Day 306 – Live Your Dreams

April 1, 2016 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 1 Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 306 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Live Your Dreams

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 306 of our trek, and yesterday we hiked on a power trail called patience. This is a difficult trail for all of us, but it is so important that we conquer it. If you need assistance with being more patient, as most of us do, I have a free PDF Guide called 5 Steps to Become More Patient on the Wisdom-Trek.com website. It can be downloaded from the left sidebar on any page of the site. Today we will be heading to new heights as we discover what it takes to live your dreams.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. The days seem to slip by so quickly it is almost like grasping water or embracing the wind. You can see the results and feel the impact, but it is almost impossible to control the flow. That is why it is so important to enjoy each day for what it is to live your dreams each day. We should not wait for some magical moment in the future because when tomorrow arrives it is already today. We also need to stop comparing ourselves to others. You are uniquely you, and your circumstances are different. Comparison will eventually lead to despair because there is always someone who appears to be better in any area of comparison…which is usually just our perception and not reality. To live your dreams, you only need to compare yourself to where you were yesterday and what is your God given ability and purpose for your life. Remember that you are creating and living your legacy each day.

So let’s head out for today as we hike our own trail and discover how to…

Live Your Dreams

As we traverse our trek today and have the opportunity to observe others we can learn from them and allow them to assist us without comparing their lives to ours. Stop looking at other people who seem to live the good life and live your own good life. Commit to your improvement, and let it be you.

Each day, people are living their dreams. Wealth is created. Families form and create tremendous relationships. Individuals get healthier day by day. Life-long learners grow intellectually and improve their lives daily. Let it be you!

The fact is, living the life of your dreams is possible. People prove that every day.

Have you ever looked at someone who has money and wished that it could be you? People think about getting wealthy all of the time, but only a small percentage actually does. But anyone actually can. Someone is going to start a business. Someone is going to make a great investment. Why not let it be you?

Someone is going to decide to improve their relationships. Someone is going to enjoy love with their family. Someone is going to schedule some meaningful time with their friends. Why not let it be you?

Someone is going to become a life-long learner. Someone is going to go back to school. Someone is going to set a goal to read a book each week for the next year. Why not let it be you?

Someone is going to make the decision to become healthy. Someone will run their first marathon. Someone will join an aerobics class. Someone will start eating better. Why not let it be you?

You get the point. Everyday people are improving their lives. It is simply a matter of a decision being made. Let it be you! Make sure that you understand what your dreams are and why. Everything that we pursue has a price associated with it. For every decision we make we are saying yes to one choice, which will automatically mean that we have to say no to other choices. In order to live your dreams, there is a process that must be followed. Drill down on the “why” of your dream, and it will soon be clear whether you are committed to it.

So how can you live your dreams? By following these very simple actions:

1. Commit to working on yourself.

Are you going to improve or stay the same? No matter what you have achieved, you are at a certain point right now. What you have achieved in the past is fine, but it doesn’t make a difference for the future. The decision about what you will become is made each day and every day. Each day someone is making the decision to better him or herself. Let it be you. Proverbs 23:12 tells us, “Commit yourself to instruction; listen carefully to words of knowledge.” So commit yourself to live your dreams.

2. Make a plan.

Once you have decided to become better in any area of life, you will need to have a plan. It doesn’t have to be a long, intricate plan. It can be simple. Save a dollar a day. Walk a mile a day. Read an article a day. That is a simple plan with achievable goals. Someone is going to develop a plan that will take them into the future of their dreams. Let it be you. God desires us to make plans that are congruent with our life purpose. Psalm 20:4 confirms this, “May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.”

3. Begin to act.

All of the great ideas, without action, become stale and useless. The key to turning dreams into reality is action. People who have great ideas are a dime a dozen. People who act on their dreams and ideas are the select few, but they are the ones who gain the wealth, health, and wisdom that is available. Someone will act today. Let it be you.

Stop comparing yourself to others who seem to live the good life, wishing that you were as well, and instead begin to commit to your improvement, develop a plan, and act on it. Someone is going to. Let it be you!

Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians 6:4, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

Someone is living their dreams. Let it be you!

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Along our trek today, we learned how important it is not to compare ourselves and our dreams to others. We need to commit, plan, and act so that we can live our dreams each day.

Tomorrow we will climb the 7 steps that destroy bad habits. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

That will finish our podcast for today. As you enjoy your daily 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 so they can come along with us each day.

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!

