Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 164 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 4:10-17 Life is Like a Journey for Wisdom

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 164 of our Trek, and yesterday we covered the first nine verses of the 4th chapter in Proverbs. For the next few days, we are going to remain at camp as we continue to explore Proverbs 4. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fall weather has set in with cooler temperatures. With being away for over a week, we have a substantial workload to complete but are very excited and grateful to be busy and have the ability to complete the work.

We also have the opportunity to watch our grandson Kip or Harold Guthrie Chamberlain, V, as he is off from his pre-school for Veteran’s Day and his parents have to work. The blessing of working from our homes is that we can include these special moments as part of our daily routine.

For today, let’s gather back around the campfire as we continue our exploration for wisdom that is found in Proverbs Chapter 4. Take a moment right now and imagine that we are listening to the crackling of the burning wood of the campfire.  If you listen closely, it sounds almost as if someone is whispering in your ear, and this is how the wisdom nuggets in the book of Proverbs are revealed to us. As we allow them to permeate our minds, they will provide insight, discernment, and understanding.  This insight will help us on our daily trek through life, and as we digest these nuggets each day, they will help us to create our living legacy for life.

Proverbs 4:10-17

This passage returns to the idea that life is like a journey. 

10 My child,  listen to me and do as I say,

and you will have a long, good life.

If we plan our journeys wisely, then we are safer. We can avoid many dangers. In the same way, if we are wise, then our lives will be safer.

11 I will teach you wisdom’s ways

and lead you in straight paths.

We shall not walk alone. Wisdom will be our guide and our guard. Remember that this whole book is about God’s wisdom! God protects us when we live our lives in his way. Jesus said in the good news according to Matthew 6:28-34, “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing,  yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today."

God cares for us. He will provide what we need for each day. He will lead us to our home in heaven.

12 When you walk, you won’t be held back;

when you run, you won’t stumble.

The people who trust in God will become stronger. They will be so strong that they will be like the eagle. As Isaiah 40:31, one of my favorite verses, states,

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 163 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 4:1-9 Teaching Wisdom

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 163 of our Trek. Yesterday we discovered how Life is Like a Word Well Spoken, or in other words, we need to understand how important our words are every day. Today we are going to return to camp for a few days, sit around the campfire, and discuss the 4th chapter of Proverbs. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We have returned from the Podcasters Paradise cruise, and I have to say, it was one of the best and most valuable conferences that we have ever attended. The small group of podcasters and the high caliber speakers along with the cruise venue really made it a great week. We made new friends, and we have returned with a renewed vigor to make Wisdom-Trek even more impactful and have solidified plans for our next step within the podcasting community.  I will be announcing those plans over the next few weeks as we begin to finalize some of the details. Keep listening each day for additional details.

After such a busy trek over this past 10 days where we compared life to various topics, we will remain at camp for the next few days as we dig for more wisdom nuggets that are contained in the book of Proverbs chapter 4. Regardless of your spiritual persuasion, the book of Proverbs contains such great nuggets of wisdom that they can be applied to everyone’s life. As we sit around the campfire today, we drink in the crisp fall air and the smell of the burning wood, which sets the environment for reflection and contemplation. It is absolutely necessary that we take time in our lives, even on a daily basis, for reflection and contemplation. These are the times when we become creative and energized to make an impact on the lives of others.

Proverbs 4:1-9

As we start digging into the 4th chapter of Proverbs, it is important to know that the first 9 verses of this chapter in the original Hebrew language were in the form of a poem. This poem is not just about Solomon’s family. It is about all families. As parents, we are responsible for teaching our children. Even as grandparents, we can have a significant impact on our grandchildren. This is training that needs to be passed down through each generation. As your children and grandchildren grow older, they are responsible for their own children.

Solomon’s family was Israel’s royal family. In the poem, the father does not teach about being a king or royalty. He does not speak about wealth and money. He does not explain how to lead the nation. For this father, only one thing matters. His children must learn wisdom.

We can teach our children about many things. We must not forget to teach them wisdom. This is the most important lesson of all.

Let’s start with verses 1 & 2.

1 My children,  listen when your father corrects you.

Pay attention and learn good judgment,

2 for I am giving you good guidance.

Don’t turn away from my instructions.

