Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 119 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs - The Background

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 119 of our Trek. For the past three days, we had an extended trek as we explored the reasons we make excuses, which are primarily based in fear. Then, we discovered the types of excuses we make, and yesterday we learned how we can eliminate excuses forever. If you missed any of the past three days, please check out the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal to catch up.

Today we are going to deviate a bit from our scripted wisdom lessons and begin an overview and commentary of the ultimate book of wisdom, which is the Book of Proverbs. Proverbs has more nuggets of wisdom condensed into a short, easy to read book, than any other book ever written.  The truths contained in Proverbs are the basis for most other books of wisdom. We won’t go straight through the book of Proverbs all at once, but we will intermix the commentary with other wisdom nuggets.  As we go through the book of Proverbs, we will be assembling a complete commentary that will be available as an eBook in the future. I will also be assembling the Wisdom-Trek journals into a series of quarterly eBook volumes that will be available for downloading.

Before we get started, I want to remind you of the drawing in celebration of the 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek.  There are only four more days to register and you can register once per day. We will have the drawing on October 5th and will be giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. On Saturday, we spent the morning with our four Marietta grandchildren as Elizabeth ran some errands. In the afternoon, we celebrated our granddaughter Hazel’s 1st birthday.  She has just started to walk and is a sweet little redhead with bright eyes and a cute little smile. It was a treat. My dad was also able to attend, so it was really good to spend time together once again as family.

On the days that we spend studying the book of Proverbs, we'll just sit around our campfire, relax, and enjoy the wisdom nuggets that we will consume. These tidbits of wisdom that we will explore are like making s’mores over the fiery coals. They are sweet to our taste and delicious to consume. It also gives us an opportunity to reflect on gaining wisdom.

I am going to keep it more conversational as if we were literally sitting next to each other.  Through the magic of our modern technology I am there right beside you. If you have any comments or questions, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

As I share the wisdom of Proverbs, I will also weave some related scriptures into our lessons as they apply. So, let’s get started on our time together for today.

Proverbs - The Background

All we will be able to cover today is a background to the book of Proverbs. Most of the book of Proverbs was written or assembled by King Solomon who ruled the nation of Israel for 40 years. He was the third King of Israel after Saul, who was killed in battle, and then his father David who died of old age and chose Solomon as King after him based on God’s direction. Solomon brought peace and wealth to the nation. Solomon’s workmen built palaces, and the great temple which was a permanent house for God in Jerusalem.

When he was young, Solomon obeyed God. He asked God for wisdom, and God gave it to him. The account is found in 1 Kings 3:3-15.

3 "Solomon loved the Lord and followed all the decrees of his father, David, except that Solomon, too, offered sacrifices and burned incense at the local places of w...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 118 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

How to Eliminate Excuses Forever

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 118 of our Trek. The past two days we explored the reasons we make excuses, which are primarily based in fear, and we discovered the types of excuses we make. Today we will learn how we can eliminate excuses forever. Please make sure you listen to all three episode on excuses to understand the full story.

 

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th.  We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our big news for today is that our sixth grandchild, Evelyn Grace was born at 12:53 am Friday morning.  She is the daughter of our middle son Barnabas and his wife Leesha. All three of them are doing well. We are so thankful and blessed. We now have three grandsons and three granddaughters. Granny and Gramps hope to be able to visit Grace within the next few days after she and Leesha have time to rest.

We drove up to Marietta today and will be up here for about 10 days with several activities planned. Hazel’s 1st birthday is on Saturday and our nephew Caleb Chamberlain is getting married on October 3rd in Lancaster Ohio so we are able to attend his wedding also. In addition, I will be continuing on with our renovations. It is slow, but life is a marathon. And, The Big House will probably be around a lot longer than I will, so there is no real rush. Perseverance and consistency are always on the trail to long-lasting success.

One way to ensure success in our daily trek is to make sure that we eliminate excuses because excuses stifle our results and make us less effective. So, it is time to head out onto the trail today and look for the markers that will teach us to eliminate excuses forever.  The markers are not hidden, but you do need to follow their instructions if you want to successfully navigate the trail of no more excuses.

During the past two days of our Trek, we explored the trails of specific types of excuses and presented some ideas on how to overcome the excuse obstacles on our path. On today’s trail, we will study the markers that will give us some general ideas, suggestions, and techniques we can use to eliminate all excuses forever.

 

As we study these trail markers, it’s important to understand that our excuses lead to stagnation and a life of regrets. Moreover, success in any field of endeavor requires a period of discomfort where we must venture into unfamiliar territories not knowing what to expect.

