Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 328 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Learning to be Comfortable with Discomfort #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 328 of our trek. Yesterday and today, we are hiking on a difficult trail that is precarious to navigate as we learn how to be comfortable with discomfort.

Thank you so much for coming along with me daily as we add to our wisdom. Discomfort is a part of our lives on a daily basis. We are faced with decisions or circumstances that we would prefer not to deal with. Ignoring those times is not a real solution, so we need to acknowledge that it is part of life and make the conscious choice to being prepared. Learning how to be comfortable with the inevitable discomforts of life will help us to gain wisdom, insight, and understanding in our lives.

Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It has been a steady week of work for us, as we are staying focused on the most crucial task while realizing that what we can’t complete today, if it is important, it will still be here tomorrow. This may bring us some discomfort, which is why we are continuing on our trail today as we explore…

Learning to be Comfortable with Discomfort #2

Yesterday we focused on how many times we try to avoid discomfort. We came to the conclusion that if you avoid it long-term, the discomfort will be even greater. You may also miss the opportunity of making an impact on the lives of others. So, today let us move on and explore mastering discomfort.

· Mastering Discomfort

The way to master discomfort is to do it comfortably. That might sound contradictory, but it’s not. If you are afraid of discomfort, and you try to beat discomfort with a really grueling activity, you will probably give up and fail and go back to your comfort zone.

Here are five ways to slowly become comfortable with discomfort.

1. Pick something that’s not hard.

Take a time for daily prayer and meditation as an example. It’s not really that hard. You will need to set the time aside where you are not interrupted. Relax and allow this to be a time of reflection. Try to be conscious of your thoughts and don’t allow them to wander. This may bring some discomfort initially, but give it time.

2. Just do a little.

You don’t have to start by doing 30 minutes of something you’re not used to doing. Just do a few minutes. Just start.

3. Push out of your comfort zone, a little.

Let’s use the example of exercising. If you are not used to walking, start with walking around one block each day for a week. The next week, walk around one block and additional 100 yards. Each week, push yourself just a little bit more than you are comfortable with. Soon you will become comfortable with the discomfort. Push yourself a little bit more each week.

4. Watch for discomfort.

Watch yourself as you get a bit uncomfortable — are you starting to complain – even if it just to yourself. Are you looking for ways to avoid it? Are you coming up with excuses? That is when you need to push yourself just a little bit more.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 327 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Learning to be Comfortable with Discomfort #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 327 of our trek. Yesterday on our trek, we covered the 10 laws of a living legacy. Today and tomorrow we will hike on a difficult trail that is precarious as we learn how to be comfortable with discomfort.

Thank you so much for coming along with me daily as we add to our wisdom. All of us will experience times of discomfort in our lives which actually will help us to gain wisdom, insight, and understanding in our lives. Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Paula was able to get outside today and thin out some of the daffodil bulbs that have really multiplied over the past few years. There is still a lot more to thin, so she will probably invest several days on it. We plan on spreading the bulbs to new areas, and also passing them out at the Chamberlain reunion in July. Many of the daffodils were originally planted by my Granny and possibly extend back as far as my great-grandmother who we called GG.

Thinking about being outside, we should get focused on our trek for today as we explore…

Learning to be Comfortable with Discomfort #1

If you learn this skill, you can master pretty much anything. You can beat procrastination, start exercising, make your diet healthier, learn a new language, make it through challenges and physically grueling events, explore new things, speak on a stage,  and let go of all that holds you back.

Unfortunately, most people avoid discomfort. I mean, they really avoid it — at the first sign of discomfort, they’ll run as fast as possible in the other direction. This is perhaps the biggest limiting factor for most people, and it’s why you can’t change your habits.

Think about this…Many people don’t eat vegetables or wholesome foods because they have convinced themselves they don’t like the taste. We’re not talking about soul-wrenching pain here. No one is torturing you. It’s just a taste that’s just not something you’re used to. So instead you eat what you already like, which is sweets and fried stuff and processed meats, cheeses, salty things, and lots of boxed foods that are highly processed with little or no nutritional content. The simple act of learning to get used to something that tastes different is not really that hard in the grand scheme of life. Yet, by not being a bit uncomfortable, it makes people unhealthy and usually overweight.

Somehow in our minds we convince ourselves that we are avoiding discomfort when all the while we are creating a lifestyle of long-term discomfort that can have major significance on our quality of life and ability to live a vibrant legacy each day.