The poem begins with commands to listen. The father will teach a valuable lesson to his children.

3 For I, too, was once my father’s son,

tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.

The advice did not begin with the father, who is writing the poem. The father learned this lesson from his own father. The lesson is good because it is ancient. Grandfather followed this advice. And he saw that it was good advice.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 162 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Word Well Spoken

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 162 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a whirlwind. Today we are presenting our final short wisdom story for now, and tomorrow we will stay at camp and continue our commentary on the Book of Proverbs with Chapter 4. I hope that you have enjoyed these stories, and if you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This episode will be released on Monday when Paula, and I will be in Ft. Myers, Florida to visit Paula’s aunt for a few days. Tomorrow we will head back to Charlotte for about two weeks.

Today we will hike on the Word Well Spoken Trail where we will explore the power of our words.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Word Well Spoken

We may not all be created equal in every attribute, but we all have several things in common.

So, what are these things?

Of course, Our Time…

All of us have the same amount of seconds, minutes, and hours in a day to do with as we desire.

And there is Individual Power…

We also have individual power although some may think not because they live in countries where they are ruled by a strict dictator or military government. But, even these people have power.

Can time and power combine in your words?

The time you take and the power of your individual words - how you say them, what words you choose to use, and when to speak these words - make a difference. These words can be ones that ridicule, make fun, or chastise, or ones that encourage, praise, or demonstrate kindness, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."

A Story Of Time and Power of Words

I recall a story told to me about a man who used to commute to work daily on a train. Once disembarking the train, he always walked the short distance to his office building along with all the other throngs of people hurrying on their way to their work.

Each morning, he passed an older man who was always at the same spot with a cup in hand hoping to get a bit of change from those who passed by. For most people, this person was someone to be ignored as if he didn't exist, a person with whom they didn't want to be bothered.

Invariably, though, this man would always say good morning to him and bid him have a good day. The stranger would smile back, say good morning and remain on station until all the commuters had gone on their way.

Occasionally, my friend would drop a dollar or two in his cup on his way by as he said hello.

This behavior went on for several years until one day, his last day on the job before retirement, the man stopped for a few moments to speak with the one whom some would consider a beggar.

He told the man that he would no longer be passing by because this was his last day on the job.

The man took his hand and shook it warmly saying that he had always looked forward to seeing his friend pass his way and not because he dropped a few dollars in his cup.

He said he would miss my friend because he was one of the few people out of thousands who passed him daily who ever said hello and was the only one who ever bid him have a good day.

The man also said that his warm words always brightened his day and helped him to continue despite being ignored by thousands of others who saw him da...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 161 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Whirlwind

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 161 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a mouse. Today and throughout this week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Sunday, and Paula and I are in Ft. Myers, Florida, to visit Paula’s aunt for a few days. Beginning Tuesday I will start back focusing on each day’s podcast as we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Whirlwind Trail where we determine the importance of prioritizing the most important tasks each day.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Whirlwind

Run, run, run, and then run some more. It is so easy to be in a hurry today darting from one thing to another gaining little ground in any one thing. For a lot of us, our lives are a whirlwind of activity with household tasks, work, all of the messages on our latest technological device that seems to be attached to our hip, and piled up work to catch up on. It never seems to stop.

In the past, you probably heard about establishing priorities and labeling these Priority A, B, and C where A is the most important and had to be done right away. It seems that most of us have forgotten this rule. However, recently, I watched a video online and was reacquainted with the absolute necessity of establishing priorities and not allowing oneself to become distracted by the myriad of information coming at us at full bore. The real challenge is to be able to control the extraneous demands coming to us demanding our attention.

But, when it is all said and done, there are reasons to set priorities on a daily basis. If you do not, you will see yourself flitting like a hummingbird from flower to flower or a project or demand and on to the next without getting anything marked off the major to do list.

An example of planning and prioritizing is found in Proverbs 24:27, "Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house."

If you haven't set your daily priorities for quite some time, maybe a suggestion or two would be welcome.

The easiest and simplest of ways and still one of the most effective is to start to record your major priorities for the day on your calendar. This can be done on your iPad, iPhone, tablet, or any other electronic device, but some prefer to record it on a physical calendar with a pen. Whichever way works best for you, it is best to put it into place immediately. Some science seems to indicate that initially using a physical calendar and pen lets your brain understand the connection you are making, and it is this conscious connection that makes your note more effective.