· Trail Marker #1 – Avoid Making Comparisons

Making comparisons between yourself and others will often make you feel disheartened if you are unable to live up to people’s standards and achievements. Instead, only compare yourself to your “best self.” No other comparisons are necessary. If through your highest efforts you surpass your personal best, then that’s good enough, at least until your next attempt.

· Trail Marker #2 – Avoid Dwelling on the Past

The moment we begin dwelling on past mistakes or failures is the moment we begin experiencing the emotion of regret. Immediately we look to point the finger at someone or something else in order to justify our failures instead of taking responsibility for our decisions and actions. As a result, we begin rationalizing and making excuses for our failed attempts.

If you begin today by focusing on the present moment rather than on the past,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 117 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

The 11 Mountains of Excuses

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 117 of our Trek. Yesterday we explored the reasons we make excuses and realized that it boils down to fear.  Today we want to extend this exploration and discover the types of excuses we make. Tomorrow we will learn how we can eliminate excuses forever. Please make sure you listen to all three episodes.

 

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th.   We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  This has been one very exciting day for the Wisdom-Trek team. Our younger daughter Janet turned 30 today, and we were able to celebrate with her and Rowan, our son Fred and Doug, along with a few other family members and friends. I am not sure when Janet passed me in age, but I guess it happened.  It was a nice evening together. We were also able to have our close friend Howard over for an early dinner this evening. It was great to get caught up on his recent activities.

Our niece Sarah Jenkins and husband Andrew also gave birth to their son Bennett today. Plus, I was featured in a podcast interview that was released today on the All In Podcast Show hosted by Dan Giordano.  Take a minute to listen to the show. It was a great experience.

Last, but certainly not least, our middle son Barnabas and his wife Leesha went to the hospital today, and we are waiting for our sixth grandchild, Evelyn Grace to be born. Granny and Gramps are anxious for the news of her arrival.

With all this good news and the activities of the day, it was a bit hard to focus on the work at hand. We did not allow these events to keep us from our tasks that needed accomplished, though. It is so easy to use daily events in our lives, our current situation, or our upbringing as excuses, but we need to take responsibility for the outcomes or results in our lives.  On today’s Trek, we want to examine the 11 most common excuses that we all use at times, and tomorrow we will learn how to overcome them. Our trail today is a longer one, so strap up your hiking boots and come along with me on a fast paced trek over the 11 Mountains of Excuses.

 

The 11 Mountains of Excuses

Excuses come in many forms, and we tend to make them in many different ways.

Even though excuses vary from person to person, there are certain excuses that we all tend to make at one point or another. On our trail today, we will break down these excuses and discuss what they mean and how we can deal with them when they crop up in our lives.

· Excuse Mountain #1: There’s not enough time…

This really means that you’re lacking passion, focus, discipline, and/or direction. Likewise, it suggests that your priorities are out of sorts and that you may be lacking the ability to manage your time effectively.

Alternatively, this excuse could indicate that you simply don’t value your time or just don’t want to take the time to do what you feel you must in order to achieve your desired outcomes. In fact, the causes for this excuse could very well be narrowed down to procrastination or even laziness.

· Excuse Mountain #2: There’s not enough money…

This means that you don’t consider money to be a priority or you are simply looking for an easy way to make money and don’t have the desire, determination, persistence, or patience to work hard to achieve financial security.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 116 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

The Reasons We Make Excuses

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 116 of our Trek. Yesterday we explored the attributes of a person who achieves results. The opposite of results is excuses. All of us fall victim to making excuses in most areas of life.  So, over the next three days, we will look at the reasons we make excuses, the types of excuses we make, and how we can eliminate excuses forever. Please make sure you listen to all three episodes.

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th. We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The day just seemed to fly by today as most days do.  I was able to accomplish some of the tasks that needed completed, but there will be some left for another day. I was interviewed for a podcast by a businessman in Australia today which was quite extensive. It will not air until November or December, though, since it is a new podcast that is just getting ready to launch. I will keep you informed as new episodes are released in which I have had the privilege of being interviewed. We should be able to announce several more podcast interviews that will be released over the next few weeks.

Many of these discussions bring out our Trek throughout our lives. While we have had our share of "valleys" that we have trekked through, we have also experienced some glorious summits on our way. It would be easy to gloss over some of these valleys and make excuses, but the realization is that all the choices that were made were our choices based on the experience and knowledge that we had at that time.

It is easy to fall into the habit of making excuses when our trek of life does not turn out as we desired.  For the next three days of our Trek, we will examine in detail the subject of excuses. So, let’s put all our excuses aside and head out on the trail. One quote from a very wise man, Benjamin Franklin, reminds us, "He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."

