Wisdom-Trek ©

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 134 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs Chapter 3:13-20 Trusting the Lord #3

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 134 of our Trek, and we are remaining at camp this week as we dig for the nuggets of wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs. We have discovered some precious treasure so far this week, so let us continue on our study of the map to wisdom.

Yesterday we explored Chapter 3:7-12, and today we will continue to explore in Chapter 3 as we discover just how valuable wisdom really is. Once we complete the entire book of Proverbs, we will make the entire commentary available in an eBook although we will be going on many treks between our times at camp. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Looking back at this past week, it has been an interesting and exciting opportunity for growth. The three podcasts where I was a guest went well, and we are making progress and providing value to others that are also creating and publishing podcasts in their own areas of expertise.

The wisdom and insight that can be gleaned by sitting around a campfire, as we have been doing this week, is astounding.  As we look at the verses today, we will see the tremendous value of obtaining wisdom and how wisdom was the very foundation for all of creation.

The title of Chapter 3 is…

Trusting in the Lord

· The Value of Wisdom

13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gains understanding.

14 For wisdom is more profitable than silver,

and her wages are better than gold.

15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 She offers you long life in her right hand,

and riches and honor in her left.

17 She will guide you down delightful paths;

all her ways are satisfying.

18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

happy are those who hold her tightly.

In Proverbs 1:20-33, Solomon describes wisdom as a woman. This happens again in Proverbs 3:13-18. There is a difference. In Proverbs 1, Wisdom is angry with evil people. They have refused her advice. In Proverbs 3, we read about the people who love Wisdom. Wisdom brings good things to them: long life, wealth and honor (verse 16). When we walk with Wisdom, our life is pleasant and beautiful (verse 17).

In verses 14-15, we see Wisdom compared to valuable objects. She is worth more than precious stones. Her value is more than silver or gold.

You can put your money in a bank. The bank will pay you an income. However, the bank is not as good as Wisdom. If you give your life to Wisdom, she will pay more than any bank. No bank can make your life longer, but Wisdom can give a long life. No bank can promise you a place in heaven, but Wisdom can promise this. No bank can make you right with God, but Wisdom can do this.

The happiness that wisdom brings is not just an emotion. This is the same happiness that Jesus describes in Matthew 5:3-12. Which are referred to as…

· The Beatitudes

1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.

3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,

for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 God blesses those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

5 God blesses those who are humble,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 133 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs Chapter 3:7-12 Trusting the Lord #2

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 133 of our Trek, and we are remaining at camp this week as we dig for the nuggets of wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs.  As the prospectors of old would pan for gold in the creeks and rivers, let us wash away the dirt from the many modern media outlets that want to pollute our minds each day and find the pure gold of wisdom that is located in the streams of Proverbs. Yesterday we began Chapter 3, and today we will continue to explore in Chapter 3 as we pan for additional nuggets of wisdom.

Once we complete the entire book of Proverbs, we will make the entire commentary available in an eBook although we will be going on many treks between our times at camp. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them on the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we are busily completing the work that needs done and the podcasts that will be airing while we are on our short trip to Phoenix.  Life seems to always be full, rich, and exciting.  While we have the opportunity, we will continue on.  As the old saying goes, you have to make hay when the sun shines.

As we enjoy our time sitting around the campfire, let us share more wisdom nuggets from Solomon to see how they apply to our trek of life.  For me, campfires have always been a time for reflection and relaxation.  Cherish every moment of life to learn, to grow, to create a legacy of wisdom, and to seek out discernment and insight.

The title of Chapter 3 is…

Trusting in the Lord

Wrong types of wisdom and intelligence

Today we are starting with verse 7.

7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.

Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

There is a wrong type of wisdom. Verse 7 mentions “your own wisdom.”

There is also a wrong type of understanding, which we looked at yesterday in Verse 5 that mentions “your own understanding.”

There is a difference between our own wisdom and God’s wisdom. Also, there is a difference between our own thoughts and God’s thoughts. God is wiser than we are, and God is more intelligent than any person is as is stated in Isaiah 55:8-9.   

8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

We must not be proud. All true wisdom comes from God. Our own ideas may be good, but they are never better than God’s wisdom.

God teaches his wisdom to us. It is God’s gift to us. Do not confuse your own ideas with God’s wisdom!

8 Then you will have healing for your body

and strength for your bones.

Sometimes unwise choices cause illnesses. For example, consuming excess alcohol or eating the wrong food or too much food will make us ill. But, God’s wisdom does not hurt us. God is kind to us, and He helps us. He cares about our bodies. He also cares about our spirits. Nobody will be ill in heaven as Revelation 21:4 reveals, 4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

Next in verses 9-10 Solomon teaches us about priorities with money when he writes...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 132 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs 3:1-6 - Trusting the Lord #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 132 of our Trek. Yesterday and for the next few days, we will remain at camp and dig for the nuggets of wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs. Yesterday we finished up with Chapter 2, and today we will begin to explore Chapter 3 as we mine for additional nuggets of wisdom. Once we complete the entire book of Proverbs, we will make the entire commentary available in an eBook. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them on the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and when this episode originally airs, we will be with our friends and business partners Charles and Alison as we continue to work through the detailed plans of our current construction project. It is an exciting time but always one for learning and growth both on a business and personal level.

At our campfire today, we continue to learn from the wisest man to ever live Solomon, as he shares personal wisdom with his children. This is a great reminder to us to impart wisdom as we have those teachable moments with our kids, grandkids, or any young person each day. Of course that also means that we must have first gained that wisdom, insight, and understanding ourselves. So, let’s begin to study the treasures found in Proverbs 3.  Let us boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

The title of Chapter 3 is...

Trusting in the Lord

We’ll begin with verse 1.

1 My child, never forget the things I have taught you.

Store my commands in your heart.

Chapter 3 begins, as usual, with advice for Solomon’s son. Solomon encourages his son to remember his commands. The son must remember the words, but he should also aim for a deeper experience. Wisdom should enter his heart. Wisdom should guide his thoughts. Wisdom should control his emotions and desires.

2 If you do this, you will live many years,

    and your life will be satisfying.

The son will benefit from wisdom. Solomon mentions health and wealth as two potential benefits.

Wisdom brings health because wisdom teaches safe actions. A wise person eats good food and takes care of his body.

Wisdom brings wealth because a wise person is careful. A wise person works hard and does not waste money.

Do not think that health and wealth show wisdom. A thief can become wealthy because he steals. An evil person can take money from other people. Sometimes God gives health and wealth to a person but not always.

18 "Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath," Deuteronomy 8:18.

True health is not only the health of the body. Your relationship with God must also be healthy. In fact, your relationship with God is more important than your body. See Matthew 5:29-30.

Solomon was very wealthy. But he knew that true wealth is not money. See Proverbs 3:14-15. Wisdom is worth more than silver or gold. Wisdom is worth more than all our money.

3 Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!

Tie them around your neck as a reminder.

Write them deep within your heart.

4 Then you will find favor with both God and people,

and you will earn a good reputation.

Loyalty and kindness should always be with us. As Solomon writes this,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 131 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs Chapter 2:16-22

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 131 of our Trek. Yesterday we remained at camp and dug for the nuggets of wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs, and we will continue to do so for the next couple of days. Once we complete the entire book of Proverbs, we will make the entire commentary available in an eBook. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them on the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a late night of work last night and will probably be again tonight. We did have the pleasure of having pizza last evening with our oldest son Harry, his wife Chelimo, and their son Kip. Regardless of how busy our schedules are, we treasure these times that we can spend with our kids. Staying focused on what is most important is so crucial in living a rich and satisfying life.

I was also interviewed today on The Heart of the Matter podcast hosted by Brian King. It was conducted over a new technology called “Blab,” which allows up to four people to have a live video and audio chat while others can observe. It can also be recorded so that it can be replayed. If you are interested in watching this episode, check it out here.