Day 305 – The Power of Patience

March 31, 2016 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 1 Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 305 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Power of Patience

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 305 of our trek, and yesterday we compared and contrasted the trails of popularity and success with the integrity trail. We determined that it is indeed possible to have both and not compromise your integrity. Today we will hike on a power trail called patience. This is a difficult trail for all of us, but it is so important that we conquer it.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we look at the client work that needs to be completed in the next few months and some of our projects that we would like to implement, I have to admit that I do become impatient waiting. I would like to accomplish all of these tasks in a much shorter time period than our available time allows. As I have matured and become wiser, I realize that there is no need to rush and that everything that needs to be accomplished will be in its own time. I take encouragement from the practical advice found in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”

So let’s head out for today as we navigate a difficult trail and discover the…

Power of Patience

To quote an old proverb, “You can’t unring a bell.” Let me ask you this question, “Do you act on impulse and do damage control or manage when and how you ring that bell?” When you practice being patient, you will recognize the benefits immediately both for those that you impact and for yourself. Patience does not always mean inaction. It shows your ability to make wise, well thought out decisions on a timely basis especially when it involves dealing with others. You are always being watched for your actions and reactions in life. Patience is considered a virtue, but most people don’t feel that they have the high moral standards and unwavering maturity required for patience. We need to understand that impatience can lead to poor behavior, anger, and intolerance, which are character traits that are not desirable. So, how do we learn the power and practice of patience? How can we manage our feelings and recognize our triggers that lead to impatience?

· The Signs of Impatience

One of the greatest and most difficult skills that I have to learn to develop is the power of patience. It has helped me personally and professionally more than any courses that I have ever taken.

The people that have the most positive impact on our lives were patient people who took the time to explain concepts to teach us and care for us. The result of learning this important skill is that it can help you develop every relationship in your life both personal and professional.

All of us are leaders in some aspect of life. As a leader, you must be decisive but also show patience as necessary. You will need to know when to be patient and when to immediately take action. In both instances, how you behave is critical to the outcome.

We have all seen the signs of impatience. You can see it in someone’s eyes, their actions, and in what they say. There are also key triggers to create poor behavior in those who easily lose their patience. How do you know when you’re becoming impatient? You will probably experience one of more of the following symptoms: erratic breathing patterns, tension, restlessness, anger, irritability, anxiety, and nervousness. It is also evident because you become susceptible to making quick, knee-jerk, snap decisions which manifest in poor decision-making and poor results.

What is the purpose of building patience abilities? It boils down to setting proper expectations for ourselves, which results in personal happiness. This includes peace of mind, better relationships, and more success. Well worth the effort, I’d say, but it does take effort. There is power in being patient as Proverbs 16:32 explains, “Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city.”

Also in Proverbs 25:15, “Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.”

· How to Manage Impatience

Consider that while you are acting impatient. Those around you see this. Is this the type of character trait that you desire to pass on as part of your living legacy each day? Those that you impact will learn this behavior from observing you which is not beneficial to them.

When we sort out all of the excuses of why we are impatient, it all boils down to one factor. In a word, it is selfishness. We believe that our desires are more important than other people or situations. Patience should be manifested in all areas of life. Here are some beneficial examples of manifested patience:

1 Corinthians 13:4 – Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud.

Ephesians 4:2 – Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Hebrews 10:36 – Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Patience is also one of the attributes of a mature Christian life mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. – But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Are there ever reasons or situations where you should not be patient? Yes there are, especially if someone is being harmed or there is a potential danger to life or limb. However, how you “act” makes all of the difference when dealing with others. You should never lose your patience and get angry, abusive, pushy, or intolerant. I know this sounds easy in theory and is incredibly difficult in practice, but it can be done. We are driven by emotions, and at times impulsive, so we need to learn to practice patience. Patience is a learned skill, and only with practice can we develop skills to cope.

You need to realize and understand that you may never unravel why or how you feel about something. Be willing to acknowledge your triggers towards impatience. Understand the signs of impatience and develop ways to work through and manage them. Since you cannot change others, work on your behavior. Practice patience and it will result in making a positive impact and become part of the legacy that you are living each day. Remember, “You can’t unring a bell.”

Along our trek today, we learned just how powerful patience really is. When we are patient, we will have a more effective and positive impact than when we are impatient. Patience should become an integral part of the legacy that we are living each day. I have a downloadable PDF guide called the 5 Steps to Become More Patient available at https://wisdom-trek.com/resources/ that will walk you through the process of how to be patient.

Tomorrow we will hike the trail of living your dreams. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

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!