 

Do you ever catch yourself making excuses when things don’t turn out as you had expected? Have you ever neglected taking responsibility for the events and circumstances of your life? Or have you ever tried to explain away why you didn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t or simply wouldn’t do something? These are all subtle signs that indicate you are living a life of excuses, which prevents you from living to your full potential.  And, in Jesus's words, your full potential is a rich and satisfying life.

 

1. What Are Excuses?

Excuses are rationalizations we make to ourselves about people, events, and circumstances. They are invented reasons we create to defend our behavior, to neglect taking a particular kind of action, or to simply negate responsibility. Excuses are in essence a means of placing blame of an internal problem on an external condition.  

2. Reasons We Make Excuses

There are many reasons why people make excuses. In fact, everyone has different reasons for making them. However, when it boils down to it, all excuses are based on FEAR. We only make excuses for the following main reasons:

Fear of failure

Fear of embarrassment

Fear of success

Fear of change

Fear of uncertainty

Fear of responsibility

Fear of making mistakes

Fear based on a perceived lack of confidence or resources

To eliminate excuses from our lives,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 115 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

How to Achieve Greater Results

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 115 of our Trek. Yesterday we learned why the will to prepare is more important than the will to succeed. Today we will explore the attributes of a person that achieves results.

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th.  We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been a busy but productive day of client work, an interview, and online training.  I strive to focus on some avenue of learning each day which could be a webinar, online courses, or additional reading. Even when the work load is heavy, I feel that it is important for all of us to have a priority of learning and improving. We should see improving results in each of our lives.

As we head out on our Trek today, this gives us a topic for discussion. So, I will ask you, "Why do some people seem to have the desirable ability to get things done — to get results — while others seem to continually spin their wheels?" This is an interesting point to ponder. Clearly we all have the same amount of time each day. We all have skills and abilities in certain areas. We all have the potential to achieve in our lives in some area.

As we study individuals that seem to achieve more than an average person, there are some common traits that reveal themselves. So, the question arises, "How can you become a high-achiever? If we want to be high-achievers, then we need to emulate, not duplicate, those individuals that are. The result-getters have three common qualities or traits: great self-talk, great alliances, and great ability. The complexity of these three traits is part of the mix.

1. Great Self-Talk

Great self-talk is driven by a number of factors including:

Your personal experiences both positive and negative

Your environment

Your personal goals

The price that you are willing to pay for your success

Your personal desire to continually improve

Your minimal concern for what others say about you

The love that you have for yourself

Together these factors will create in you something that most of us would identify as passion.

The question is can passion be taught or acquired, or does it have to be innate? Many believe that you have to be born with passion. I, on the contrary, do not believe this. There are too many examples today of people who are fanatical and passionate after they have become involved in an organization or movement. Even the conversion experience within a religious organization shows that one can become passionate about his or her cause. This is proof to me that passion can be taught or learned.  If you are not enjoying the results you need or desire, positive self-talk is the first step toward results. What the mind dwells on, the body acts on. Positive self-talk will lead to positivity in your life. Negative self-talk will lead to negativity.

2. Great Alliances

Great alliances appear in many forms: camaraderie, friendship, partnership, networks, collaborative activities, mastermind groups, and mentorships, depending on the situation. The relationships you enjoy will affect your self-talk and also your abilities. Great alliance relationships are the glue between the first and third steps to results.

Building great relationships comes natural to some people; however,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 114 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

The Will to Prepare is Required

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 114 of our Trek. Yesterday we learned how to develop a solid and continual habit of humor. Just like any habit, good or bad, it is learned over time by continual practice of a particular behavior. Humor is no different.  Today we will explore why your will to prepare is more important than your will to succeed.

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th. We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are ramped up for a busy week of client work, which includes being interviewed on two podcasts, completing a training sales demo for our tech client, and watching a couple of live training webinars all before we head back north to The Big House on Friday.  It should be a busy but enjoyable week.

Our youngest grandchild Hazel, who is an adorable fiery red head, will be having her 1st birthday party on Saturday. We try not to miss any of the grand kids' birthdays. Hazel is our daughter Elizabeth’s youngest of four, and they live in Marietta. So, we have the privilege of seeing them quite often. Their first day of school pictures are below.

Before the end of this month our newest grandchild should arrive. She is the daughter to our middle son Barnabas and his wife Leesha.  Leesha does all of the reviewing and editing for the Wisdom-Trek journal notes each day.

As we begin our Trek today, we are facing a very narrow and steep uphill climb that does not look like it will be easy. There are some of you that may thrive on this challenge while others will be a bit more apprehensive about the obstacles that lie ahead of us. Which one are you? Are you more competitive by nature and love a good challenge? Do you desire to be out front leading our team, or would you rather be toward the back, content to follow after the trail has been forged and determined to be safe?