The real challenge comes next, and that is to remove or ignore all other events, issues, or demands for your time or attention that could knock you off your track. This is not to say, however, that there might not come along a much more urgent request from a superior. If this happens, you obviously must attend to it, and the request becomes your focus. However, what was left uncompleted before the new request must be put back on the top of the list as soon as your requested action is complete.

The Apostle Peter instructs us to prepare even our minds in Chapter 1 v...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 160 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Mouse

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 160 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a storm. For the next three days, we are presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This episode is being released on Saturday as Paula and I are returning from our 7-day podcasting cruise. After we disembark, we will be traveling to Ft. Myer, Florida, to visit Paula’s aunt for a few days. This week while we are out at sea I will have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentary. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Mouse Trail as we see that even the smallest act of kindness can have a huge impact.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Mouse

There are times in life when we don't take action because we feel the act of kindness is too little or that it wouldn't make a difference. However, sometimes the smallest gesture can make a huge impact on someone's life.

The simplest of things may make the difference. A smile, a door being held open, a handwritten note, a kind word…The list can go on and on.

I was recently reading some of Aesop's fables and came across the story of The Lion and The Mouse. While this story has been around for a long time, it still has wisdom in its words. Below is the story.

One day a Lion was asleep when a little Mouse began running up and down his back. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

"Please don't," cried the little Mouse. "Forgive me this time, I shall never forget it. Who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?"

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, he pulled with all his might, but the ropes were too strong. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by, and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him, and with his sharp little teeth gnawed away the ropes, setting the Lion free.

"You once laughed at me," said the Mouse. You thought I was too little to do you a good turn. But see, you owe your life to a poor little mouse."

While you may think the story is far-fetched, the point I found in reading the story is not the size of the action that is important, but the difference that a small action made. Small acts of kindness make a difference in ways you may not realize!

Do you have opportunities to give small acts of kindness? Some people might think that they do not have a chance to show another person a small measure of kindness, but these opportunities are everywhere you go through the day. For example, if you ride on a bus, have you ever said good morning to the bus driver, or do you just ignore him or her and proceed to your seat? A simple good morning or good afternoon tells the person that you acknowledge them, and it is even an acknowledgment that can help to brighten a day.

If you drive a car anywhere, do you let someone enter into to traffic, or do you just keep driving inching along and ignoring the other driver?

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 159 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Storm

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 159 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like money.  Today and throughout this week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Friday as Paula and I are on our 7-day podcasting cruise. This week while we are out at sea I have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentaries. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Stormy Trail as we see that in every life a little, or a lot of rain will fall. Some of it may even be in the middle of very heavy storms.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Storm

The day starts with the glory of the warming sunrise in the east as the mists of the night are slowly thrown back to their own beginnings. The silent warmth of the sun seeps slowly through the window as the birds are bouncing from branch to branch while high in the sky is seen the majestic eagle gliding smoothly on the updrafts created by the warming earth.

Does each day start with sunshine penetrating the deep of the night, and does your heart warm to the sights and sounds of nature around you? Does this sound too good to be true?

If your life is constantly full of sunshine where each day is transformed into beauty and each worldly gift is yours to use, then you are one of a few. To the rest of us, an idyllic world only exists in our fantasies. This is not to say, however, that we might not experience a day of warmth, sunshine, and beauty. It is only to say that within each life, rain must fall and this rain is in reality the pain, sorrow, disappointment, difficulties, and struggle of the true road of life.

Not too many years ago, I happened to meet a businessman who had started with nothing and was able to build a small fortune. It seemed that everything he touched turned to gold. It wasn't really a gold-laden path he chose. It was more that he chose his ventures well and put in tremendous effort. He had a good life by most people's standards; he also had a wonderful family and his son and daughter were the “apples” of his life. The children were blessed with a loving family, everything they needed, and were both moving along into fantastic careers of their own.

If you were to view the household from the viewpoint of a stranger looking in, their total life couldn't have been better. But, within each life, there are struggles or turmoil unseen. In his case, while all appeared well, there was a looming family problem with his daughter. His daughter met a very controlling man who constantly mentally influenced her to the point she didn't want anything to do with her family at all. She had moved in with him and the distance between her family grew further and further apart.

Her father became more and more frustrated and hurt at the same time. He had tried to reconnect with her to no avail. He was at a complete loss of what to do to try and get his daughter to even speak to him. His life was slowly falling apart. It no longer mattered to him about his career, his business, and his ability to be able to make things better. Into each life, rain must fall.

As months passed, his world was crumbling - his mind totally focused on hi...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 158 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like Money

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 158 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a triangle. Today and throughout this week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Thursday as Paula and I are on our 7-day podcasting cruise. This week while we are out at sea, I have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentary. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Money Trail as we see that the value of life is not diminished regardless of its condition.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like Money

You probably wonder what life is like money relates to? It is not about having a significant amount of money, and it isn't about having a great big bank account so you can do whatever you want either.

Value Beyond Crumpled And Wrinkled

Instead, life is like money because, barring destroying it with fire, it always has value no matter how crumpled it is, how used it is, or if it is stained with coffee or magic marker or crayons used by a child thinking it is something to draw on.

Life is something like money in that you still have value no matter how many times you have been downtrodden or how often you have failed in your attempts to excel at a certain sport or how many times you have failed to succeed in starting a successful business.

Who You Are Matters More

The bright spot here is that your value does not come from what you have or what you own or how many homes you have around the world or any of these materialistic things. Your value is who you are not what you have.

Value Behind Bars

Even if someone is in prison for committing crimes against humanity, it does not lessen their value at all. To me, it doesn’t matter what criminal activity brings a person to prison. Instead, it is more about the value of the person within.

For a lot of prisoners, even when they are released, they wear the stigma of being a convict for the rest of their lives because they saw no value in themselves.

Failure Does Not Diminish Value

Many people who have failed often devalue themselves thinking that their failure demonstrated that they should never think of having more than they have had in the past.

Unfortunately, these types of people do not learn the most valuable lesson there is and that is failures are your best teacher.

The point is to learn from mistakes, take out what was done right, and then incorporate that planning and thinking into the next business or life event. I remember the story of a guy who started a small pre-cooked meal business hoping to move away from his current job that they loathed.

When this business did not produce the results he wanted, he just plain and simple gave up trying or even thinking of another business he could start that would move him to where he wanted to be. Would you say that this person devalued their ability to succeed?

Seeing Beyond the Present

On the other hand, I know many people who started out in business on a very small scale, and while their first few years did not produce a huge profit and actually barely covered their costs, they kept at it learning from mistakes and moving forward wit...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 157 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Triangle

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 157 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a milk bottle. Today and throughout this week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Wednesday as Paula and I are on our 7-day podcasting cruise. This week while we are out at sea, I have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentaries scheduled. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Triangle Trail and see three bits of wisdom that will help us through each day of life.

Today’s story is…

Life Is Like a Triangle

I like to spend time with and study older people whom I consider to be my wise mentors. My parents were wise in many areas of life, and my Granny and Gramps were considered as wise. I also study Jim Rohn and Zig Ziglar to glean wisdom from them.  All of these people faced challenges that we all face one way or the other. They have seen successes and many happy times throughout their lives, but they have also seen times of struggle and sorrow.

As I was preparing for today’s podcast, I settled on three nuggets of wisdom to share. I consider them an important triangle of practical wisdom for everyday life.

These nuggets have nothing to do with saving money or working hard, but these three important wisdom nuggets will provide the rich and satisfying life that we all seek to obtain.

What are they? Well, here is what I would like to share with you today…

1. Make each new day count by helping someone or just making someone smile.

Part of this personal philosophy is all about giving from within so that another person is happier for the fact that they spent time with you and know you. This strength to make someone happy comes from your own sense of well-being and happiness. So, to help someone or make them smile, you must have a sense of giving to others, which in turn is given back to you through their thanks or through their simple smile back to you. Life is not about receiving at all times; it is a combination of being thankful for what you have as blessings and sharing those blessings with others who need a little fraction of what you have.  Luke 6:31 reminds us to, "Do to others as you would like them to do to you."

2. Don't dwell on life's troubles. Think of the good times.

Everybody has troubles in life. No one is immune. But, troubles are no different than the bad weather in that bad weather affects everyone but passes sooner or later. When there is bad weather, the best thing to overcome its doom and gloom is to remember all the good weather you have experienced in the past and recall all those fun and enjoyable things that you did to appreciate the beauty of the day. For example, a simple walk in the park watching and listening to all the sounds and sights or an enjoyable picnic by the side of a babbling brook where peace and tranquility surrounded you. 

In Matthew 5:44-45 Jesus told us, "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike."

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 156 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Milk Bottle

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 156 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a black dot. Today and throughout this next week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Tuesday as Paula and I are on our 7-day podcasting cruise. This week while we are out at sea, I have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentaries. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on the Milk Bottle Trail and see how our lives are shaped by the environment that we allow ourselves to be confined to.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Milk Bottle

My parents would always encourage us to set goals and work hard to achieve them. They would tell us not to be a follower and not to set limits on what we could achieve. They truly believed that there were no limits and that you could achieve whatever you wanted.

This reminds me of the following story about a radish and a milk bottle. It’s a story that I have never forgotten.

A Farmer's Lesson In Life

A farmer won a first prize at the country fair for his huge radish that was the exact shape and size of a quart milk bottle. Many were curious as to how the farmer was able to grow this radish that was the exact shape of a milk bottle.

Finally, one gentleman went up to the farmer and asked the question. The farmer replied, "It was easy. I got the seed growing and then I put it into the milk bottle. It had nowhere else to go."

You can use this story as an analogy to life. Our lives are shaped by the kind of surroundings we place ourselves in, the people that we allow to influence us, and the goals we give ourselves.

These Are Key Ingredients

If we only dream and take no action, then we get no further. But if we plan, set a goal, and take action then our life takes a different shape.

The important parts of goal setting go way beyond just writing down a goal statement and thinking that somehow your goal will be reached.

To write a goal is only a minor part of the way forward. The rest of the elements of how to reach that goal must also be stated clearly and with a definite timeframe for each step.

This means that you must develop a detailed plan of action in which each action step is detailed on what you must do, when and how you must do it, and how much time it will take. If you do not make your plan detailed in this way and set specific target dates for completion, you will simply not be creating any expectation or urgency in your mind that helps keep you moving.

But what about the bumps along the path? Sometimes, even when you are following your action plan, you will run into a snag. Snags are not uncommon, and you should realize this before you even get started.

These snags, though, should be viewed only as little inconveniences; these inconveniences are meant for you to resolve and move forward again.

These little problems are those that most people cannot overcome because they simply quit, using the excuse that their goal was never meant to be.

Show that you are different. Show that you have the dedication and resolve to keep going,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 155 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life Is Like a Black Dot

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 155 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at why life is like a bank account. Today and throughout this next week, we will be presenting a series of short wisdom stories. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. This episode is being released on Monday as Paula and I are on our 7 day podcasting cruise. While we are out at sea this week, I will have a series of podcasts covering short stories about wisdom without a lot of additional commentary. Once we get back from the cruise, we will remain at camp for a few days as we dive back into the commentary on the book of Proverbs.

Today we will hike on two similar trails, both dealing with how we view our world.

Today’s story is...

Life Is Like a Black Dot

One day a professor entered his classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They all waited anxiously at their desks for the exam to begin.

The professor handed out the exams with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked the students to turn over the papers.

To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions – just a black dot in the center of the paper. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s faces, told them the following, “I want you to write about what you see there.” The students, confused, got started on the inexplicable task.

At the end of the class, the professor took all the exams and started reading each one of them out loud in front of all the students.

All of them, with no exception, defined the black dot, trying to explain its position in the center of the sheet. After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor started to explain…

“I’m not going to grade you on this. I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot, and the same thing happens in our lives. However, we insist on focusing only on the black dot – the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend…The dark spots are very small when compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black dots in your lives. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with love!”

Ephesians 5:1-2, "Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."

Philippians 4:8, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Changing Our Vision

There was a very wealthy man who was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and was being treated by several. He did not stop consulting a galaxy of medical experts. He consumed heavy loads of drugs and underwent hundreds of injections, but the ache persisted with more vigor than before.

At last, a monk who was supposed to be an expert in treating such patients was called for by the suffering man. The monk understood his problem and said that for sometime he should concentrate only on green colors and not let his eyes fall on any other colors.