The beautiful thing is I learned through the years that a little discomfort isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it can be something you enjoy with a little training and consistent persistence. When you learn this, you will gain the skills needed to change any area of your life that needs to be changed. Master your fear of discomfort,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 326 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The 10 Laws of a Living Legacy

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 326 of our trek. Yesterday, we explored 5 essential elements on our hike that will lead us to success. Today on our trek, we will cover the 10 law of a living legacy.

Thank you so much for coming along with me daily as we add to our wisdom. No one becomes wise quickly. It takes years of life experiences and a desire to be wise before wisdom becomes part of our living legacy. Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Within The Big House, we were able to get the repainted beds set up in the upstairs back bedroom and are making progress restocking the bookshelves in the library.  I am also refinishing the sign that is at the end of our driveway, as it is well worn from the weather. We are also making good progress with our client work and other related projects. We are slowly building our legacy each day as we take life one day at a time. There are certain character traits, or you might say laws, that we should build into our lives so that we are living our legacy each day.

On our trek today let’s study the...

10 Laws of a Living Legacy

If you want to achieve your true potential in creating and living your legacy that you were called to, you must start by being aware of who you are. Living your legacy is an internal change that will manifest itself externally.

Here are 10 guidelines or laws to help you, whether you're just beginning your legacy trek or are far up the trail. These laws may not have been handed down on stone tablets, but if you follow them, you'll find that indeed you are living a positive legacy each day.

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation.

Your reputation is just what other people think; your character is what you really are. To live your legacy, you will face challenges that require a choice between character and compromise; every time you choose character, you gain positive ground. Character is the core of a living legacy.

Be committed in all that you do

To effectively live your legacy you have to be committed, and true commitment starts in the heart. It inspires and impacts others; it shows them you have convictions. They will believe in you because you take responsibility, and you are committed to living your legacy.

Listen more than you speak

Communication is critical in order to positively impact others. People want to emulate someone they can understand, or someone who listens. As you live your legacy, you should listen far more than you speak, and when you do speak, make sure your words are consistent with your actions and character. 

Always show the best of who you are into everything you do.

It's easy to admire those who are highly competent, but most of us will never be considered superstars. To live your legacy by having integrity in all that you do is crucial. Cultivate the competence you need to show up every day, to keep improving,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 325 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

5 Essential Elements of Success

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 325 of our trek. Yesterday on our trek, we were challenged with some crucial questions of why life is not a dress rehearsal. Today we will explore 5 essential elements on our hike that will lead us to success.

Thank you so much for coming along with me as we learn from the wisdom of the ages on our daily trek of life. Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This week so far has been a beautiful spring week. The hawks are very active although we have not seen any signs of young ones yet, so we are not sure if they have hatched. We continue to make slow and steady progress on our client work and related projects as well as our projects in and around The Big House. There is always much to do, so sometimes it is a bit difficult to measure our level of success from day to day. Success can take many forms in all areas of our lives. We should have a purpose for life that all successes direct us to. At the end of my life, it is my hope that after fulfilling God’s purpose I can say what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.”  There are some key essentials involved in success regardless of what success looks like to you, though.

That is why today we will investigate the…

5 Essential Elements of Success

1. Passion

Bill Gates was able to build Microsoft and became the richest man in the world because he was passionate about his vision of putting “a computer on every desk in every home.”  Passion, defined as intense emotional excitement, goes beyond mere enthusiasm.

· How Passion Is an Element of Success

A person with passion is a person who can set goals. Without them, you’ll have no clear direction and will drift along the road of circumstances. Another technology visionary, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Computer, abandoned his studies at Reed College to pursue more lucrative goals. Once he identified his passion, he was impatient with a slow path to carrying it out.  You, too, can recognize your passions. When you share your goals with others, however, don’t be surprised to hear things like, “Yes, but that’s not realistic,” or “That’s not practical.”

“You see things and say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say ‘Why not?’” - George Bernard Shaw

2. Determination

We recently watched a Dolly Parton TV special called A Coat of Many Colors. It was touching and inspiring. When it was Dolly’s turn at her high school graduation to announce her plans, she said, “I’m going to Nashville to become a star.” The entire place erupted in laughter. She was stunned, but that laughter instilled in her an even greater determination to realize her dream. Dolly went on to write over 3,000 songs. Today she holds the record for the number of awards for a female artist – including seven Grammy Awards and an Emmy. The first year her theme park Dollywood opened, in 1986, gross business revenues for the city of Pigeon Forge,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 324 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 324 of our trek. Yesterday, we hiked on a trail that was carved out hundreds of years ago as we discovered the 10 signs of a life well lived. Today on our trek, we want to learn why life is not a dress rehearsal.

