Wisdom-Trek ©

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,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 109 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life is Like a Garbage Truck

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 109 of our Trek, and yesterday we came to understand that our life is like flying in a jet. If the plane loses cabin pressure, we must put on our masks first, so that we can then assist others. It is the same in all areas of life. We need to take care of ourselves, so that we will have the ability to assist others. Today we want to learn how to prevent our lives from becoming like a garbage truck.

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 recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is amazing how quickly the hours rush by each day. I realize that we are making progress on the various projects that we are working on, but there never seems to be enough hours in the day. That is how life’s trek is. We slowly and deliberately continue climbing toward the summit one small step at a time. We know that if we continue to follow the trail each day, we will reach the destination eventually. What is slowing you down today?

As we head out of camp today, we notice that the garbage bins are overflowing onto the ground, and there is garbage strewn all around. We comment to each other that we sure hope that the garbage truck picks it up soon. What a mess it is! We then think about the purpose of a garbage truck, which is to pick up other people’s smelly and gross garbage and take it somewhere else and dump it. This reminds me of a story of how, if we are not careful, our lives can become like a garbage truck.

This true story was experienced by David Pollay on a business trip to New York City, and it goes like this.

“I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face. And he even threw in a one finger salute! I couldn’t believe it!

But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, 'Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!' And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck®.” He said:

'Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.'”

This story should cause you to reflect. How often do you let other people’s garbage trucks dump their trash on you, and then how often do you transfer their garbage and spread it to other people – at work, at home, on the streets? We should not do this; however, that's easier said than done. When we overreact to people who "dump their garbage" on us, we need to realize that what the other person does is his or her problem,

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 108 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life is Like Flying in a Jet

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 108 of our Trek. Yesterday we learned howlife is like a bell and regardless of what type of bell we are, we need to serve that purpose faithfully and always ring true because we can never unring a bell. Today we want to see how life is like flying in a jet.

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 recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are working hard to stay focused on some deadlines for our client work during the day as our evenings and weekend are filling up this week. We are having beautiful weather in the Charlotte area this week with sunshine and temperatures around 80°.

With this beautiful weather, it is a great day to continue on our Trek.  As we enjoy our time in nature feeling the warm breeze, watching the rustling of the trees and grass, and hearing the birds sing their melodies, we stare up into the cloudless blue sky and stand in awe of God’s creation. As we continue looking into the sky, we notice the faint lines left by the jets as they pass through the air 35,000 feet above us going nearly 600 miles per hour. Some of the modern inventions, such as the jets that pass overhead, are truly miracles.

As Paula and I are planning a trip to Arizona next month to visit the construction project that we are involved in, I have been thinking about flying again. During a three year time period, when I worked with a national consulting firm, I traveled every week, so I spent a lot of time on planes. I really enjoy flying, both commercially and privately, and understand the importance of safety and the checklist as part of that process.

One of the seemingly unusual instructions that we are given before taking off is “If cabin pressure should change, panels above your seat will open revealing oxygen masks; reach up and pull a mask towards you.  Place it over your nose and mouth and secure it with the elastic band that can be adjusted to ensure a snug fit.  The plastic bag will not fully inflate although oxygen is flowing. Secure your own mask first before helping others.”

From an emotional standpoint, especially as a parent, your initial reaction would be to assist your children with putting their masks on first before you would put your own on. Is it not selfish of us to think of ourselves first?

Growing up in church, we were taught the children's song Jesus and Others and You. What a wonderful way to spell JOY! And, while I understand that this was supposed to teach us to think of others first and not to be selfish, the song does lack some fundamental logic.

The logical conclusion in the flying scenario is if you do not take care of yourself first by making sure your mask is on and that you can breathe, you may be unable to assist anyone else to stay alive.

I remember 30 years ago before this became a popular analogy with public speakers, Paula mentioned how this statement is what we should practice in our lives. If we do not take care of ourselves in all areas of life, we will not be able to assist others properly.

Both Paula and I have a heart to help people, but there have been times when we have given more time, resources, and money than was probably logical. And, it has impacted us in a negative manner.

In today’s busy world, the first thing that we seem to neglect is ourselves.

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 107 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life is Like a Bell

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 107 of our Trek. Yesterday you discovered that you are the leading character, or star, in the story of your life. You learned that if your life is like a movie, then you need to make it a great one – for you and your supporting characters, and it should be filled with the scenes that matter most. Today we want to determine how our life is like a bell.

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 drawing that will take place on October 5th.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are getting focused on the client work that we need to accomplish this week. The first day after traveling is usually a bit of an adjustment, but we are making good progress catching up on some work details that were somewhat behind schedule.  It will take us a couple of more days, though.