The Heart of the Matter Podcast

As we sit around the campfire today, let’s continue to study our treasure map which is found in the book of Proverbs as we seek the hidden treasures that are contained in the book. We should seek these wisdom nuggets as if they were actually nuggets of gold because they are so much more valuable.

The title for Proverbs Chapter 2 is the “Benefit of Wisdom,” and we looked at verses 1-15 yesterday. So, let’s continue in the section titled “The Journey of Life” as we start with verse 16 today.

The Benefits of Wisdom

From here let’s move on to the “Journey of Life” in verses 16-19.

1. The journey of life

16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,

from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.

17 She has abandoned her husband

and ignores the covenant she made before God.

18 Entering her house leads to death;

it is the road to the grave.

19 The man who visits her is doomed.

He will never reach the paths of life.

In these verses, a woman tries to tempt a man. Deuteronomy 5 lists 10 commands that God gave. One command was, "Do not have sex with someone else's wife or husband," Deuteronomy 5:18. The woman in the Book of Proverbs refuses to follow this command. A man who goes to her is in danger.

Solomon is teaching us about other wrong actions. Sometimes wrong actions are attractive. Sometimes evil thoughts tempt us. Sometimes we might think that God’s law is not fair. Perhaps the man likes the woman. However, he must not go to her.

We must not do wrong actions when evil thoughts test us. The devil even tested Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11). But, Jesus did nothing that was wrong against God. God gives his wisdom to us. His Word teaches us how we should live.

If we turn from God, it is like leaving your husband or wife. When you became a Christian, you promised to follow God. Evil thoughts may still tempt you. Other religions may tempt you. Sex may tempt you. Do not break your promise to God! 6 "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me,'" John 14:6.

Even Solomon, who wrote the Book of Proverbs, turned away from God in the end.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 130 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Proverbs Chapter 2:1-15

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 130 of our Trek. Yesterday we hiked the trail of Be->Do->Have and learned why it is so important to follow those steps each day to have a rich and satisfying life. Today and for the next few days, we will remain at camp and dig for the nuggets of wisdom contained within the book of Proverbs starting today in Chapter 2. Once we complete the entire book of Proverbs, we will make the entire commentary available in an eBook. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and as we prepare for our short trip to Phoenix this weekend, I will be recording a few episodes in advance since I will not have the time to prepare and record while traveling. The next few days are jammed packed with work, so it will require a couple of late nights this week.

As we remain at camp during our study of Proverbs, it is similar to taking the proper time to study the trail maps so that we can have a safe and expedient hike. The book of Proverbs provides us a wisdom map so that we can navigate life safely and expediently as we gain wisdom, insight, and discernment.

The title for Proverbs Chapter 2 is the "Benefit of Wisdom," and we will see there are many benefits for our life’s daily trek as we study Proverbs.

The Benefits of Wisdom

I will begin our discussion today by reading Verses 1-4.

1 My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

2 Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

3 Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

4 Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

1. The search for wisdom

We must greatly desire wisdom. We must listen to it. We must desire it. We must ask questions so that we can learn more. We must hunt for wisdom like someone who searches for gold.

Psalm 42:1 is similar, "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God."

Also see Job 28. A man digs deep into the earth. He breaks through the rock. He enters places that no animal has seen. He finds gold and silver. He discovers many things. However, he cannot find wisdom there. Wisdom is not in the deep sea. You cannot buy wisdom, not even with gold. But Job tells us how to find wisdom in 28:28, "And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear (respect) of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”

Let’s move onto Verses 5-8.

2.   The reward of wisdom

5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

8 He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

If we respect God, then we shall become wise. God gives his wisdom to us. We are his people, and he guards us. He defends us, and he protects us. Psalm 23 compares God to a man who owns sheep. The farmer looks after his sheep. He provides their food and water. He cares about them. In the same way, God looks after us. When we are in danger, God protects us.

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

1 The Lord is my shepherd;

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 129 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Follow the Trail of Be->Do->Have

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 129 of our Trek. Yesterday we completed our fifth and final day on the trail of our reality, which is based on our beliefs. If you missed any of the episodes on this five day trek, it would be worthwhile for you to go back and listen to them or read the daily journals to get a complete picture.