While I have observed that some people appear to be more competitive by nature, this competitiveness is based on the task that is to be completed. As an example, while I tend to be more of a risk taker and competitive, Paula appears less so. I have found through experience though, that given the right situations, Paula is very competitive. I rarely can claim victory at table games or games on the computer, for instance, as Paula’s competitive nature makes sure that she does her best to win.

On our Trek today and in all areas of life, if we are going to reach at least some level of success, we need to have internal drive. But, a much bigger factor is that we need to be prepared. Preparation in all areas of life is important. In fact, the will to prepare is more important than the will to succeed. We will never be successful if we do not prepare. When we refer to preparation, it is much more than "getting ready to get ready." Preparation is the blood, sweat, and tears of hard work and focus that is required to achieve anything that is worthwhile in life.

Here are four ways to muster your will and get prepared for success on any trail on life’s trek.

1. Stay ready so there’s no getting ready.

If you work hard, remain consistent, and maintain a great attitude, you will see opportunities present themselves. Still, they often appear when you least expect them and not as soon as you wish. For this reason, it’s important to proactively prepare by anticipating t...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 113 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Laughter is the Best Medicine (2)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 113 of our Trek. Yesterday we discovered the abundant health benefits of laughter. If you missed these life changing health facts, please listen to Day 112.  Today we want to expand on those benefits so that you can bring more humor into your life by developing a solid and continual habit of humor. Just like any habit, good or bad, it is learned over time by continual practice of particular behavior.  Humor is no different.

 

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th.   We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Today we were able to attend and worship at our home church here in Charlotte. It was good to see many friends and fellowship together. We will be heading back to The Big House this coming Friday, so this will be the only Sunday this month that we are able to attend church here. We do appreciate being able to worship with Christ followers wherever we happen to be any particular week.

The remainder of today was spent relaxing and doing a little bit of light work. It has always been difficult for me to completely relax without any working on Sunday, but it is certainly a goal I desire to establish. Many Sunday’s we are traveling, but that is not quite the same as an unplugged day of relaxation.

For today, it is time to head back out on our humor trail and discover some interesting ways to establish the habit of humor in our lives. You will find that as you implement these humor nuggets into your life you will become a funnier and happier person in all that you do. You will be better able to enjoy the rich and satisfying life that you were meant to have.

1. Bring more humor and laughter into your life.

We are all born with the ability and desire to laugh. Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can relearn to laugh at any stage of life. It is truly a habit that you can re-form in your life.

Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.

Here are some ways to start to weave humor into the fabric of who you are:

Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds true for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.

Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.

When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 112 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Laughter is the Best Medicine (1)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 112 of our Trek. Yesterday we asked the question "Have you taken your medicine today?" Referring to the medicines of laughter, joy, and kindness. Today and tomorrow, we want to expand on the actual health benefits of laughter.

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th. We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. After sleeping in a bit, today was a casual day of work at home. This evening our friends Ken and Anne had us over for dinner along with another couple. Anne prepared a delicious meal, and it was a good time of fellowship and sharing. Ken and Anne are missionaries with Wycliffe and focus on training nationals in using translation software throughout the world, so they travel quite extensively. Our time together was filled with stories and laughter.

It is always good to spend time with friends that share many common interest and values. These times together make our trek of life enjoyable and worthwhile. So, as we head out on the trail today, let us remember to take time with others sharing and laughing. Even during the most difficult situations of life, times of heartache and illness, never let us forget to take time to share and laugh together with family and friends.

The more medical professionals and scientists study the impact of laughter in our lives and on our health, the body of evidence continues to mount that proves laughter is the best medicine. Let us hike this mountain of evidence today and discover why science is proving this to be true.

1. Humor and laughter offer great health benefits.

Humor is infectious. The sound of roaring laughter is far more contagious than any cough, sniffle, or sneeze. When laughter is shared, it binds people together and increases happiness and intimacy. Laughter also triggers healthy physical changes in the body. Humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and easy to use.

2. Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body.

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health,” Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.

With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.

Laughter cheers our hearts and helps to clear our minds of worry and doubt. As we looked at on yesterday’s trek, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength," Proverbs 17:22.

Four ways that laughter is good for your health:

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fig...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 111 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Have You Taken Your Medicine Today?

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 111 of our Trek. Yesterday we learned the 10 steps for taming your anger. If you missed these crucial tips, please listen to Day 110.  Today I have a question for you. Have you taken your medicine today?