Thank you so much for coming along with me as we learn from the wisdom of the ages on our daily trek of life. Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Sunday was a relaxing day as we worshipped at church with Nat & Elizabeth and four of our grandkids. We then shopped for some more renovation materials and groceries. The afternoon was invested in finishing the painting of the back wall of the bookshelves in the library and visiting for a short time with my brother Jack who is recovering from a recent gallbladder removal surgery on Friday. He is recovering well, and it is amazing the advancements that have been made in surgery. He was in and out of the hospital in about five hours and will be able to return to work on Tuesday. Surgery of any kind is serious. We are blessed to live in such a time. Even with such advancements, we still need to take pause and realize that we need to make time for what is really important because…

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

“She called me a bad name.” “He took my toy.” “She didn’t like my dress.” “I had it first.” Ah yes, the thrill of being young again. Remember how important these things seemed when we were young? In retrospect, they now seem so trivial.

Of course, as we get older and wiser, we focus on important things, like showing our friends how successful we’ve become, outflanking others to get a promotion, keeping up with the Joneses, and ensuring that we look young — forever. You’d think we’d have learned something from our kindergarten days, wouldn’t you?

The truth is, we’re often so busy running on our treadmill to nowhere that we can lose focus on the things that really matter in life. Before we know it, the seconds have become minutes, the days have become weeks, and the months have become years. And when we finally take the time to catch our breath, we look back in retrospect and think, “Where did all the time go?” As I am approaching 60 this summer, this hits all too close to home.

It’s so easy to be blinded by ambition, power, and success that many folks miss out on the simple pleasures of life. For example, do your children’s birthday parties, sporting events, or recitals make your priority list? Are you available to counsel your friend in need? Do you make the time to help your kids with their homework, to attend back-to-school nights, or to put down your newspaper, smartphone, and iPad when your family wants to tell you about their day? Or, is something else more important to you at the time?

Now, I know that you lead a hectic life and that you’re getting pulled in many different directions. The truth is, it’s not that you don’t have enough time to devote to things that matter to you but rather, the time needed is spent doing something else instead of being invested into what i...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 323 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

10 Timeless Truths for Life

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 323 of our trek. Yesterday, we remained at the baseball fields and explored the 4 Financial Lessons from Baseball. Today we will hike on a trail that was carved out hundreds of years ago as we look for the 10 signs of a life well lived.

Thank you so much for coming along with me as we learn these simple, yet profound truths for our daily trek in life. Living with wisdom and insight each day of our lives will expand our living legacy and allow us to live life with abundance. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It was a beautiful spring day on Saturday, and we were able to accomplish a lot both inside and out. Paula painted the back wall of the built-in bookshelves in the library, so we should be able to install the oak shelves and move the books back in this week. At least the books that will fit. We have many more books that will need to be stored elsewhere.

I painted the two army beds with a second coat of brown Rustoleum, so we will move those into the upstairs back bedroom this week. I was also able to clean and repair the gutters and remove the ivy that was on the side of the garage. We decided to remove the storm doors from the front and parlor entrances. The large oak doors on both entrances really look a lot better without the storm doors. Overall, it was a great but physically tiring day. As we work on the renovations, there are so many thoughts about the timeless days gone by with all the family members who have lived their lives at The Big House. We are blessed to be the caretakers. These thoughts bring us to our trail for today as we learn…

10 Timeless Truths for Life

1. Gratitude cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed.

Gratitude is the sacred experience of living every moment with love and thankfulness. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for and some reason to love. So, be sure to appreciate what you have. Be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot.

2. Be a student of life every day.

Experience it, learn from it, and absorb all the knowledge you can. Prepare yourself for greatness by keeping your mind conditioned with fresh knowledge and new challenges. Remember, if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready when great opportunities arise.

3. Experience and failure are the best teachers.

Don’t just memorize the things others are teaching. Practice “figuring out” each day so you can learn the best practices and then do your thing. Life’s experiences and failures will teach you over the course of time, and often at the right time and place so that you will remember forever what is truly important.

4. Make your choices, your actions, and your life your responsibility.

As much as possible, live your life without fear or regrets. Never let obstacles keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do. Continue to work hard at what you love no matter what the challenges are. Be persistent. Make your choices and accept the responsibility for those choices. You can’t change the past, so live without fear and regrets.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 322 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

4 Financial Lessons from Baseball

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 322 of our trek. Yesterday, we stopped by the baseball fields and discovered 9 Life Lessons from Baseball. It is such a beautiful spring day that today we will stay at the ball fields and explore what baseball can teach us about our finances.

