Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 71 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

10 Signposts for Establishing Positive Habits

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 71 of our Trek, and yesterday we learned that affirmations must always be connected to action before any progress is made on our trek of life. On today’s trail, we will focus on overcoming negativity by filling our minds and life with positive habits.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Jarvis family gathering at The Big House this weekend was a real blessing and a great time with family.  Paula and I are very fortunate and blessed to have close family ties on both sides of our family. After cleaning up Sunday morning, we headed back south to Home2 in Indian Trail, North Carolina for the next couple of weeks. As we split our time between the two locations, we find ourselves enjoying the different aspects of both locations. Each has its special benefits and nuances.

As we think about traveling, let’s break camp and move out on our Trek today. We will study the 10 signposts along the trail that will help us to infuse positive habits in our lives. These habits will benefit us when we face the difficult and rough areas of life’s trails. As these habits are woven into the fabric of our lives, they will help us navigate the rough parts of the trail that we encounter with less difficulty and stress.

10 Signposts for Establishing Positive Habits

It’s tough to argue against the power of positive habits that come through consistent positive thinking. A multitude of studies, data, and anecdotal evidence support the notion that optimists experience less stress, possess stronger immune systems, and have overall better health than their Debby Downer counterparts. But it’s not always easy to look on the bright side. In our overbooked and over-connected lives, getting caught up in a cycle of worry, anxiety, and negative thoughts is a norm in many of our lives.

One of the many wonderful things about positive habits is that anyone can acquire positivity with consistent and persistent practice of these habit traits, and a good sense of humor always helps.

As a start, we need to practice not taking ourselves too serious. Most other people in our lives don’t either. It is certainly worthwhile to visit the 10 signposts for establishing positive habits each day. Take control over your thinking, your habits, and your own happiness.

Take control over your thinking, your habits, and your own happiness.

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1. Practice Gratitude

Remembering all the good things that you have makes it a whole lot easier not to focus on what you don’t have. Be thankful and appreciate the abundance in your life rather than dwelling on what feels lacking. Practicing gratitude is rule #1 for shifting your thinking from negative to positive.

Ephesians 5:20, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Practicing gratitude is rule #1 for shifting your thinking from negative to positive.

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2.   Surround Yourself with Supportive People

Do all that you can to minimize your interaction with anyone who is a “Negative Nancy” or a “Negative Ned.” Creating an inner circle filled with support and encouragement is the next step. Having people around who see the best in you will help you see the best in yourself.  Jesus had his own inner circle, even among the small group of the 12 apostles.  Many times Jesus took Peter, James and John alone with him.  Two of the most memorable times were at His transfiguration in Matthew 17:1 and during His hours of anguish before his trial and crucifixion in Matthew [26:37].

3.   Ditch the Drama

Separate from your toxic friends and associates. Say goodbye to those friends that always have drama in their lives and suck you into their manufactured issues and end up bringing you down. Minimizing negative energy in your environment is a prerequisite to overcoming negativity in your thinking.

4. Take Responsibility

The easiest way to fall into the negativity trap is by making yourself a victim. But on the flipside, to take responsibility for your own actions is to take charge of your own happiness. Remind yourself daily that although you may not be able to control what happens to you, you are always in charge of your reactions.

You are always in charge of your reactions to life’s issues.

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5. Success Comes in Cans, Not in Cannots

This one may take practice, but it really works. Change your sentence structure from negative to positive (from “Why do I always get the bad work assignments?” to “It might not have been what I hoped, but I know if I do good work then my next assignment will be better.”). How we view life is largely based on our perspective and perception.  “Success comes in cans, not in cannots.”  Make a concerted effort to see challenges as opportunities, and watch as doors open where there were none before.

6. Be Kind

Getting into the habit of being kind and forgiving to others will help you extend the same courtesy to yourself. And when you’re a friend to yourself, it’s a whole lot easier to forgive yourself for your mistakes and cultivate a positive outlook for your future. Being kind to everyone in every situation is one of the easiest ways to establish positive habits in your life.

Galatians 6:7, “Don’t be misled — you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.”

Being kind to everyone in every situation is one of the easiest ways to establish positive habits in your life.

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7.   Find The Silver Lining

Most events and situations aren’t inherently good or bad. We just project those descriptions onto them. This means that we have a great deal of power over how we choose to view whatever comes our way, deciding to focus on the positive is a powerful way to take charge in your life.