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th. We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last night we went over to our daughter Janet and her husband Rowan's home for dinner.  Like us, they are always conscious and make sure that they eat healthy and wholesome foods. We had salmon, black rice, black beans, and cooked cabbage with apples in it.  The meal was delicious, and we had a great time visiting.

Janet also suggested a couple of changes with the Wisdom-Trek podcast, which we will be implementing. I realize that up to this point, the daily episodes have been fairly scripted, so we will experiment on future days to be a bit more natural and conversational. If you have any feedback on our podcast, we always look forward to your comments.

Today was a bit off schedule for work since Paula had some major dental work completed by our daughter Chelimo (Buddy’s wife).  Paula is preparing to have a replacement tooth mounted in the next couple of months.  Since we were not sure how the surgery would impact her, I went along to drive back afterwards. She will be on some strong medicine for a few days as the surgery heals. Our grandson Kip was out of school today, so we also stopped by to visit him some afterwards. It was a busy but enjoyable day.

 While I am not a huge advocate for being on medicine long term if it can be avoided, there are three types of medicine that are listed in the Bible that I believe we should take daily and in abundance because we can never overdose on them.

Medicines are supposed to treat ailments. They are supposed to make us feel better. Medicine is supposed to return us to health so that we can enjoy life more fully.

1. Laughter is the best medicine.

Psalms 126:2, "We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”

As we grow into adulthood, we soon forget to take our daily dose of laughter medicine. Studies have shown babies and children laugh hundreds of times a day.  Adults, on the other hand, often barely make it to double digits. Even joyful people can feel weighed down by the pressures and heartaches of life.

But Jesus tells us, "So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven," Matthew 18:4.

Maybe it’s time to turn your troubles over to God and become more like a child—full of joy and laughter.  We need to take time and make time to laugh.  As Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4 remind us,

"For everything there is a season,

a time for every activity under heaven."

"A time to cry and a time to laugh.

A time to grieve and a time to dance."

If you’ve been on this planet for more than a few years, you know life isn’t one big laugh. It’s filled with difficult trials. Even so, the Bible declares there is “a time to laugh.” Some ways to incorporate more laughter into your life include talking to a friend with a good sense of humor, retelling a funny story from the past, or playing a practical joke on a good friend or family member...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 110 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Taming Your Anger

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 110 of our Trek, and yesterday we learned how to prevent our lives from becoming like garbage trucks. Today we will build on that topic and learn the 10 steps for taming your anger.

In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek t-shirt that will take place on October 5th.  We are giving away 7 Wisdom-Trek t-shirts.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last night we had my sister Rebecca over for our monthly get-together as we enjoyed eating a meal, talking about life, and looking through some more old pictures when we were both very young. It is great to be able to spend the time together and remember some of our past. While I am not one for living in or wishing for the past, it is good to reflect, enjoy, and learn from our past so that we can live with more significance and have a greater impact on our world.

These times of relaxing and reflection are good for everyone. Getting out in nature and going for a hike is also an excellent opportunity to relax and have meaningful conversations about life and how we deal with the pressures and issues of life.

As we break camp and head out onto the trail, the subject of anger control comes up. All of us deal with anger in our lives and the lives of others. It is an issue that we need to prepare our minds for in advance, so that we know how to handle anger issues when they are directly impacting our lives. Yesterday we talked about how to handle the situation when someone dumps their garbage or anger on us. Do you internalize it? Do you take it and and then dump it onto someone else?  Or, have you made your life a "no garbage zone?"

As a Christ follower, I attempt to allow God’s Spirit to control my actions, but even if I endeavor not to accept or allow garbage in my life, I am human and have weaknesses. And, so do you. You will find at times that garbage will seep into your world and keeping your temper in check can be challenging.

Do you fume when someone cuts you off in traffic? Does your blood pressure rocket when your child refuses to cooperate? Anger is a normal and even healthy emotion, but it's important to deal with and control it in a positive way. Uncontrolled anger can take a toll on both your health and your relationships.

If you are ready to take responsibility for controlling the anger in your life when it occurs, then following these 10 anger management tips will be useful.

1. Think before you speak.

In the heat of the moment, it's easy to say something you'll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything, and allow others involved in the situation to do the same.

Proverbs 17:27, "A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered."

2. Once you're calm, express your anger.

As soon as you're thinking clearly, express your frustration in a confident but non-confrontational way. State your concerns and needs clearly and directly without hurting others or trying to control them.

Proverbs 25:15, "Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones." 

3. Get some exercise.

Physical activity can help reduce stress that can cause you to become angry. If you feel your anger escalating, go for a brisk walk or run or spend some time doing other enjoyable physical activities.

Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore,