions, but some thoughtless person keeps pushing the “down button,” bringing you back to where you mentally began.

Your new confidence quickly gives way to old doubt; your new actions are overcome by old fears; and finally, you may return once more to that kind of thinking which puts you on your mental and financial knees. Having brought you back from your world of dreams, ambition, and accomplishments with their well-meant but destructive opinions, your friends celebrate by inviting you to their Friday night party where once again you become active participants in the jokes, sarcasm, and gossip of those content with their own mediocrity. Having exchanged your dreams of a new life for the acceptance of old things, you make the quiet transition to never again try, plan, dream, explore, or achieve.

The value of surrounding yourself with the right friends is immeasurably awesome. The danger of surrounding yourself with the wrong friends can be devastating. Perhaps a good theme might be— “Friendship in proportion to the right personal growth from that friendship.”

Be very aware that the “right” friends should not be equated to those who seem to have the “most” money. It is the attitudes, awareness, and other positive human virtues of the friends you select that are of importance. Not all poor people make poor friends, nor do all rich friends have an enriching effect on your lives. Carefully examine the “friends” you have…not their assets or accomplishments. By examining your friends from both ends of the financial spectrum, you may discover there are several rich as well as poor “friends” whom you can no longer afford to associate.

As my mentor Jim Rohn is quoted as saying, “You are the average of the five people that you spend the most time with.” If this is, in fact, the case, then you need to analyze who you invest the most time with and how they are influencing you in any or all areas of life. If you do not like what you discover, then you need to begin the process of change. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can change other people to be what you want them to be. It is difficult enough to change yourself and impossible to change others.

You may be able to positively impact others to change their mindset. But beware that it is a slow process, and they have to choose to change. You must be very careful if you choose to associate with those who may negatively impact you in any manner. As 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”

I feel strongly that this also applies to our mindset. You become what you dwell on in your minds. All of our minds are impacted significantly by those that we invest a lot of time with. Although it may be hard to distance yourself from negative influences, it is imperative. This does not mean you shun or alienate others, but realizing that anything that impacts you negatively should be minimized. It is your responsibility to maximize your God-given potential as Ephesians 5:15 tells us, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” 

That is the end of the trail for today as we pondered the Cycles and Seasons of Life once again. On our trek, we learned the huge impact and influence our family, friends, and associates really have on our mindset and our lives.

Next Friday we will expand this concept as we hike the Trail of Attitude. We need to make sure what we allow in our minds will help us to grow and succeed. As mentioned in Philippians 4:8, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Carefully choose those individuals that you invest time with.  The life you live will be impacted by those choices.

So make wise choices, and one of the best ways to gain wisdom is to participate in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Our next trek will be Motivation Monday, and for the next couple of Monday’s, we will explore a Guide to Motivation. 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 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Friday!

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 373 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday on our trek, we will dig for the nuggets of wisdom found in the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the first part of chapter 12.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As I continue to work in and around The Big House, Paula headed south to Charlotte for a few days to collect the mail, meet with her quilting group, and take her mom to a doctor’s appointment. She should head back to Marietta on Friday if all goes according to plan. I have finished sanding the upstairs and downstairs hallways and both flights of stairs. I am working on cleaning up the dust and getting ready to start applying polyurethane to the woodwork and floors. We continue on our trek of life, one day at a time.

As we head up Wisdom’s trail today, let’s start digging for those nuggets that, if applied to your life, will truly make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. We will explore Proverbs 12:1-16 today, and the title of this trek is:

One thing that I really like about the wisdom nuggets in Proverbs is the compare and contrast element of most verses. Solomon does not mince words in most of the passages, so it is easy to understand and apply to our lives. So let’s start right in with verse 1.

1 To learn, you must love discipline;

One area that I don’t think is taught well at home or in school is that if you desire to learn, it is required that we integrate discipline into our daily lives. In fact, we should love that discipline. Most of us would not describe discipline as something that we love, but just as love for another person is a choice, we must choose to love discipline if we desire to learn. If we instead hate discipline and correction, then we will be considered stupid. There is little difference between someone who cannot learn and someone who will not learn.

2 The Lord approves of those who are good,

We all like approval of others, and it is even more crucial that we are approved by God. If we live according to His Word and precepts, then we will have that approval. In contrast, those who habitually plan wicked deeds will not have the same approval from God.

3 Wickedness never brings stability,

A life that that is lived contrary to God’s Word will be shallow and have no substance to it. This is a foolish person who builds his house on sand. A life that is grounded in God’s Word will have deep roots and a solid foundation, just like a person who builds his house on solid rock.

4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,

Speaking from my own experience of having a worthy wife, I can certainly agree with this proverb. Paula is a shining crown in my life. On the other hand, I have seen marriages where a nagging and complaining wife eats at the core of her husband. Of course, an unloving husband will also be cancer to his wife.

5 The plans of the godly are just;

When you are able to obtain counsel from those who have high moral integrity you will know that their advice and plans will be fair, both to you and the person giving advice. This is not true of a selfish, proud, and wicked person. Beware of accepting their advice, or you will be tricked by their schemes.

6 The words of the wicked are like a murderous ambush,

Wicked people cannot be trusted.  When you least expect it, their words of advice will turn on you, your plans, and cause you harm. On the other hand, you know when someone has your interest in mind because it will be life giving.

7 The wicked die and disappear,

This verse is at the very heart of creating and living a legacy each day. If you lack integrity and moral goodness, then you leave nothing positive for future generations to carry forward. Contrast that to a person who has integrity and moral goodness, and those traits will be integrated into their family and will stand the test of time throughout eternity through the generations that follow.

8 A sensible person wins admiration,

If you desire to be respected and appreciated, then it is also required that you be kind and sensible when dealing with others. You cannot demand or force people to admire you, it is something that you earn over time by how you treat them. On the other side of that is a person who demands respect and admiration. That person will be despised.

9 Better to be an ordinary person with a servant

This situation was true in Solomon’s day and probably more so in our western cultures. We see those who spend borrowed money on things to make them look better in the eyes of people who really don’t care or matter. In the end, they end up in debt, barely able to take care of their basic needs. It would be much better to live the modest life of an ordinary person and yet have the ability to obtain those things that have true value in life.

10 The godly care for their animals,

Those who honor God will treat all living creatures with care and respect. Those who do not honor God will not only be cruel to their own animals but also to their family and friends.

11 A hard worker has plenty of food,

There is no substitute or tradeoff for working hard. If we consistently work hard over a long period of time, do not spend money foolishly, or borrow money for that which is not a necessity, then we will always have the ability to pay for those items that are life’s necessities. When you really analyze your spending, you will realize that very few things we spend money on are really necessities. If a person chases every get rich scheme on the market, he is not only senseless but also poor in so many ways.

12 Thieves are jealous of each other’s loot,

When you attempt to obtain wealth through illegal or unethical means, then you will always be jealous of someone else who has slightly more. The good and godly person remains on solid ground, realizing that the only lasting wealth is obtained by planting and harvesting during the correct seasons of life.

13 The wicked are trapped by their own words,

A common trait of those who practice evil is that they talk too much. In doing so, their evil intents will be found out, and they will be trapped by what they said. A wise and godly person only speaks when they have something worthwhile to say. They also speak the truth, so they are not trapped by lies.

14 Wise words bring many benefits,

A wise person will speak few, but wise words. They will benefit both themselves and others through this discipline. The same wise person realizes that there is a direct correlation between working hard and the rewards that can be obtained by doing so.

15 Fools think their own way is right,

Foolish people are usually talking so much that the only one that they really convince is themselves. A truly wise person will spend most of his time listening and analyzing what is being said and will only speak when it is appropriate to do so.

16 A fool is quick-tempered,

A foolish person is immature and impatient. He will get angry because he does not get his own way. In contrast, a wise person will listen, consider the source, and remain calm. The person has enough confidence in who he is that he doesn’t need to express anger when insulted by foolish people. 

The nuggets on today’s trail are plentiful indeed. If we will take the time to listen to them, have the discipline to learn their lessons, and speak only when appropriate, then indeed we will be on the trail to gaining more wisdom. What do you struggle with in what we learned on today’s trek? Take some time to apply these truths to your life.

One great way to do this is to remember to be faithful in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday where we will continue on the trails of the Cycles and Seasons of Life. I have some great information to share, you won’t want to miss. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Friday!

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 372 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Each Monday our trek is designed to motivate and encourage you to make a significant positive impact on the lives of others. Today our trek will take us to the land where we can achieve anything that we set our minds to.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we continue inside and out on our renovation projects, I power washed the fences around “The Cabbage Patch” house my brother Jack owns, the children’s play fort, and the trim and front porch of The Big House. The temperatures over the weekend were in the 90s, so it was great to be working with and getting soaked by using the power-washer. We were also able to use the walk behind weed trimmer around the house, the trees, and the path through the woods.

Between our client work and the renovation projects, we do work hard and are able to accomplish a significant amount, but it is not because we have any special abilities or talents. We have a drive and motivation to accomplish certain goals and tasks. We also have a belief that we can achieve anything if our desire is greater than the work and risk involved.

As we head out on our trek today on the Trail of Motivation, let us travel to that Promised Land where we can achieve anything that we desire, as I title today’s trek…

Is there a goal you want to accomplish but just cannot find the time or desire to start it? It might be something trivial like reducing your amount of TV watching or time spent browsing the Internet. You may desire to become an early riser or to quit drinking alcohol or to start a home business. Whatever it is, what is keeping you where you are instead of reaching your desired destination?

While I consider myself a pretty disciplined and motivated person, I too struggle at times with staying focused on my highest payoff activities that will bring the most value to my life. Overcoming these mental blocks and actually taking action towards our most important activities needs to be our focus on a daily basis.

Setting routines which form habits, even in the small mundane tasks of life, is an important element in actually achieving your dreams and desires. If you can continue these smaller tasks for a couple of weeks consistently, then push for continuing for a full month. If you can consistently do it for a month, you will have habituated the activity into your daily rhythm and be able to keep it up for a very long period of time. Even when you run into obstacles, if it is a habit, you will be able to continue forward.

The point of this podcast and journal is to extract the lessons needed for achieving a goal successfully and then applying those lessons to other areas of your life. In doing so, you will also have to analyze why you have failed to achieve your dreams and desires. Many mistakes are unavoidable. Learn to forgive yourself. It’s not a problem to make them. It’s only a problem if you never learn from them.

Bottom line:  Just because you have not achieved the level of success you desire yet, doesn’t mean you never will.  Sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right. That is how you gain experience, which is how you grow in wisdom, which allows you to live a legacy that will positively impact others. So, let’s analyze some of the reasons for failure.

All of us fall into this trap.  You have to realize that the excuse “I don’t have the time” is the biggest lie you can tell yourself to justify your lack of action toward your goals and desires. You have to change your mindset, and even your talk from “I don’t have the time” to “I choose not to allocate the time.” The fact is if we added all the time we spend on unimportant and not urgent things – like web browsing or TV watching – we would have the time.

It may be that you have over-committed yourself. You need to say no to commitments and distractions unless they are your highest payoff activities, which are the trails that lead you to fulfill your life objectives and purpose.

We all have 168 hours each week, so it is not about having enough time. It is all about allocating the time to what is most important. It’s a matter of finding the compelling reasons why something is important enough to us to drive us to make lasting change.