If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we spend time together on our daily trek, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.  Today we are going to extend the concept of how our beliefs create our reality as we investigate the principles or trail of “Be –> Do –> Have.” Many times we get these principles out of order and then wonder why our lives are not what we expect.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the weather has certainly made an abrupt change to fall. We also had a significant amount of rain the past few days primarily due to the hurricane that skirted the east coast.  However, the Charlotte area was spared from flooding, unlike many areas on the eastern seaboard. Our workload this week remains very heavy, but we are taking it one day at a time. As we discussed on Day 65 of our Trek, the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

It is time to break camp for today and head back out onto the trail in pursuit of wisdom, insight, and understanding that will help us as we create our living legacy. I would encourage you to keep your eyes focused on the trail today because it is important that we follow the trail of “Be –> Do –> Have” in the proper order. On our way out of camp, I want to ask you this question, "Are you BEING the person you truly want to be?"

Take a few moments and really think about who you are being right now and compare that to who you really want to be. Do you want to be a better father/mother; be happier than you are right now; be wealthier, healthier, and skinnier? Or, do you want to be better at your job or to be a better business owner?

Most of us have been taught that we need to have things in our life to allow us to do what we want, allowing us to be who we want to be. For example, “When I have more time, I will be able to do more activities with my children, therefore I will be a better father.”

In reality, we will never be the person we want to be if we wait to have first.

If you really want to have ultimate success in ALL areas of your life (personal and in business), you really need to start being the person you want to be right now!

You really need to reverse this teaching of having, doing, and then being and begin with being the person you should be. This will drive you to do the things that reflect your character and integrity, so you can have the results that you desire in life. To switch the previous example, “I am being the best father I can be allowing me to do more activities with my children and now I have the time necessary for them.”

Our wisdom nugget for today is to flip the Have –> Do –> Be teaching on its head and explore the Be –> Do –> Have  principle. As we examine this nugget, let’s look at why this principle is so successful in reaching goals and hopefully get inspired to start living the life we truly want without waiting until we have everything in place before we start living the lives we really want to live.

· Have –> Do –> Be – The Trail to Misery and Failure

This thinking holds you back from reaching your goals. When you ask most people what they would like to have in...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 128 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Your Beliefs Create Your Reality (5)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 128 of our Trek. Yesterday was day four of five on the trail of our reality, which is based on our beliefs. Our focus throughout this five day trek is to help you to realize how crucial it is that your belief system is based on a solid foundation of truth. Yesterday we explored how to upgrade your beliefs so that you can change limiting beliefs into empowering beliefs.

Today is our last day of our current trek, and we will determine how we can make the growing of your beliefs a regular part of your life’s trek.  If you missed any of the previous episodes on this trek, make sure you go back and listen to them all to get a complete picture. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we share time together on our daily trek, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and it is starting out to be a week completely full with our client workload and many other activities. I was the guest on another podcast, which was released over this past weekend. The podcast is titled The Steep Side of the Mountain with host Manny Wolfe, and we discussed our lives and how we are able to integrate with the difficult times.

Now it is time to break camp for today and head back out for our fifth and final day on our reality trail. So far on our Trek, we have focused mainly on the role of our internal map of reality. We have also talked about how our beliefs serve as our internal map makers.

Learning to create a reality that empowers us rather than limits us is certainly a powerful and advanced life skill. This skill, perhaps more than any other, has the ability to totally transform the quality of our lives.

As the TV infomercials would say...

But wait, there’s more!

Creating an internal map of reality based on empowering beliefs is definitely something everyone should endeavor to do. With that said, I don’t want you to conclude that mastering this ability constitutes the final frontier because it doesn’t.

In fact, the real key to a rich and satisfying life is not found within the confines of an intricately detailed map of reality where every square inch is ruled over by some established law or belief.  God created us with a free will to make choices in our lives. Following the strict written code of the law has been replaced by the freedom we have in Christ. We do have freedom and flexibility in the choices that we make. We may not all agree in what constitutes a rich and satisfying life, or even what constitutes a life of faith, but we should choose to live a life that empowers us to fulfill our God-given potential.  To choose less would be a disservice to our creator. The real key to such a life actually lies…

Part 5: Beyond the Map

The problem with being too locked into a minutely detailed map is that everything is (seemingly) accounted for. Perhaps this point can be best made by looking at our earth.

