Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 368 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Cycles and Seasons of Life (1)- Take Responsibility
As we begin our 2nd year of Wisdom-Trek as of June 1st, we have made some changes to the frequency and format of Wisdom-Trek. We are creating three themed treks per week, which will be Motivation Monday, Wisdom Wednesday, and Philosophy Friday. Each daily trek will be approximately 12 minutes in length, so slightly longer than previously but still easy to listen to in one session.
Thank you for joining us for our 3 days a week, 12 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 368 of our trek, and today will be our Philosophy Friday episode. We are beginning a series that will run for the next few Friday’s as we hike the trail that will cover the Seasons of Life. This information is based on my own experiences in life and some lessons that I have learned through one of my virtual mentors, Jim Rohn.
We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As I am creating this podcast, it is interesting and amazing watching the number of cicadas that seem to be flying everywhere. The noise that they make is truly mesmerizing. This is the year when the 17-year locust come out in Southern Ohio.
Their life cycle is very interesting as they occupy nearly all of the 17 years as grubs that burrow deep into the ground just waiting for the time to emerge. When they emerge from their rest, they break out of their shells, unfurl their wings, and are on the hunt for a mate. The females lay their eggs in soft branches of the trees, and when they hatch the grubs fall to the ground burrow deep in the earth and wait for another 17 years. Many do not make it due to birds, weather, and numerous other perils. That is their life-cycle, and each stage is a season of life for them.
Although our lives should last much longer and have more apparent significance than the cicada, we also experience distinct seasons in our lives. God has designed a purpose for the cicada, even if we may not understand it. God has a much greater purpose for our lives since we are made in His image. Let us philosophize a bit today and explore some of the seasons of life that we go through and how our decisions impact those seasons.
The Cycles and Seasons of Life – Part 1
John Kennedy once remarked that Winston Churchill “mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.” Past generations have heard the stirring words of Cicero, Daniel Webster, Disraeli, Churchill, and Kennedy. These men were touched by their Creator with the gift of changing the course of human history and the quality of the individual life through their well-spoken words. It is with the words in today’s podcast and journal, if applied, your life will transform to living on purpose and with purpose.
For six thousand years of recorded history, humans have entered this world. They received parental instruction, classroom instruction, and gathered the experience of life. Many have set ambitious goals for themselves and dreamed lofty dreams, but upon the day that they draw their last breath have left little behind as evidence of their existence other than a birth certificate, grave marker, and nearly a million dollars in goods and services consumed between their humble beginnings and uneventful end.
Books have been written on the subject of human achievement, seminars and webinars are conducted on how to find success, and those who have met with and embraced success willingly share their ideas and insights with all those who will listen.
For some, worldly riches are gained at the price of lost friends and broken families. For others, fortune remains forever elusive while families remain precariously intact. For most, we remain forever in one of two categories—either poor, seeking to become wealthy or wealthy, always seeking to rediscover the happiness we had while we were poor. This is certainly not a new phenomenon as King Solomon wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, ‘Here is something new!’ But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.”
This series of podcasts and the corresponding journals are a condensation of ideas and observations gained over a period of four decades – both mine and what I learned from Jim Rohn and others. I will attempt to place life, its events, purpose, opportunities, and challenges into perspective. It is not intended to be an instructional treatise on either how to achieve success or how to avoid failure. If life were to hold such precise answers to age-old questions, surely their discovery would be history and each of us would now be living to enjoy our success. In truth, what is the formula for success for one will lead to the self-destruction of another. As certainly as our Creator made us individually unique, He also preserves for each of us individually unique answers to the challenges of life.
It is the purpose of this Philosophy Friday podcast and journal series over the next few weeks to awaken within each of us the storehouse of inspiration and answers that lie dormant, where they have been since being placed there at conception by our Creator and now reside within the hearts and minds of each of us. On our trek through life, let us seek to discover our own individual answers to our own individual challenges by exploring the cycles and seasons of life.
The Effect of Environment on Circumstances
All of us, whether rich or poor, young or old, educated or not so educated, are the sum total of all of those people and events that have touched and nurtured us since first entering this world, or as we now know, even since our conception. Every thought that we have allowed to permeate our minds has had its impact on what we now are. Every person that we have met has had their impact on us. Every movie we’ve watched had its impact. Every book or magazine we’ve read had its impact. Every TV show has had its impact. Every podcast that we listen to has an impact. Every disappointment, triumph, doubt, dream, and love for someone each had its impact. What we are and what we have is a result of what we slowly brought upon ourselves. It is the human tendency to blame someone or something else for our lack of progress or seeming failure — we blame family members, government, competitors, managers, economic conditions, pay schedules, some malady or condition, and even the traffic and weather for our circumstances.
Each person, circumstance, and event which have left their mark — whether favorable or unfavorable — is now behind you. What happened even as recently as yesterday is no longer of any consequence unless you choose to allow it to be. What is of great importance is who and what it is that leaves its mark today and each day after that. What you have been in the past is an established and unchangeable fact. What you can be in the future is an unlimited, boundless opportunity. Therefore, do not allow your awareness of past difficulty or failures to adversely affect your current and future possibilities. The greatest value of the past is how wisely you invest it in the future. You are free from the past, not a slave to it. Let the past be your servant for making the future both more rich and satisfying.
If you seriously accept that you deserve and will one day achieve financial freedom, then break off the “rearview mirror” of your life and concentrate on what lies ahead. Begin your quest for achievement by taking a close inventory of the people and circumstances that today touch your life, for it is their impact that will determine what lies ahead for you. To draw on my farming background I will use this analogy…The people, circumstances, and other influences that are in your life now will determine the size of your crop when harvest time comes next fall.
We have only traveled a few paces on our journey today, and there is much to consider. We will continue this trail next Friday, so don’t miss it. Our next trek will be Motivation Monday where our trail will motivate and inspire you for the next week.
As a follow up to our Wisdom Wednesday trail, I want to remind you of the challenge that I extended to you. Since we are still early in the month, I challenge you to take the Proverbs 30-day challenge with me. For each day of June read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds to the day of the month. On day 30, read the final two chapters.
I have made this practice a habit that I have repeated every month for most of my adult life. I can say without hesitation that this single habit has done more for me in gaining wisdom, insight, and understanding in life than any other single habit.
In less than five minutes per day, you can take your daily wisdom supplements, which if repeated each day will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise. It has certainly worked for me, and it will work for you also. Let me know if you accept my challenge at guthrie@venturecg.com
The three themed podcasts each week will motivate you, give you, wisdom and allow you to philosophize about life, so encourage your friends and family to join us. Then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
That will finish our trek for today. As you enjoy your dose of wisdom, we ask you to help us grow Wisdom-Trek by sharing with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person and invite them to come along with us each day. Don’t forget to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, iHeart Radio, and Google Play, so each trek will be downloaded to you automatically.
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:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!
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