 

Thank you so much for coming along with me as we discover that each event of our daily trek in life, whether small or large, is packed with wisdom and insight that we can learn and apply to our lives to expand our living legacy. These bits of wisdom will help us to live a rich and satisfying life that we were created for. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Late afternoon on Friday we headed north once again for a little over two weeks. There is much work planned on and around The Big House as the weather is starting to warm up and the leaves on the trees are being released from their winter hibernation. While owning the old family homestead is rewarding and an integral part of our long-term legacy, it is a lot of responsibility and work. It also takes a lot of financial resources to maintain and renovate it. Paula and I are very serious when it comes to managing and controlling our financial foundation. While we have had our share of financial ebbs and flows during the past 37 years, we are always learning on how better to control our financial position without it controlling us.

 

Keeping with our focus from yesterday of learning life’s lessons from baseball today we want to learn:

4 Financial Lessons from Baseball

For many people, especially in the US, there is nothing like the start of the baseball season. Even though the season seems ceaselessly long, there is something about the anticipation of the Opening Day of baseball games. It means spring is right around the corner.

Although I am not a sports fanatic myself, one thing I love about sports is the analogies that can be made to our trek of life. I really think any philosophy of life can be explained through sports analogies. The importance of teamwork in winning games and getting things done successfully in life cannot be ignored. Doing the hard work behind the scenes will usually lead to a good performance on the field and in your life or career. The analogies are endless. There is probably no sport more open to analogies than baseball. After doing some thinking, there are a good number of analogies that can apply to personal finance. Even if you are not a huge sports fan, I think you will be able to relate to these analogies.

1. Good pitching is essential, but you need to score runs to win.

Increasing your personal cash flow is a simple proposition. Increase the amount of money coming in and decrease the amount of money going out. Make more money and spend less of it. In baseball terms, that means score more runs and don’t let the other team score runs. Having a good set of pitchers and sound defensive play from your fielders will keep the opponent’s runs to a minimum. But this alone is not going to win you the championship. You need to be able to put runs up on the board to make up for any inevitable mistakes from the d...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 321 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Life Lessons from Baseball

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 321 of our trek. The past few days we remained in camp around the campfire and dug out the nuggets of wisdom found in Proverbs Chapter 10. Today we are heading back out on the trail, and as we come to a crest of a hill we come to a clearing, and as we look over a beautiful and expansive valley, we see baseball fields with many teams currently playing. This leads me to wonder, “How can baseball be applied to our everyday trek of life?” Let’s give that some thought to see where our trek takes us today.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we apply wisdom, insight, and understanding of ordinary everyday activities which make our lives extraordinary. These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last year and again this year I was invited to participate in the Webster family fantasy baseball league. Janet’s husband Rowan, his father, grandfather, and other family members make up the league of eight teams. While I enjoy occasionally watching some sporting events, due to my focus on business throughout the years, I have not allocated the time to really follow any sports. I am a novice of the Buddy League Baseball (which is named after Rowan’s grandfather), but I am enjoying learning and participating. I do hope to gain enough experience to at least hold my own within the league. Since I am involved in the league, I find myself searching out some analogies and parallels between baseball and life and came up with the...

9 Life Lessons from Baseball

With the official opening of the 2016 baseball season last week, let us glean the following lessons that can be applied to our trek of life. To quote the famous line from Yogi Berra, “It’s like Deja-vu, all over again…” Or as King Solomon put it in Ecclesiastes 1:9, "History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new." So now it’s time to “Play ball!”

1. You can't hit a home run unless you swing for the fences.

To have success in any area of life, you must think big and act big. You can't accomplish huge things unless you go for it. In baseball, with two strikes, you should choke up, and just try to make solid contact. And in life, there is a time to settle for less than a home run. But, always start by thinking big.

2. The best players aren't afraid to get their uniforms dirty.

To make a lasting legacy impact on others you must live by example, and that means living life in the trenches with those you influence. You must be willing to share both joy and sorrow. You need to be willing to give them a hand up and help them physically or even a hand out when they need help financially. If others see that you are willing to get your uniform dirty to ensure that they succeed, they will be more willing to pass it on to others allowing your legacy to grow.