8. Slow Down

Daily yoga or exercise even if it is not very extensive or committing to 10 minutes of mediation or prayer before bed each night can go a long way in helping you slow down your mind so that you can observe and recognize your thought patterns. Even just taking a walk in nature or reminding yourself to breathe deeply can help reset your brain and clear out unnecessary worries.

9. Set Your Own Standards

To take charge and responsibility for your daily lives it must be based on developing positive habits. Instead of worrying what other people think of you and trying to live up to their standards, decide for yourself who you want to be and what you want to accomplish. Taking responsibility for your own path will give you a boost of confidence and self-esteem that makes the future and the present seem brighter.

10. Remember to Laugh

Laughing at yourself, seeking out opportunities to play and enjoy humor, and making others laugh can go a long way in creating an optimistic mindset. Laughter relieves stress and reminds you not to take life so seriously.  Upon the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah encouraged the people of Israel in chapter 8:10, “And Nehemiah continued, ‘Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!’”

Our trail today was packed with great nuggets of wisdom. Every day review these 10 signposts or habits for a positive life, and you will find that your life has indeed changed.

Well, that will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spreaker, YouTube,  or Wisdom-Trek.com. Tomorrow we will learn why it is so important to choose love over fear!

So, please join us at our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you enjoy our daily doses of wisdom, I encourage  you to take the time to invest yourself.

1. Invest in improving Wisdom-Trek by leaving your name, email address, and a comment on our website, so we can provide you with wisdom and insights that best fit your needs.
2. Invest in yourself by listening to our 7 minutes of wisdom each day.
3. Invest in the lives of others by encouraging your family and friends to journey with us on our Wisdom-Trek.

Thank you!

The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have pictures, tweetable quotes, wisdom nuggets, and free resources.

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

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy the Journey, and Create a Great Day! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 70 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Affirmation without Discipline

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 70 of our Trek, and now that we have gotten the pebbles out of our boots from yesterday, we are once again ready to make progress on our Trek.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. We are having a blessed time at the Jarvis family gathering. Celebrating life with family is really enjoyable as we are able to get together and share stories and good times together.  Sharing faith and family ties is great, and I am blessed to be part of the Jarvis family also.

As we head out on our Trek today, we are facing the steepest trail yet. It is going to be a grueling experience. You try to remain positive as you face this trail and draw on your past affirmation training, saying to yourself, “I can do it! I can do it! I can do it!” and similar incantations to focus your thoughts towards success.

As you prepare to leave camp these affirmations are meant to create a mindset of accomplishment. Think about this for a moment, though. If you just chanted the affirmations but never left camp, how far up the trail would you get? The problem is when you have an affirmation followed by no action, you are only deluding yourself. You must resolve to do something and then follow it up with action.

Jim Rohn said it best in this quote, “Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion.”  He is saying you cannot just talk your way to success; you need to discipline yourself with action to make it happen.

Since we have Jim Rohn’s quote above, let’s add another of his statements along the same vein, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” Once you have your affirmations for success and discipline yourself to take action, it is then you have just made the connection between dreaming and reality.

Discipline takes you from wishing for success to achieving it. When you stay on track for a long period of time you can achieve any goal you set for yourself.

1. Action vs. Self Delusion – What’s the Difference?

Knowledge fueled by emotion equals action. Action is the ingredient that ensures results. The principle is for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The key is there must be action taken.  Only action can cause reaction. Further, only positive action can cause positive reaction.

Action – The whole world loves to watch those who make things happen, and it rewards them for causing waves of productive enterprise.

I stress this because today I see many people who are really sold on affirmations, but don’t necessarily have the discipline to go along with the affirmation.

Let’s look at affirmations as our faith, and action as good deeds, which reminds me of the discourse Jesus’s half-brother James mentioned in his letter in James 2:18, “Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’”

How true!

I have nothing against affirmations as a tool to create action. Repeated to reinforce a disciplined plan, affirmations can help create wonderful results.

But there is also a very thin line between faith and folly. You see, affirmations without action can be the beginnings of self-delusion. And, for your well-being there is little worse than self-delusion.

The man who dreams of wealth and yet walks daily toward certain financial disaster and the woman who wishes for happiness and yet thinks thoughts and commits acts that lead her toward certain despair are both victims of the false hope which affirmations without action can manufacture. Why? Because words soothe and, like a narcotic, they lull us into a state of complacency. Remember this, “To make progress you must actually get started!”

To make progress you must actually get started!

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This reminds me of another passage in James [1:22]-24,

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”

The key is to take a step today. Whatever the project, start today. Start clearing out a drawer of your newly organized desk today. Start setting your first goal today. Start listening to motivational programs today. Start a sensible weight-reduction plan today. Start calling on one tough customer a day today. Start putting money in your new “investment for fortune” account today. Write a long-overdue letter or email today. Anyone can! Even an uninspired person can start reading inspiring books.

Get some momentum going on your new commitment for the rich and satisfying life. See how many activities you can pile on your new commitment to the better life. Go all out! Break away from the downward pull of gravity. Start your thrusters going. Prove to yourself that the waiting is over and the hoping is past—that faith and action have now taken charge.

It’s a new day, a new beginning for your new life. With discipline you will be amazed at how much progress you’ll be able to make. What have you got to lose except the guilt and fear of the past?

Now, I offer you this challenge. See how many things you can start and continue in this, the first day of your new beginning.

2. Action vs. Self Delusion – Which Are You?

Are you self-delusional – a person that thinks “If I think it, it will come”?  Do you have faith, but no good deeds? ACTION is the key.

Don’t be a person that delays action because you want to know everything before you get started. No circumstance or conditions will ever be perfect.

If you wait to start something until you think you have all your ducks in a row. You’ll never start. In life, we’re forever learning. Therefore if you wait, you’ll never get to where you want to be.  Take ACTION now!

You will learn that in the process of action, you fix your mistakes. And if you fix your mistakes early, success comes faster.

Will today be the first day of your new beginning?

Well, that will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud or Wisdom-Trek.com. Tomorrow we will review 10 ways to overcome negativity and become more optimistic.

So, please join us at our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you enjoy our daily doses of wisdom, I encourage each of you to take the time to invest yourself.

1. Invest in improving Wisdom-Trek by leaving your name, email address, and a comment on our website, so we can provide you with wisdom and insights that best fit your needs.
2. Invest in yourself by listening to our 7 minutes of wisdom each day.
3. Invest in the lives of others by encouraging your family and friends in person and online to journey with us on our Wisdom-Trek.

Thank you!

The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have pictures, tweetable quotes, wisdom nuggets, and free resources.

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

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy the Journey, and Create a Great Day! See you tomorrow!

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 69 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Remove the Pebble from Your Boot

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 69 of our Trek, and yesterday we looked at the 6 essential components for a rich and satisfying life and realized that it is the simple and small things of life that make a difference. Speaking of small things, today we will look at what we should do when we get a pebble in our hiking boots.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. When this podcast originally airs, we will have about 30 family members joining us for the weekend. It is always a great time of fellowship and fun. Although The Big House is always in some state of renovation, we did get most of the rooms back into a livable order for the weekend, as we will be having all six of the bedrooms occupied. Everything will fall into place as it should.

As we now shift our focus to our Trek today, we want to learn why we need to take care of the small details when they occur to prevent them from turning into major details.  When we hike the rough mountainous trail of life, it is very important that we have the proper boots or shoes on for the type of trek we are taking. We need to make sure they fit correctly and are laced up snugly.

Boots and other types of shoes have always played a role in history and culture. Everyone knows the story of Cinderella and the glass slipper or the tale of Puss and Boots. Remember Dorothy’s magic ruby shoes in the Wizard of Oz?

Language is littered with references to shoes. We wait for the other shoe to drop, or try to experience life in another person’s shoes. One has big shoes to fill when he takes on a new challenge. There is the phrase, “If the shoe fits, wear it.”

Shoe design can indicate a person’s wealth and social position, as reflected in the quality of material or the complexity of the workmanship used to make shoes. Shoes can show membership in a particular group, like cowboy boots or motorcycle boots. High heels make a social statement, as do a sensible pair of Oxfords. Celebrities are known for the number of pairs they own.  For me, my favorite pair of shoes are my Birkenstock Super Noppy Sandals.  They have small nubs on them which massage my feet all day.  Since I use a standing desk at all times, I find myself on my feet for 10-12 hours each day, and these sandals are the only shoe that allows me to do so.   My mom got me hooked on these in my early adult life, after she had purchased a pair for herself and I tried them out.

What one does with shoes also makes a statement. Mine is for comfort, but in Middle Eastern counties, for example, throwing shoes at someone is an insult.