What happens to people’s perception in areas where every square inch of land is accounted for? Don’t they tend to live and be restricted by precisely drawn boundaries or sets of laws? And, doesn’t that reality have a way of fostering preconceived ideas about how things are supposed to be? This type of mindset causes most people to become very judgmental of anyone that does not have the same strict belief system.  Except those clearly defined moral codes set out within Scripture,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 127 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Your Beliefs Create Your Reality (4)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 127 of our Trek.Yesterday was day three of five on the trail of our reality, which is based on our beliefs. Our focus throughout this five day trek is realizing how crucial it is that your belief system is on a solid foundation of truth.

This is day four of five on our exploration into the concept that our beliefs create our reality. Today we will discover how to upgrade our beliefs so that our realities are based on a solid foundation of truth. If you missed any of the previous episodes on this trek, make sure you go back and listen to them all to get a complete picture. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we share time together on our daily trek, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sunday we headed back to Charlotte after a busy and productive time in Marietta the past 10 days. We have a very busy week coming up with our client workload, including three interviews on other podcasts, and a trip to Phoenix, Arizona, to spend four days with our friends and business partners Charles and Alison Mecom on Friday. We have been working together on various construction projects for about 10 years and are doing some planning on a large project began this past summer.

Now it is time to break camp for and head back out on day four on our reality trail. As we start out I would like to ask you another question. “If your beliefs create your reality, doesn’t that open up a whole world of possibilities?”  So, the next question I will follow up with is “What kind of reality have you created?”

By simply asking that question, we are actually accomplishing two important steps. First, we are acknowledging our creative ability, and at the same time, we are accepting responsibility for our current reality or situation on our trek of life.

During days 1 -3 of this trek, we examined several fundamental ways in which your beliefs influence our reality. One thing that should be abundantly clear by now is the fact that the quality of your life is a reflection of the quality of your beliefs about who you are and what you are capable of.

Knowing that empowering beliefs create a desirable reality and limiting beliefs do the opposite is a good place to start. Obviously, the next step needs to be learning how to eliminate the beliefs that don’t serve you and replacing them with beliefs that do. This brings us to our 4th major mile marker on our Trek today.

Part 4: Upgrading Your Beliefs

There is an essential first step that must be taken before you can even think about upgrading your beliefs. Do you know what that step is? It’s simple really, you need to identify your current beliefs and figure out which ones need an upgrade.

On the surface, this sounds easy enough. But beliefs are shrouded in all kinds of confusing disguises. In fact, have you ever noticed that the word “lie” is at the center of the word belief?

So, how do we get around the deceptive power of our limiting beliefs?

1. Look at the results!

The easiest way to identify your own limiting beliefs is to look at the results they produce. Any area in your life where you are producing good results is probably anchored to an empowering belief. Likewise, any area in your life that is plagued with unsatisfactory or frustrating results is likely anchored to a limiting belief. The results you produce always reveal your underlying beliefs.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 126 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Your Beliefs Create Your Reality (3)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 126 of our Trek. Yesterday was day two of five on the trail of our reality, which is based on our beliefs. As I mentioned yesterday, we are wonderfully created, and we have a vast capacity to create our reality through our paradigms or belief systems.

It is so crucial that your belief system is on a solid foundation of truth. This is day three of five on our exploration into the concept that our beliefs create our reality. If you miss any of these episodes, make sure you go back and listen to them all to get a complete picture. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we share time together on our daily trek, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. I was able to finish the dining room floor with two coats of polyurethane.  Check out the pictures.  I would encourage you to check out the journal each day as I include related pictures and tweetable quotes in each of them.  