The more you focus on the uncomfortable or negative factors associated with the goals and objectives that you desire to achieve, the less motivated you will be and the more excuses you will make until you end up abandoning it altogether. The “WHY” of achieving your objectives must be stronger than the pain you will have to endure to achieve it.

You must be fully clear on why you desire to achieve a goal or objective. What is your underlying incentive to complete it? It has been scientifically determined that you will do more to avoid pain than you will to gain pleasure. The perceived long-term effects of not completing your goals must be more painful than the pain that you will endure on the short term of not completing your goals. As an example, let’s say you are overweight and borderline diabetic. The perceived pain of life using insulin must be greater than the pain of changing your eating habits, even if that is painful short term.

This is best explained by using an example. Say you are out of shape but desire to become a long distance runner. You must change your language, focus, and priority from “I should go jogging”, to “I must go jogging to gain the energy and strength needed to reach my objective.”

When something is a “should,” it is wishful thinking, and you won’t accomplish the tasks consistently. When something is a “must,” it becomes a priority and even a requirement that deserves your attention. When you change your self-talk from “should” to “must,” your focused attention will bring about lasting change and meeting your objectives will become a reality.

The decision to make a lasting change can happen in an instant, and then the change process is immediately put in motion. Instead of thinking about it and silently beating yourself up for not doing it, with a changed mindset you just do it. It is no longer an option!

Unfortunately for many people, the best motivators are the ones you find when you hit a personal low point. As an example, you don’t want to wait to be lying in the hospital with a heart attack before making lasting changes to your diet and exercise routines. Your desire to be healthy must drive the result. You must be very clear on why you desire to achieve this goal and objective

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has a system that he curated called OPA which stands for:

Let’s expand on these so they apply to your life.

You may have vague ideas on what you desire. You roughly know which trail you want to trek, but because you aren’t clear on what is your true destination, you get buffeted by whichever direction the wind is blowing. Without a clear vision, you will obsess over “the how” and often overanalyze and fail to take action or take ineffective action. What is the ultimate vision for what you want? Be specific in describing the outcome you desire.

Knowing what you want isn’t enough to give you the push toward massive action. You must know why you want it. Why is it important that you achieve your desired result? When you achieve this outcome, what will it bring you? Without strong enough reasons, you simply will not be moved into action. Ask yourself these questions: Why do you desire to achieve the target outcome? What are the reasons most important to you? What does achieving the outcome look like for you?

Armed with your clear vision of the outcome and with the burning reasons why it is important to you, come up with an action plan for achieving the results you seek. Once you have your action plan, take one small action immediately. Then commit yourself to taking some action regularly (every day if possible) toward your target. Regardless of how small the action may seem, it will move you one step closer to your outcome, and – more importantly – help build the momentum you will need to reach your destination.

Within the Wisdom-Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint, we have created the structure and tools needed to achieve anything that you desire in life. The free manual/workbook is still available for a limited time on the left-hand sidebar of any page on our website at Wisdom-Trek.com. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to download it today.

You are the ultimate author of your life story. Within yourself, you hold the power to change anything in your lives, and in doing so, experience the rich and satisfying life that Jesus promised you. Lasting change starts with a change in the way you think – a clear vision for your desired results, meaningful reasons why you desire them, and building momentum toward massive action to make your visions a reality.

We have reached our destination on our trek today, which is the land that allows you to achieve anything you desire. I will conclude today’s trek with an encouraging word from Hebrews 12:1-3,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

Remember to be faithful in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Our next trek will be Wisdom Wednesday where we will hike the Wisdom Trail in search of the nuggets of wisdom found in Proverbs 12. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along on Wednesday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Wednesday!

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 371 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Each Friday our trek will be philosophical in nature, and this is the 2nd week of the trek that is focused on The Cycles and Seasons of Life.  This information is a combination of my own life experiences and learning from one of my virtual mentors Jim Rohn as well as others.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. During the past month, we removed and refinished the name and address signs that hung at the entrance of our driveway. We finally hung them back out, and we are pleased with the results.

I am continuing to work on sanding the stairs and the downstairs hallway and foyer. Hopefully, I will be able to start applying polyurethane to the woodwork and floors next week. There is also a small amount of crown molding trim that needs to be finished by our contractor, so hopefully, he will be able to work that into his schedule this next week. Renovations on a large old home are never ending, but we do enjoy the process.

This is true of every aspect of our lives. There are different phases and seasons that we go through. If we live wisely, we will have much to be thankful for and enjoy the journey each day. This does not mean that we will hike a smooth trail every day but it does mean that we will be prepared for the rocks, limbs, washouts, and other obstacles that we encounter on our trek of life. If we are adequately prepared, then we will navigate life successfully.

It is now time to set out on our trek for today as we continue to consider how our environment affects our circumstances within the:

One of the most important aspects of how successful you are in all areas of life is who and what you allow to influence you, especially what you allow permeating your mind.

You sometimes can accumulate a mixture of the people and situations of life, which, if not altered in some way, will assure that your future, will be just about like your past. That could be either a positive or negative aspect of your future. Moving positively forward within your life does have its price, for each positive gain you make automatically produces a loss or a sacrifice in some other area of life.

With that understanding, even if you try to avoid it, you will be affected in a negative way by something each day. One of the great challenges of life is to have both the wisdom to recognize those sources of negativity, and the courage to cast them aside, if necessary. None of us would voluntarily drink a glass of deadly poison if we knew what it was, and yet each of us has friends, relatives, or business associates whose effect on us is just as deadly as the glass of poison.

The difference is that one form of poison kills instantly. Once consumed, the body recoils, weakens, and then all bodily functions cease. The other “poisons” that we receive from those we associate with kill hopes, ambitions, enthusiasm, and the thirst for achievement. The methods are different, but the ultimate result is the same. There is very little difference between one who has given up his life and one who has given up his hope.

There are those who will laugh if you read useful books, and yet there is little difference between those who cannot read and those who will not read—the result of both is ignorance.

There are those who will discourage you when you search for a better occupation or focus, and yet it is essential that you find your calling and purpose in life if true happiness is to be found. The interesting point here to note is that a calling and purpose do not have to be some grand or magnificent feat that changes the world. It can be small seemingly insignificant daily faithfulness that will change the life of someone in your world, maybe even your own.

There are those who will frown upon you if you set ambitious goals, and yet without goals there can be no achievement. And without achievement, life will continue to be as it has been.

There are those who will gossip about you if you are doing well, and yet there can be no cause for rejoicing among those who are doing poorly.

There are those who will whine, cry, and try to guilt you if you take another trail in search of a better life, and yet you must sometimes turn away from those whose effect limits you—in spite of the tears and false guilt.

There are those who will hate you when you achieve an improved life, and yet there can be little happiness in poverty nor love between those who choose to endure it.

One of the disappointments of life is that friends will abandon you when you begin to change your life for the better, and yet those who remain behind will say, “You have forgotten us now that your life is improved.” You must flip this thinking upside down. It is those who accept their mediocrity who choose to “remain behind.”

When you do achieve a successful life in any or all aspects, it should be your desire to return to your earlier friends and embrace them in friendship and love, even if they did not treat you the same. It may be surprising, though, because of the jealousy among those who remain behind they will not be accepting of you. As harsh as it may sound, you have to realize their mindset is their choice, and you must keep moving forward, even when they choose not to.

As I am approaching 60, I have come to realize that which you may also experience. It is often difficult to pause in the middle of your life for the purpose of sifting out the debris that you have collected throughout your years. If you are like most of us, you tend to accumulate and cling to ideas that limit your progress. You cherish friendships even though the friendships impede your personal growth. You allow yourself acquaintances whose conversation affects or destroys your attitude about life and people. Sometimes you maintain business associates although those associates teach you immoral, illegal, or unethical practices. In the workplace, you may learn shortcuts for increasing profits while decreasing quality. In countless ways, you wander through life allowing people, their attitudes, and ideas to mold your character—people whose attitudes and ideas have brought themselves little progress, productivity, or happiness in life.

Unpopular as it may seem, you may be accumulating people, customs, attitudes, habits, opinions, and philosophies, which you very simply cannot afford to keep—if you seek honestly after an improved life. Friendships are indeed valuable, but so is the human life. And, it is foolish to fall short of your potential because you fear alienating a friend that may not be good for your long-term growth. I am in no way encouraging not treating others with kindness and love, but you have to be very careful of how much time you invest with those that are toxic to your life. The return on your investment may be devastating.

Here is an example of what I mean. You gather with a few business friends for lunch, which may be a common, everyday occurrence. If you are not careful, in one hour you satisfy your hunger for food, gossip, ridicule, and condemnation of those not present. You then repeat half-truths brought to you through hearsay. You find yourself complaining about government, politicians, management, coworkers, traffic, taxes, weather, and the “system,” while doing nothing to produce solutions and change for any of these situations. Even if the conversation does reveal solutions, you make no effort to communicate them to those who can possibly implement them, accepting things for the way they are.

If your attitudes, results, or happiness is to ever improve, you must exercise the painful discipline required for “weeding out” the garden of your life. Eating alone is better than mingling with those whose conversation is negative. Canceling the appointment is better than keeping the appointment with those whom will simply waste your time.

Changing the conversation is better than prolonging a conversation designed to degrade someone. Telling the whole, painful truth is better than a half-truth distorted to make yourself look or sound good. Saying “no” is better than saying “yes” to something you don’t want to do, or to someone you don’t want to be with. Being firm is better than being courteous to those whose caustic personality does not justify courtesy. The improvement of your personal circumstances means that you must learn to do what those who fail are simply not willing to do.

Better than many of the wrong friends are a few of the right friends. Better than a few of the wrong friends are no friends at all! Be careful of who you allow influencing your life. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, he wrote in Chapter 15:33, “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” A better way to design a successful life is to always encourage others as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

On the trail of The Cycles and Seasons of Life today, we have uncovered some basic truths about how easily others can affect our mindset and life direction. Let us not drink their poison any longer but take the shackles of wrong relationships off and be set free to pursue a friendship with those that are hiking on the same trail with us toward a common destination.

Remember to be faithful in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. Our next trek will be Motivation Monday when we will hike the trail to a land where we can achieve anything. 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. Just as you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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!

As we begin our 2nd year of Wisdom-Trek, we are shifting from a daily podcast and creating three themed treks per week, which will be Motivation Monday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Philosophy Friday.  Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 370 of our trek, and today will be our Wisdom Wednesday trek. Each Wednesday our trek will focus on digging for those nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We have been keeping very busy with our activities in and around The Big House this week. I am sanding the floors in the upstairs and downstairs hallway/foyer and the front and back stairways. The dust certainly makes a mess, but the results are well worth the temporary inconvenience. We have the Crescent Rose Garden replanted with pink and red Knock-Out Roses and Rhododendrons. It is looking really nice.

We are continuing to work on our client and podcasting projects in many different areas, and I keep reminding myself to take it one day at a time. That is what makes for a successful life.

Now it is time to set out on our trek for today as we head up the Wisdom Trail and dig for those nuggets of wisdom that are buried within the 2nd half of Proverbs 11.

17 Your kindness will reward you,

It is imperative that we are kind to all people at all times. Although this is difficult with some people, we never know what another person is going through. In the same thought, you desire others to be kind to you. Kindness has its reward built within it. If you are not kind to others, then rarely will others be kind to you.