Day 304 – Popularity vs. Integrity

March 30, 2016 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 3 Comments

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 304 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Popularity vs. Integrity

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 304 of our trek, and yesterday we discovered the 9 signposts that help us to navigate the difficult trails of change. In particular, we discovered that when we come to an end of one trail, it is actually the beginning of a brand new tail. Today’s trail will take us to a place that may not be comfortable as we compare and contrast popularity or success with integrity.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. As we watch spring wake up from its winter sleep, we have spotted at least three different varieties of woodpeckers. The largest one is a pileated woodpecker (think Woody Woodpecker), next a red belly woodpecker, and then a couple of downy woodpeckers. That is an advantage of having very large and mature trees on our property, as they attract a lot of different wildlife. It appears that our pair of red shoulder hawks have laid their eggs or are getting close to doing so. The female is spending most of her time on the nest while the male seeks out food and additional nesting materials.

On Wednesday, we will be onsite with one of our clients locally to assist them with their monthly billing. It is very important to our clients and us that we have the utmost integrity in all of our transactions with them. In a world of moral relativism and situational ethics where success/popularity is more important than keeping your word, it is important that we understand the difference between.

Popularity vs. Integrity

The current election cycle in the United States brings this topic to the forefront of our minds. Although I do not like to generalize, most politicians and political candidates will say and do just about anything to persuade us to support them. The thinly veiled rhetoric leaves us confused as to what the truth really is. Most of the modern news outlets also contribute negatively to what actually is the truth. We should not get caught up in this same cycle in our own lives. The question to ask is, “Are popularity and success mutually exclusive with integrity?”

While it is difficult to see it in many areas of our current world, I would propose that true integrity is the very backbone of true popularity and success. If I could teach only one value to live by, it would be this, Popularity and success will come and go, but integrity is forever. Integrity means doing the right thing at all times and in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching. It takes having the courage to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences will be. Building a reputation of integrity takes years, but it takes only a second to lose. So, never allow yourself to ever do anything that would damage your integrity.

We live in a world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought for far too many. Sales people overpromise and under deliver, all in the name of making their quota for the month. Applicants exaggerate in job interviews because they desperately need a job. CEOs overstate their projected earnings because they don’t want the board of directors to replace them. Entrepreneurs overstate their financial strength because they want the highest valuation possible from an investor. Investors understate a company’s value to negotiate a lower valuation in a deal. Customer service representatives cover up a mistake they made because they are afraid the client will leave them. Employees call in “sick” because they don’t have any more paid time off when they actually just need to get their Christmas shopping done. The list could go on and on, and in each case the person committing the act of dishonesty told themselves they had a perfectly valid reason why the end result justified their lack of integrity.

It may seem like people can gain popularity and power quickly and easily if they are willing to cut corners and act without the constraints of morality. Dishonesty may provide instant gratification at the moment, but it will never last. I can think of several examples of people without integrity who are successful and who win without ever getting caught, which creates a false perception of the path to success that you should follow. After all, each person in the examples above may have gained the result they wanted at the moment, but unfortunately, that momentary result comes at an incredibly high price with far reaching consequences. That person has lost their ability to be trusted as a person of integrity, which is the most valuable quality anyone can have in life. Financial success, popularity, or power is temporary, but success and popularity among those that you have the greatest impact on is completely lost because your lack of integrity.

If you retain your integrity at all cost, then every person who trusts you will spread the word of that trust to at least a few of their friends and associates, and word of your character will spread like wildfire. The value of the trust others have in you is far beyond anything that can be measured.

A word of advice to those who are striving for a reputation of integrity, even if a person appears to be popular and/or successful, avoid those who are not trustworthy. Do not associate with them. Do not make excuses for them. Do not allow yourself to get enticed into believing that “while they may be dishonest with others, they would never be dishonest with me.” If someone is dishonest in any aspect of life, you can be guaranteed that he will be dishonest in many aspects of his life. You cannot dismiss even those little acts of dishonesty. This is a clear indicator that they will be dishonest in any areas of life depending on the situation. That is called situational ethics.

It is important to realize that others pay attention to those you have chosen to associate with, and they will inevitably judge your character by the character of your friends. Why is that? It is best explained by a quote my mom would say when she was reminding me to be careful of the company I was keeping, “When you lie down with dogs, you get fleas.” Inevitably we become more and more like the people we surround ourselves with day to day. If we surround ourselves with people who are dishonest and willing to cut corners to get ahead, then we’ll surely find ourselves following a pattern of first overlooking their behavior, then accepting their behavior, and finally adopting their behavior. If you want to build a reputation as a person of integrity, then surround yourself with people of integrity.