We also attended our nephew Caleb’s wedding in Logan, Ohio, this weekend. He and his new bride Misheel will be living in Chicago where Caleb is an architect and Misheel is an accountant. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a great time together with family.  I have been so blessed to have a close family where we can share these times together.

Now it is time to break camp for today and head back out for day three on our reality trail.  As we start out I would like to ask you a question. "Why is it that two people can see and experience the exact same situation at the same time, but have two completely different interpretations or reactions?" Which response is true? Both are reality to the person who experiences it. This example supports what we have been exploring for the past couple of days. Our beliefs about our world create our own reality. That reality is personal to us.

 

On a subconscious level, each of us is convinced that our beliefs are both true and accurate. After all, they must be correct, otherwise why would we choose to believe them, right?

Here’s how the dictionary defines "belief" – “Acceptance by the mind that something is true or real, often underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense of certainty.”

On the first day of our current Trek, we talked about how our beliefs provide a structured process through which we evaluate everything in our lives. Yesterday we saw how our beliefs become the foundation for our internal map of reality.

Today it’s time to take a closer look at how we subconsciously alter the meaning of our experiences and relationships to make sure they fit our map. We will also discuss how we attract people and situations into our life in an effort to verify the accuracy of our version of reality.

As a Christ follower, it is hard sometimes to question the beliefs that I was taught from childhood.  It is important that we make sure that our beliefs are grounded on Biblical truth and not the interpretation of someone else that we have blindly accepted.

If you are also a Christ follower, I would encourage you to adopt the practices of the church in Berea as is written in Acts 17:11, "And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth."

 

Part 3: Defending Your Beliefs

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 125 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Your Beliefs Create Your Reality (2)

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 125 of our Trek. Yesterday we began down the trail of our reality, which is based on our beliefs. As humans, we are wonderfully created, but with our vast capacity we also have the ability to create our reality through our paradigms or belief systems. Our beliefs provide us with a life that is rich and satisfying or poor and miserable. To put it another way, our beliefs create a mindset of abundance or scarcity.

It is so crucial that your belief system is on a solid foundation of truth we will spend five days on the concept that our beliefs create our reality. If you miss any of these episodes, make sure you go back and listen to them all to get a complete picture. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we share time together on our daily trek, please share them in the comment section of our daily journal pages.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It has been a rainy week so far, so I have not been able to get out and mow. I am hoping that it will dry off enough before we head back to Charlotte to be able to mow. The leaves on the big trees outside of our office windows are starting to change, and the beautiful fall colors are being painted on a few of them.

By the time that you listen to this podcast, I should have the dining room floor completed with two coats of polyurethane.  Our dining room has a special pattern in the floor that really makes it beautiful.  I will post a couple of pictures in tomorrow’s journal pages.

Let’s break camp for today and head back out on our reality trail as we realize that even though we may be traveling on the same trail, each of us has our own perception on what the trail looks like to us.

Understanding that our mind is very creative can help us grasp the power of how our beliefs shape our reality. George Orwell once said that “Myths which are believed in tend to become true.” This is especially true on an individual basis.

By now, most of us realize that our perception of reality is heavily influenced by our beliefs, but the full extent of this influence is often underestimated. Each of us has a variety of methods for altering our reality, so it conforms to what we believe to be real. Each of us is a reality alteration expert.

Yesterday we discussed how your beliefs provide a structured process through which you evaluate everything in your life. Now it’s time to take that concept a step further and look at the influence of your beliefs on your reality.

Part 2: Your Internal Map of Reality

From the moment you entered this life, your subconscious mind has been busy collecting and processing information. Combined with your experiences, this information is used to create your beliefs about who you are as a person, and how you fit into the world around you.

Because these beliefs are based on your evaluation, and emotional conclusions of your personal experiences, they are accepted by your subconscious as being absolutely true. Your subconscious mind then uses these personal “truths” to construct your personal version of the real world. In other words, your beliefs become the foundation of your internal map of reality.

1. To the mind, your map is reality!

The way in which your map is constructed will determine many aspects of your life. It will be a major determining factor in your success or failure, your happiness or unhappiness, and your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with your entire life experience.