18 Evil people get rich for the moment,

A person with evil intentions may be able to gain temporary riches, but eventually, it will catch up with them, and they will suffer the consequences. If you are honest in your dealings and transactions in life even if you do not gain large amounts of monetary riches, your reward will be a life well lived.

19 Godly people find life;

Those that practice being good and godly will find a life that is worth living because they will see the goodness in others. Their outlook on life will be one that is positive. In contrast, those that are evil will see evil everywhere they look, and their lives will be dead, difficult to live.

20 The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,

God is a god of justice, so He does not look favorably on those that have evil intentions in their lives and make it a practice of living life without morality. Since God is justice, He delights if our hearts, lives, and actions are filled with doing what is right and good. This is the description of a person with integrity.

21 Evil people will surely be punished,

Although it is difficult to see it sometimes in our world, evil will be punished. It is a punishment in and of itself. Those that are evil see the world as evil, which is not a pleasant place to live. They will be in bondage to their evil practices. As we live our legacy for good each day, not only will we be free to live a rich and satisfying life, but it will also allow our children and grandchildren to live a life of freedom.

22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion

Solomon uses a humorous analogy in this verse, but one that is so true. If a woman, or man, no matter how beautiful they are, lack discretion, then it’s just like trying to make a pig beautiful. No matter whether you put a gold ring in its snout or lipstick on its lips, it is still a pig. This is especially meaningful in the Hebrew culture, as a pig is considered a filthy and despised animal and was forbidden to be eaten under their dietary laws.

23 The godly can look forward to a reward,

It is always right to do right. When you live honestly, you never have to be concerned about what you say or do to another. This gives a peace of mind and internal freedom that will enable you to live your best, which is indeed a reward. Wicked people judge others by their own lifestyles. They expect others to be evil, so that is what they see in others.  Life itself becomes their punishment.

24 Give freely and become more wealthy;

25 The generous will prosper;

26 People curse those who hoard their grain,

Verses 24-26 are all on the same topic, which is being generous to others. It is a basic principle of life. If you are wise with what you obtain through hard work and perseverance, then you will have more than enough for yourself and should be willing and able to give to others.  It is part of our living legacy to allow the resources that we have obtained to flow through us to the benefit of others. It is the abundance mindset to realize there is more than enough for everyone.  It is the law of giving and receiving.  The realization that we will truly be blessed and refreshed only to the measure that we are willing to bless and refresh others is a powerful one.

27 If you search for good, you will find favor;

Another basic principle of life is that how we see others and the world at large is what our world will be. If we see good and abundance in the world, then we will find goodness and abundance and be able to live the rich and satisfying life. If we see the world as an evil and scary place and think that everyone is out to get us, then that is exactly how our world will be. It is up to us what our world is like.

28 Trust in your money and down you go!

There is no security in money or any earthly wealth. It is fleeting as a summer rain in the desert, that soaks the ground for a few minutes, and then the ground is dried and cracked. If we instead place our trust in God for our wealth, then we will have abundant real growth in our lives that will last.

29 Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.

Throughout the scriptures, the family unit is very important.  If we do not take care of our family properly from a financial, spiritual, and emotional basis, their inheritance will be fleeting as the wind. Also, if we are foolish in the matter of our families, we will be forever be servants to those who are making wise choices.

30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;

What we plant in this world will be what we harvest. It is another basic principle of life. Our small seeds of kindness and goodness will produce a bountiful return and will bring life to all those that we impact. Through this principle, we will be wise, and others will seek us out to be our friends.

31 If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,

One of the basic principles of life is that our lives will be strongly influenced by how we view the world. If we are living right, good and godly lives, we will have the rich and satisfying life that is possible. This will be the opposite for those who view the world as evil and live a life in manner. Their “reward” will be one of problems and evil in this life.

On the Trail of Wisdom today, we have uncovered many nuggets of wisdom that we can apply to our lives immediately. We will experience life as we perceive it. A wise person will see a life of abundance, and in doing so will also be generous in all ways to others. So much of our life is influenced by our mindset. While some days it is harder to control than others, it is still our responsibility to live a life positively and with an abundance mindset. This will ensure that our living legacy will positively impact generations throughout eternity.

Remember to be faithful in the Proverbs 31-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday where we will continue on our trail learning about the cycles and seasons of life. You won’t want to miss it, so encourage your friends and family to join us. Then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. Just as you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 tomorrow!

With the beginning of our 2nd year of Wisdom-Trek as of June 1st, we have made some changes to the frequency and format of Wisdom-Trek. We are creating three themed treks per week, which will be Motivation Monday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Philosophy Friday. Each daily trek will be approximately 12 minutes in length, so slightly longer than previously but still easy to listen to in one session.

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days per week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 369 of our trek, and today will be our Motivation Monday episode. Each Monday our trek will focus on motivating and inspiring you for the week.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our renovations and outside work at The Big House continues as we incrementally make progress. We mowed the lawn again, and I was able to apply a coat of polyurethane to the 2-foot gliders. I am ready to sand the upstairs hallway and stairs this week.

We had the privilege of watching four of our grandkids on Friday evening, which is always enjoyable. Of course, Gramps is transformed into a monster while they are visiting, and we all get great exercise as I chase them through the various rooms in pursuit of their capture. I am motivated to invest time with the grandkids so that I can be a living legacy to them that they will carry on into future generations.

Now it is time to set out on our trek for today as we head up the Trail of Motivation as we consider what motivation is and how to stay motivated positively each day. While some people may say that motivation does not last as my virtual mentor, Zig Ziglar said, “I’ve heard it, too: ‘Motivation is temporary,’ and I agree. But then, so is bathing and eating, but if you do both of them on a daily basis, you will live longer and smell better in the process.”

Motivation and enthusiasm is manifested through your desire and interest and becomes a driving force that pushes you to take action and pursue goals. However, it often happens that you have the desire and interest, but you lack the motivation. This is a frustrating situation since you have goals and objectives that you would like to accomplish but cannot get enough inner strength and motivation to act.

There are many reasons for the lack of motivation. It could be due to a weak desire, laziness, or shyness, and it could be due to lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. In some cases, the reason is a physical or mental problem, which may require professional help.

Lack of motivation and lack of enthusiasm are two of the main reasons for failure and of living a mediocre life. You cannot blame other people if you lack the enthusiasm to take action to follow your goals and desires. Motivation is always an inside job. In other words, you must motivate yourself through an internal drive. All external motivation is temporary at best and usually completely non-effective.

Lack of motivation and enthusiasm can show up everywhere, at home, at work, in relationships, in pursuing goals and in everything else. This often creates indifference, unhappiness, and dissatisfaction.  On our trek today, let’s explore the signposts that will help us to navigate this area of your life.

The reasons mentioned above stifle motivation and enthusiasm and are only excuses for not acting. You must learn to overcome and disregard them by becoming aware of them, acknowledging them, and understanding that you can change the programming of your mind by changing the way you think.

Sometimes, you may have short bursts of motivation or enthusiasm. You start acting enthusiastically, but lose interest and motivation after a while, because you find it hard to sustain motivation or enthusiasm. We all struggle with this at times, but you cannot let it control you.

If you wish to improve in any area of your life, you need to wake up the sleeping giants of motivation and enthusiasm. They are powerful and effective, but only you can rouse them from their slumber. Your internal desire to accomplish goals and dreams must be greater than the consequence of not achieving what you desire. Continually remind yourself how much you lose if you allow them to sleep and how much you gain by forcing them to assist you.

The best way to accomplish your dreams, especially those that are large is to break them down into small manageable pieces that can easily be accomplished. This can be done, no matter how large your dreams are.  Remember that the only way to move your mountains is by carry away one stone at a time. Otherwise, laziness, absence of energy, and procrastination will set in. Think about how small an ant is, and yet in comparison to their size they are true mountain movers. As Proverbs 6:6-9 reminds us,

Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.

Instead of suffering and feeling uncomfortable and passive, it would be much better to wake up the motivation inside you to take action and do things. This will make you feel much better, happier and more satisfied. As an example, it is similar to what I experience nearly every morning. I would rather stay in my warm bed covered with blankets than force myself up to exercise and run for 70 minutes. So, why do I do it? My internal motivation is to remain healthy and fit physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, so I get up to make that happen. That desire is greater than my desire for a few more minutes of sleep.

Procrastination, laziness, indifference, and passivity cause unhappiness, weakness and lack of satisfaction. Being enthusiastic, motivated, and active brings a sense of joy, strength, and power. By getting motivated, you take action, do things, take your mind off problems and difficulties, and focus on finding solutions and achieving success.

This means finding out what really matters to you and what actions would bring benefits and improvement into your life and into the life of the people around you.

Think deeply, and discover what is your real purpose and related goals in life, but also don’t forget to focus your attention on the little things of life, where just a little motivation is needed to keep you going.

If you need additional skills, get the skills you need to take you to the finish line in whatever you do! Get the extra push, energy, and perseverance to accomplish any task and to reach any goal.  The next two sign post provide us with simple methods anyone can use.

Start by doing small or not so important tasks, which you usually avoid doing. This can help you increase your inner strength and wake up the motivation giant. When your inner strength grows, you will be able to push yourself to accomplish greater tasks, even if you are not motivated enough to do them now.

When this happens, you will possess the ability to focus on what you want to do and awaken the energy you need. Here are a few examples of some small tasks:

Short spurts of enthusiasm or motivation are not enough to accomplish anything of value. You need to keep your desire and inner flame alive and focused on your goal. So what can you do about it?

Keep focused on the finish line. Keep telling yourself about the benefits of what you are doing and keep thinking and visualizing what it will be like after accomplishing what you have set to do.

Remember, this is your own life, and you are responsible for it. Don’t allow yourself to succumb to laziness and negative programming. Life is not always easy, and there are obstacles on your trail. Expect that, and manage your expectations. Keep thinking about how satisfied you will be after achieving success. Visualize how your life will change if you overcome laziness, negative thoughts, and negative programming. Plant with the harvest in mind.

Don’t rely on spurts of enthusiasm to carry you to your destination. You need to stand up, not give up, and then wake up those sleeping giants that reside in your mind. Never give up even when you want to quit. Keep going on, even when the trail is rough and strewn with rocks and debris. If you keep going, soon your desire and enthusiasm will grow, and the progress will become easier.

The Trail of Motivation will not always be easy, but with consistent persistence, you can achieve your objectives and reach your summits of life. On each of Monday’s treks, we will hike the Twin Trails of Motivation and Inspiration that will provide you with the right start to each week. Our next trek will be Wisdom Wednesday where we will dig for the nuggets of wisdom found in Proverbs 11.

Remember to join me in the Proverbs 30-day challenge. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. On day 30, read the final two chapters. It’s not too late to catch up. In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day, will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. It has certainly worked for me, and it will work for you also. Let me know if you accept my challenge at [email protected]

The three themed podcasts each week will motivate you, give you wisdom, and allow you to philosophize about life, so encourage your friends and family to join us. Then come along on Wednesday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. Just as you enjoy your 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 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 on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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 Wednesday!

As we begin our 2nd year of Wisdom-Trek as of June 1st, we have made some changes to the frequency and format of Wisdom-Trek. We are creating three themed treks per week, which will be Motivation Monday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Philosophy Friday. Each daily trek will be approximately 12 minutes in length, so slightly longer than previously but still easy to listen to in one session.