3. Measure everything that matters.

I am learning as part of a fantasy baseball league that those who are successful pay close attention to the stats. This also applies to the real teams.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 320 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Never Be Disturbed - Proverbs 10:28-32

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 320 of our trek. This week we have remained at camp around the campfire as we continue digging the nuggets of wisdom that are found in the book of Proverbs. So far we have explored the first 27 verses of Chapter 10, and today we will finish up with chapter 10 and head back out on the trails tomorrow. This section of Proverbs, which includes chapters 10-26 compares and contrasts bite size nuggets of wisdom that apply to everyday life. I know that you will enjoy it as we learn together.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting this podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. On Wednesday evening, my sister Rebecca came over for our monthly dinner together, and we had a great time continuing our personal trek through old family pictures. We enjoy getting together, sharing, and remembering days gone by. Life slips by so quickly, and it is good to take the time to reflect on where you have been so that you can move confidently forward with your hopes and dreams, as well as your challenges and rewards that life holds for you in the future.

As we remain in camp for one more day, it is a time of reflecting on the wisdom nuggets that are contained in the book of Proverbs. There are so many, and this gives us a great time to reflect on how their common sense advice applies personally to our lives. These timeless truths give us hope so that we will…

Never Be Disturbed - Proverbs 10:28-32

How can we have hope for each day so that we will never be disturbed? It sounds like a difficult objective to achieve. Let’s start with verse 28 and find out.

28The hopes of the godly result in happiness,

but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing.

We all have hopes and dreams. For some they may be large and bright, but for others just making it through another day is their hope. If we have our hope in God, then even if our daily outlook is not what we would desire, we can find happiness because our hope is not based on ourselves or others that may have influence over us. Our hopes, dreams, and impact, are for an eternal reward, regardless of how small it may appear in the eyes of the world. Even the smallest act of kindness or help that provides hope for another will ripple through eternity. Contrasting to this, the expectations of those people that do not have their hope in God will all be for nothing. If all of our dreams and ambition are for this world only, then everything that we hope for will eventually die out and have no eternal value.

 

29The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity,

but it destroys the wicked.

When our values and foundation for life is built on God’s precepts and principles, then our speech and actions will have integrity. The trail that we travel each day will be on solid footing and stronghold. In contrast to this, the very stronghold that we can use as our foundation becomes a heavy burden to those who do not follow God...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 319 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Doing Wrong Is Fun - Proverbs 10:23-27

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 319 of our trek. This week we are remaining at camp around the campfire as we continue digging for the nuggets of wisdom that are found in the book of Proverbs. So far we have explored the first 22 verses of Chapter 10, and we will continue to cover a few verses each day. This section of Proverbs compares and contrasts bite size nuggets of wisdom that apply to everyday life. I know that you will enjoy it as we learn together.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are a multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are broadcasting this podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are putting the finishing touches of Wisdom-Trek Journal Volume 1 together and also the Beta version of Your Life Plan Blueprint. We should be able to release them soon. I will let you know when they are available.

Today and tomorrow we will remain in camp once again as we continue to dig for those wisdom nuggets that are found in Proverbs 10. As we feel the gentle spring breeze blowing the fire and smoke back and forth, we have all experienced have the wind shift unexpectedly and all at once we have smoke filling our eyes. Solomon certainly experienced this also as he describes in one of the nuggets today. Before we get to that tidbit though let’s look at a situation where…

Doing Wrong is Fun - Proverbs 10:23-27

You might be thinking, “Is Guthrie saying that doing wrong is fun?” That doesn’t sound like something you would present…Well let’s all face it, sometimes we are either tempted to or actually do wrong because it does appear to be fun. I am just as susceptible to believing this as anyone, so let’s start with verse 23.

23Doing wrong is fun for a fool,

but living wisely brings pleasure to the sensible.

See I told you that doing wrong is fun…that is if we choose to be a fool. There are many activities that we may be tempted to participate in because they do look like it would be fun, but we must look at the long-term consequence of such actions. Sure eating pizza every night may appear to be fun or enjoyable, but what would that do to us physically long-term? How about innocent flirtation in the workplace. That may seem fun, but what are the potential long-term results? We could come up with dozens of scenarios, but I think you understand what I mean. To follow through doing short-term activities may appear to be fun without looking at the long-term results makes us a fool. In contrast to this is for us to live wisely which will bring long-term pleasure because we understand the consequences to making sensible and wise decisions.

 

 

24The fears of the wicked will be fulfilled;

the hopes of the godly will be granted.

Fear…It seems to be so rampant today, maybe it always has been. Even among Christ followers it seems to be that they are full of fear and worry instead of the rich and satisfying life that we should be living. I understand it a bit more with those who choose not to follow the precepts of God.