Wearing the correct shoes or boots for the situation or occasion is important.  This is especially true when you are hiking through rugged terrain over many miles. Even when you do have the correct boots and make the proper preparations, you can still get small pebbles in your hiking boots. At first it may not be noticeable and not present an issues, but let us look how the small, seemingly insignificant issues in life can create a major problem.

The following parable should help you to understand. A man was hiking on a steep mountain the other day when a tiny pebble about the size of a grape nut kicked up and landed in the heel of his boot. At first the pebble was barely noticeable, so he kept going. Then it began to be more and more noticeable and started hurting badly until eventually the pain subsided and his heel was numb. When he got home from the hike, his heel was bleeding, and it took a while for his foot to recover. In fact for the next few weeks whenever he hiked the wound reopened. If he would have stopped and taken the pebble out right away, this would not have happened.

How often do we do this in our own lives? Something that seems to not be a big deal we let stay. Then it becomes bigger and bigger, brings pain, and causes problems even after the thing is removed.

The following are three steps that we can take to avoid needless pain in our lives.

1. Stop what you are doing.

The first thing we need to do when we realize there is a pebble is to stop. We are all busy. Stopping can feel like such a huge task at times. If we stop, people may realize something is wrong. We get in a rhythm of life and don’t want to slow down. Before big failures or meltdowns we start to exhibit actions that are uncharacteristic of what we would normally do. You need to know yourself well enough.  Learn to STOP and ask yourself these three questions:

• Am I worn out and not getting enough sleep?
• Am I eating properly?
• Am I getting proper exercise?

These three areas contribute to most of our irrational actions. If you are worn out or out of balance in any of the areas, STOP before you do something stupid. So, stop and look for triggers in your own life.

The other area where we may become irrational or “not ourselves” is when we become involved in something that is illegal, immoral, or unethical. As a Christ follower, I refer to these items as “sinful actions.”  If this is something that you have allowed into your life, without being too blunt, I will say, “JUST STOP IT!” Free yourself from these pebbles that are destroying your life.

Free yourself from these pebbles that are destroying your life.

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2. Remove the pebbles.

Once you determine what the pebbles are in your life, remove them. If it is lack of sleep, then work on getting more, even if it is just another 30 minutes at first. If it is not eating right, then slowly start changing those habits. If it is the lack of exercise, then start by walking an additional 30 minutes each day. Also, apologize to anyone that you have hurt or offended when these pebbles manifest themselves.

If your pebbles are from “sinful actions,” then remove them by making the needed changes in your life to free yourself. As a Christian, this is through confession. 1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” Confess and repent to God first, then as needed, confess and ask forgiveness of others. James 5:16 states, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

Confide in your spouse or a close friend and allow them to help your through this journey. This is so healthy and needed.

In either type of situation, remove the pebble before it festers into an open, raw, and gaping wound that hurts you and others.

3. Keep moving forward.

Once you have removed the pebble, changed habits, stopped actions, and confessed if needed, continue on your trek. There is no glory with God or people to wallow in your pigsty of misery. The Bible says that Jesus died for our sin. It is finished. He knew what you were going to do before you did it, and He died for it. If you need to change habits, change them and move on.  If you screwed up don’t fixate on it. Continue on without the pebble.

The scariest part about these pebbles is that it can come to a point at which we don’t feel them anymore. They are there and causing damage, but we don’t feel it. Our hearts have been callused to God and others.

I pray two things for you today: that you would feel God’s full love for you and that He would keep your heart soft so that you will detect and remove the pebbles of life. Be blessed on your journey each day.

Keep your heart soft so that you will detect and remove the pebbles of life.

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Well, that will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud or Wisdom-Trek.com. Tomorrow we will discover why actions and affirmations must always hike together.

So, please join us at our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you enjoy our daily doses of wisdom, I encourage  you to take the time to invest yourself.

1. Invest in improving Wisdom-Trek by leaving your name, email address, and a comment on our website, so we can provide you with wisdom and insights that best fit your needs.
2. Invest in yourself by listening to our 7 minutes of wisdom each day.
3. Invest in the lives of others by encouraging your family and friends to journey with us on our Wisdom-Trek.

Thank you!

The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have pictures, tweetable quotes, wisdom nuggets, and Free Resources.

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

As we take this Trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy the Journey, and Create a Great Day! See you tomorrow!