Thank you for joining us for our 3 days a week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 368 of our trek, and today will be our Philosophy Friday episode. We are beginning a series that will run for the next few Friday’s as we hike the trail that will cover the Seasons of Life. This information is based on my own experiences in life and some lessons that I have learned through one of my virtual mentors, Jim Rohn.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As I am creating this podcast, it is interesting and amazing watching the number of cicadas that seem to be flying everywhere. The noise that they make is truly mesmerizing. This is the year when the 17-year locust come out in Southern Ohio.

Their life cycle is very interesting as they occupy nearly all of the 17 years as grubs that burrow deep into the ground just waiting for the time to emerge. When they emerge from their rest, they break out of their shells, unfurl their wings, and are on the hunt for a mate. The females lay their eggs in soft branches of the trees, and when they hatch the grubs fall to the ground burrow deep in the earth and wait for another 17 years. Many do not make it due to birds, weather, and numerous other perils. That is their life-cycle, and each stage is a season of life for them.

Although our lives should last much longer and have more apparent significance than the cicada, we also experience distinct seasons in our lives. God has designed a purpose for the cicada, even if we may not understand it. God has a much greater purpose for our lives since we are made in His image. Let us philosophize a bit today and explore some of the seasons of life that we go through and how our decisions impact those seasons.

John Kennedy once remarked that Winston Churchill “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.” Past generations have heard the stirring words of Cicero, Daniel Webster, Disraeli, Churchill, and Kennedy. These men were touched by their Creator with the gift of changing the course of human history and the quality of the individual life through their well-spoken words. It is with the words in today’s podcast and journal, if applied,  your life will transform to living on purpose and with purpose.

For six thousand years of recorded history, humans have entered this world. They received parental instruction, classroom instruction, and gathered the experience of life. Many have set ambitious goals for themselves and dreamed lofty dreams, but upon the day that they draw their last breath have left little behind as evidence of their existence other than a birth certificate, grave marker, and nearly a million dollars in goods and services consumed between their humble beginnings and uneventful end.

Books have been written on the subject of human achievement, seminars and webinars are conducted on how to find success, and those who have met with and embraced success willingly share their ideas and insights with all those who will listen.

For some, worldly riches are gained at the price of lost friends and broken families. For others, fortune remains forever elusive while families remain precariously intact. For most, we remain forever in one of two categories—either poor, seeking to become wealthy or wealthy, always seeking to rediscover the happiness we had while we were poor. This is certainly not a new phenomenon as King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.”

This series of podcasts and the corresponding journals are a condensation of ideas and observations gained over a period of four decades – both mine and what I learned from Jim Rohn and others. I will attempt to place life, its events, purpose, opportunities, and challenges into perspective. It is not intended to be an instructional treatise on either how to achieve success or how to avoid failure. If life were to hold such precise answers to age-old questions, surely their discovery would be history and each of us would now be living to enjoy our success. In truth, what is the formula for success for one will lead to the self-destruction of another. As certainly as our Creator made us individually unique, He also preserves for each of us individually unique answers to the challenges of life.

It is the purpose of this Philosophy Friday podcast and journal series over the next few weeks to awaken within each of us the storehouse of inspiration and answers that lie dormant, where they have been since being placed there at conception by our Creator and now reside within the hearts and minds of each of us. On our trek through life, let us seek to discover our own individual answers to our own individual challenges by exploring the cycles and seasons of life.

All of us, whether rich or poor, young or old, educated or not so educated, are the sum total of all of those people and events that have touched and nurtured us since first entering this world, or as we now know, even since our conception. Every thought that we have allowed to permeate our minds has had its impact on what we now are. Every person that we have met has had their impact on us. Every movie we’ve watched had its impact. Every book or magazine we’ve read had its impact. Every TV show has had its impact. Every podcast that we listen to has an impact. Every disappointment, triumph, doubt, dream, and love for someone each had its impact. What we are and what we have is a result of what we slowly brought upon ourselves. It is the human tendency to blame someone or something else for our lack of progress or seeming failure — we blame family members, government, competitors, managers, economic conditions, pay schedules, some malady or condition, and even the traffic and weather for our circumstances.

Each person, circumstance, and event which have left their mark — whether favorable or unfavorable — is now behind you. What happened even as recently as yesterday is no longer of any consequence unless you choose to allow it to be. What is of great importance is who and what it is that leaves its mark today and each day after that. What you have been in the past is an established and unchangeable fact. What you can be in the future is an unlimited, boundless opportunity.  Therefore, do not allow your awareness of past difficulty or failures to adversely affect your current and future possibilities. The greatest value of the past is how wisely you invest it in the future. You are free from the past, not a slave to it. Let the past be your servant for making the future both more rich and satisfying.

If you seriously accept that you deserve and will one day achieve financial freedom, then break off the “rearview mirror” of your life and concentrate on what lies ahead. Begin your quest for achievement by taking a close inventory of the people and circumstances that today touch your life, for it is their impact that will determine what lies ahead for you. To draw on my farming background I will use this analogy…The people, circumstances, and other influences that are in your life now will determine the size of your crop when harvest time comes next fall.

We have only traveled a few paces on our journey today, and there is much to consider. We will continue this trail next Friday, so don’t miss it. Our next trek will be Motivation Monday where our trail will motivate and inspire you for the next week.

As a follow up to our Wisdom Wednesday trail, I want to remind you of the challenge that I extended to you. Since we are still early in the month, I challenge you to take the Proverbs 30-day challenge with me. For each day of June read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. On day 30, read the final two chapters.

I have made this practice a habit that I have repeated every month for most of my adult life. I can say without hesitation that this single habit has done more for me in gaining wisdom, insight, and understanding in life than any other single habit.