It is now time to break camp and head out on our Trek for today. We are making good progress over summits and through the valleys, past the meadows and the rivers. As we crest a hill, we hear from deep within the valley the distinct ringing of a church bell calling out to the people of the village that it is time to come, worship, and fellowship together. In today’s hectic and fast-paced world, we reflect fondly on a simpler time when we took the time to come together as a like-minded community.

Just like people, there are different kinds of bells. Church bells ring melodious while the trolley goes clang, clang, clang. There are cow bells, sleigh bells, schools bells, dinner bells, door bells,and hand bells. Probably one of the most famous bells is the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

Bells have been an important part of my life. Growing up on the farm, we had a big train bell mounted on the back of the house which we could hear just about anywhere over the entire 100 acres. Mom would call us in from the orchard, the valley, or the lake for dinner or other important matters.

At The Big House, we have a large train bell mounted outside the back door that my granny always rang loud and long when company was leaving after an extended stay as she waved and shouted good bye. We still use it for that purpose today.

When our kids are were still living at home, Paula had a different type of bell for each of the three floor – cow bell for the attic, a small dinner bell for the 2nd floor, and an electronic bell for the first floor.  The kids always knew which floor to come to based on the bell used. It sure saved a lot of shouting to round up the children.

This also reminds me that our lives are like a bell. Each bell was designed for a specific purpose. It can ring loud or soft, fast or slow, but it should always ring true based on the type of bell. One truth that is undeniable, though, is that you can never unring a bell.

The expression “You can’t unring the bell” has been frequently used in courts of law. Once an attorney makes a statement or presents evidence, jurors can’t “unring the bell” and unhear what they heard or unsee what they saw. If the statement or evidence is later found to have been inadmissible, it could be grounds for a mistrial. “Unring a bell” has been cited in many legal decisions.

Politicians also know that they can’t “unring a bell” — statements and actions can’t be erased from the public’s mind. There are many idioms similar to “unring a bell,” such as “You can’t unscramble eggs” and “You can’t put t...

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 106 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Life is Like Starring in a Movie

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 106 of our Trek. Yesterday we enjoyed some humble pie while we explored the reasoning why all trails eventually end, specifically the trails of success and failure. Today we will investigate why life is like starring in a movie.

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 recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  After speaking at Putnam Church this morning, we headed back south. We stopped by Cracker Barrel for lunch with our friends from Charlotte, Bev and Katie, who came up for a short visit during the Marietta Sternwheel Festival. The fireworks last night at the Sternwheel Festival were spectacular, and the displays that we launched from the bridge over the Ohio River made it extra special.

We made a stop in Covington, Virginia, on our way back to Charlotte to pick up Mom Jarvis. She was able to spend the past three weeks with Paula’s sister Lois to see the grandkids and great grandkids who came in for a Labor Day weekend get-together. Time spent with family and friends during this trek of life is so important. We need to make sure that we never become so busy living life that we forget this.

As we break camp and head up the trail today, let us ponder how important making the most of every moment really is. On our hike today we come across an outdoor theater, and we discuss if our lives were a movie, what would they be like.

Each of us is the screenwriter, director, and leading character in our movie of life. Our family, friends, associates, and everyone with whom we come in contact are cast members in our movie. Some of these people will be our co-stars and supporting actors while others will just be walk-ons.

The important concept to grasp is that there are no practice days, and there is no dress rehearsal.  Each day is an impromptu performance. Once we understand this, it may help us to perform at our best. With all impromptu performances, we must realize that we will miss ques, flub up lines, and draw cheers and boos from those watching our performance. We won’t perform perfectly every day, but the show must go on...

All too often we get so consumed with our "star role" that we lose site of the importance of our overall, lifelong movie and the crucial role that all the supporting cast members play. We miss the things that really matter in life. Before we know it, the seconds have become minutes, the days have become weeks, and the months have become years. And, when we finally take time to catch our breath, we look back in retrospect and think, “My performance is nearing the end, where did all the time go?”

It’s so easy to be blinded by our own performance, ambition, power, and success that we miss including the simple pleasures of life into our script. For example, did your children’s birthday parties, Little League games, or dance recitals make it into your movie? Did you include the scenes where you were available to counsel your friend in need? Did you make the time to help your kids with their homework, to attend back-to-school nights, or to put down your newspaper/telephone/iPad when your family wanted to tell you about their day?

Or, were there more important plot lines that you included in your movie of life?

Now, I realize that your movie includes hectic scenes of life and that you’re getting pulled in a milli...