Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 404 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Finding Your Motivation

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 404 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate you to live a rich and satisfying life this week. Today we will explore how to find your motivation each day.

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

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

Finding Your Motivation

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

· Motivation makes things happen.

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

1. Connect to your values.

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

2. Find your WHY.

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

3. Change your WHY.

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

4. Change your HOW.

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 403 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Cycles and Seasons of Life (10) - Make Your Winter Seasons Count

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 403 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. Today we will complete our trek covering the Cycles and Seasons of Life. We will continue the winter season that we started last Friday and then wrap up the trek with a recap

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

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

Make Your Winter Seasons Count

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

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

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

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 402 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Invest in Time Alone - Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is day 402 of our trek, and it is Thursday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom on each Tuesday & Thursday. So, let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

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

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

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

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

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 401 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Good News Makes for Good Health - Proverbs 15:18-33

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 401 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trails, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the second half of Chapter 15.

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

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

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

Good News Makes for Good Health

Let’s start in with verse 18.

18 A hot-tempered person starts fights;

a cool-tempered person stops them.

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

 

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

but the path of the upright is an open highway.

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

 

20 Sensible children bring joy to their father;

foolish children despise their mother.

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 400 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Wise Health Tip - Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. Today we reach another milestone with our 400th day on our wisdom trek. Thank you for coming along with us each day. It is Tuesday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom includes an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom on each Tuesday & Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

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

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

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

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

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 399 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The 8 Components of Healthy Relationships

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 399 of our trek, and today is Motivation Monday. Every Monday we hike the trails of life that will encourage and motivate you to live a rich and satisfying life this week. Today we will explore the 8 components of healthy relationships.

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

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

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

The 8 Components of Healthy Relationships

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

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

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

1. Love

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

Yes, for those whom you become especially close to, you will also have feelings of love, but I believe it is time for you to re-examine what you mean by love. You must expand your definition of what love means by including the concept that love is a daily choice and commitment to love without conditions. For healthy relationships, you must choose to love everyone. You may not particularly like a person based on how you feel about them,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 398 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Cycles and Seasons of Life (9) - Be Prepared for Winter

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy podcast. This is Day 398 of our trek, and today is Philosophy Friday. Every Friday we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. Today we are continuing our trek covering the Cycles and Seasons of Life. In particular, we are moving forward and focusing on the winter season of life. These concepts come from that which I have learned from Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar and of course the Bible.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Be Prepared for Winter

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

Winter can make its threatening appearance during the season of planting and sprouting, the spring, and if you do not quickly respond to cancel its potentially devastating effect, the season of opportunity will be taken from you by one of the storms of life, leaving you with yet another full year of waiting. We certainly experienced this in several years when the apple blossoms were hit with a late frost. Winter can also prematurely appear during the season of harvest, the fall,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 397 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Wiser Each Day - Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 397 of our trek. It is Thursday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom will include an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom on each Tuesday & Thursday. So, let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

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

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

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

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

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

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 396 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Gentle Answer Deflects Anger - Proverbs 15:1-17

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 396 of our trek, and today is Wisdom Wednesday. Every Wednesday along life’s trail, we dig for the nuggets of wisdom that are found within the book of Proverbs. Today we will explore the first half of Chapter 15.

We are broadcasting from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. After a week in North Carolina, we are heading back to Marietta today and will be staying until Sunday evening to work with clients and celebrate our granddaughter Aurora’s 5th birthday. Late Sunday we will return for about 10 days before heading out to Arizona to invest some time with our friends and partners the Mecoms on our construction project in Mesa.

This past Saturday we had a wonderful time with Josphat and Emily Yego, who are Chelimo’s parents. Sharing time and meals with them and discussing plans for their leadership institute in Kenya was very enjoyable. We hope to visit them in Kenya sometime within the next couple of years. Of course, the highlight for all of us is investing time in our mutual grandson Kiprono.

To navigate all of these future plans that God has for us will certainly take wisdom and insight, and there is no better place in the world than the Book of Wisdom, which is Proverbs, to gather that wisdom. On our trek for today, we will dig into the first 17 verses of chapter 15. The title for today’s trek is taken from verse 1, and it is...

A Gentle Answer Deflects Anger

1 A gentle answer deflects anger,

but harsh words make tempers flare.

There are many exhortations within Scripture about controlling your speech. One of the best ways to avoid or minimize a potentially volatile situation is to respond with gentleness. It is very difficult for an argument to last when it is one sided. The best way to respond is with a gentle answer, which will usually diffuse the situation.  If you respond with harshness, then it will create an ugly situation where nothing is truly settled or accomplished.

One commitment I had made to Paula before we were married is that I would not argue with her and that if we had any differences of opinion, we would work through them rationally and with prayer. After nearly 37 years of marriage, I can testify that this practice has worked extremely well for us.

 

2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge appealing,

but the mouth of a fool belches out foolishness.

It is so refreshing to be in the presence of a wise person. When they speak, it is usually limited, but very insightful and powerful.  Their speech is full of knowledge and without pretense. On the other hand, when you are in the company of a fool, it is evident that they are just spewing verbal garbage, and time spent with them has little redeeming value. Choose wisdom over foolishness.

 

3 The Lord is watching everywhere,

keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

God knows all things, and he even understands the thoughts and intents of our minds. A person who believes that he can hide or get away with that which is contrary to God’s precepts is only fooling himself. Be good and Godly.

 

4 Gentle words are a tree of life;

a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Similar to verse 1, our speech should always be gentle and helpful. When you are kind and helpful, then your words will bring healing and hope to those who listen to your wise and gentle words.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 395 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

A Loving Heart - Wisdom Unplugged

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 395 of our trek.  It is Tuesday and time for our 2-3 minute mini-trek called Wisdom Unplugged. This short nugget of wisdom will include an inspirational quote with a little additional content for today’s trek. Consider this your vitamin supplement of wisdom on each Tuesday & Thursday. So let’s jump right in with today’s nugget.

Today’s quote is from the beloved author Charles Dickens, who is famous for his book A Christmas Carol and many other great stories. His quote is, "A loving heart is the truest wisdom."

This quote is so true. It takes a truly wise person to have a loving heart toward all people. We should not just love those who love us, but also those who are unlovely. Our world would be so much richer and wiser if each of us grew in our capacity to love others unconditionally. So many times our relationships are based on conditional love. That is to say, if a person acts in a way that I am in agreement with, then I will love them.  Another conditional love is if they love me, then I will love them. The entirety of the Holy Bible is summed up in a single verse found in Galatians 5:14, "For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Here is the caveat. You can never unconditionally love others until you first unconditionally love yourself. So, as you trek through your life learn to love yourself, and then express that love by loving others unconditionally. It is then you will gain true wisdom.

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

As we take this trek together, let us always:

Live Abundantly (Fully)

Love Unconditionally

Listen Intentionally

Learn Continuously

Lend to others Generously

Lead with Integrity

Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

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