In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. It has certainly worked for me, and it will work for you also. Let me know if you accept my challenge at [email protected]

The three themed podcasts each week will motivate you, give you, wisdom and allow you to philosophize about life, so encourage your friends and family to join us. 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 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 and invite them to come along with us each day. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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!

Starting today, we begin our 2nd year of Wisdom-Trek and will be making some changes to the frequency and format of Wisdom-Trek.  First, we have decided to create three themed treks per week which will be Motivation Monday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Philosophy Friday. Each daily trek will be approximately 12 minutes in length, so slightly longer but still easy to listen to in one session. So, let’s get started and thank you for joining us for our 3 days a week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 367 of our trek, and today will be our Wisdom Wednesday episode as we continue with our study of Proverbs with Chapter 11.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I continue working on cleaning the woodwork and just finished the upstairs hallways. I will work my way down both stairwells and then begin on the downstairs foyer and hallway.  I was able to stain the two 2-foot gliders on Monday and plan on putting a coat of polyurethane on them this week as the weather permits. We are also in the process of moving the furniture back into the parlor now that we have allowed the floor to dry for a couple of weeks.

The hawks that we have the joy of watching each day continue to shuttle food to the nest to keep up with the voracious appetites of the growing chicks. From what we can tell, there are two chicks, and they are growing rapidly but will still be awhile before they take flight.

Speaking of that, it is now time to head out on our trek for today, we will hike up the wisdom trail in search of the nuggets of wisdom found in the first half of the 11th chapter of Proverbs.

1The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,

Any type of dishonesty should not be part of our lives, even in the smallest of areas. This is especially true in the business world, where less scrupulous vendors would alter the scales or weights to weigh heavier so as to cheat the customer.

2 Pride leads to disgrace,

Pride is such a nasty character trait, and yet all of us fall prey to it in some area of our lives. As we become comfortable with who we truly are while remaining humble, we will gain wisdom, insight, and understanding.

3 Honesty guides good people;

Honesty is always the best policy, and it will guide our lives on a trail that is true and solid just like a compass or GPS can guide us. Those who practice dishonesty will be destroyed by those habits because they will be wrapped up in the treacherous cycle of one lie upon another.

4 Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,

We would do well to understand that material things, including money, are tools to impact our world positively. We will not take any of it with us when we die. On the other hand, as we do use resources to impact others, then even once we die, our impact will live through the lives of others.

5 The godly are directed by honesty;

If we choose to live according to God’s precepts, then honesty will be our trail map taking us to higher summits. In contrast to that, dishonesty and other weakness are like a huge millstone around our necks, always dragging us down.

6 The godliness of good people rescues them;

When you choose to do what is good, then you will have no fear of harm, and you will be rescued from or spared negative consequence. A treacherous person cannot be trusted because they are unfaithful and are prone to double-crossing those they are around.

7 When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,

Those who do not create and live a positive, impactful legacy will not have the hope of future generations carrying their legacy. The wicked feel their success will carry on, but no one has any strength when they die. It is only through the lives of others that our lives remain once we die.

8 The godly are rescued from trouble,

Because the godly are also wise, the choices that they make each day are wise choices, and it prevents them from making choices that are harmful. The wicked are unwise, and the choices they make are foolish and cause them trouble.

9 With their words, the godless destroy their friends,

The power of life and death are in our tongue, and those who do not have a regard for God will choose to say things that wound others. Contrasting that, as you gain the right knowledge, you will learn to filter words that may be harmful to others.

10 The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;

All of us like and support those who treat us and others with kindness and respect, and we celebrate those individuals when they succeed. There is a different type of celebration when the wicked die. It is joyous, but it is because there is no longer a threat by the wicked.

11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,

Citizens who have integrity will make sure that everyone benefits in their pursuit of success. All boats rise with the tide. Contrary to that are those who try to succeed by the demise of others. It will harm everyone that is involved.

12 It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;

As is mentioned in several of the Proverbs, people who are foolish show their foolishness by talking too much. In doing so, they inevitably end up hurting others with their dismissive talk. A person who is wise and sensible will refrain from talking, especially when it is not necessary.

13 A gossip goes around telling secrets,

A person who loves to talk will also be a person who gossips about others. In doing so, they do not have the discernment of when not to share the secrets of others, even their friends. Someone who is worthy of trust can be counted on not to break the confidence of anyone else.

14 Without wise leadership, a nation falls;

Regardless of whether it is a family, business, or an entire country, if the leaders are not wise, then it will be destroyed from within. That is why it is good in all situations to take the advice of those who are wise and discerning.

15 There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;

Borrowing for yourself is usually not a good idea. We justify it for all sorts of reasons, but it would be best if we do not borrow money and live within our means. It is completely risky and unwise to put up collateral or guarantee a debt for anyone else. If they cannot afford to borrow money themselves, then you should not put yourself at risk. They need to wait until they can afford it.

16 A gracious woman gains respect,

It is always best to be kind and have grace toward others. When you do, others will respect you. If you are not kind to others, then even if you are able to gain wealth, you will be missing out on the blessing of also gaining respect.

We have found so many nuggets on our trail today.  Take the time to savor them, chew them slowly, and allow them to permeate your life.

I would challenge you as we are starting a new month to take the Proverbs 30-day challenge with me. For each day of June, read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. On day 30 read the final two chapters.

I have made this practice a habit, which I have repeated every month for most of my adult life. I can say without hesitation that this single habit has done more for me in gaining wisdom, insight, and understanding in life that any other single habit.

In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. It has certainly worked for me, and it will work for you also.

Let me know if you accept my challenge at [email protected] Our next trek will be Philosophy Friday where I will begin a series on the seasons of life, so encourage your friends and family to join us. Then come along on Friday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your 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 and invite them to come along with us each day. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, 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 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!