If you desire to live and leave a lasting legacy, you must maintain your integrity above all else. It could also be said that everyone you impact will receive the blessings of your integrity.

Along our trek today, we have compared popularity versus integrity and have learned that integrity should be maintained, regardless of its cost in popularity and success. Our integrity should never be compromised if we desire to create and live a lasting legacy and impact on our world. Tomorrow we will hike a trail that I believe we all find difficult as we explore the power of patience. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

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!

Day 303 – 9 Signposts to New Beginnings

March 29, 2016 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 1 Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 303 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Signposts to New Beginnings

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 303 of our trek, and yesterday we explored 9 ways to stay young. On our trek today, we will be on the lookout for the 9 signposts that will help us to navigate the difficult trails of change. In particular, we will discover that when we come to an end of one trail, it is actually the beginning of a brand new tail.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play, so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. After a relaxing Sunday afternoon, we have many tasks and activities for this week. This includes both client work and tasks around The Big House. The weather has turned a bit cooler this week, and if you hear our wind chimes in the background today on our podcast, it is because the wind is quite brisk today. The extra special blessing is that we are enjoying being able to invest time with our grandson Kip this week as he is staying with us until we return to Charlotte on Sunday.

As we head out on our hike for today, we need to recognize and understand that just as there are different seasons of the year, there are different seasons in our lives. Change is inevitable, and the more we are prepared for these changes, the easier they are to accept and adapt to. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1, “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

Let us look for the…

9 Signposts to New Beginnings

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

During certain seasons of life, we may choose or be forced to start a new beginning. When you can no longer think of a reason to continue, you must think of a reason to start over. There’s a big difference between giving up and starting over in the right direction. And, there are three little words that can release you from your past regrets and guide you forward to a positive new beginning.

On our hike today, let’s look for the signpost with these words, “From now on…”

So, from now on…

Let the things you can’t control, GO. – Most things are only a part of your life because you keep thinking about them. Positive things happen in your life when you emotionally distance yourself from the negative things. So, stop holding on to what hurts, and make room for what feels right. Do not let what is out of your control interfere with all the things you can control.
Accept and embrace reality. – Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. For everything you lose, you gain something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something else. You don’t have to like it, but it’s just easier if you do. So, pay attention to your outlook on life. You can either regret or rejoice; it’s your choice.
Change your mind. – Change is like breath. It isn’t part of the process; it is the process. In reality, the only thing we can count on is change. And the first step toward positive change is to change your outlook. Prepare for the positive. Prepare for the new. Allow the unknown to take you to fresh and unforeseen areas in yourself. Growth is impossible without change. If you cannot change your mind, you cannot change anything in your life. Sometimes all you need to do is look at things from a different perspective.
Hold tight to the good things. – When life’s struggles knock you into a pit so deep you can’t see anything but darkness, don’t waste valuable energy trying to dig your way out. Because if you hastily dig in the dark, you’re likely to head in the wrong direction and only dig the pit deeper. Instead, use what energy you have to reach out and pull something good in with you. For goodness is bright; its radiance will show you which way is up and illuminate the correct path that will take you there. Romans 12:9 reminds us, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.”
Rest and regroup. – Strength isn’t about bearing a cross of grief or shame. Strength is about choosing your path, living with the consequences, and learning from them. Sometimes you do your best and end up with a mess. When this happens, don’t be discouraged. You tried. That’s really all you can ever do. You have not failed; you just learned what not to do. So rest, regroup, and begin again with what you now know.
Take chances. – Making a big life change or trying something new can be scary. But, do you know what’s even scarier? Regret. So, realize that most of your fears are much bigger in your mind than they are in reality; you’ll see this for yourself as soon as you face them. Don’t let them stop you. Live your life so that you never have to regret the chances you never took, the love you never let in, and the gifts you never gave out.
Keep climbing. – Every person who is at the top of the mountain did not fall there from the sky. Good things come to those who work for them. You gain confidence and grow stronger by every experience in which you truly push yourself to do something you didn’t think you could do. If you are standing in that place of in-between, unable or unwilling to go backward, but too afraid to move forward, remember that you can’t enjoy the view without being willing to climb.
Appreciate what you have learned. – Nothing is more beautiful and powerful than a smile that has struggled through the tears. Don’t regret your time, even the moments that were filled with hurt. Smile because you learned from it and gained the strength to rise above it. In the end, it’s not what you have been through that defines who you are; it’s how you got through it that has made you the person you are today and the person you are capable of being tomorrow.
Realize every step is necessary. – Nothing is ever wrong. We learn from every step we take. Whatever you did today was a necessary step to get to tomorrow, so be proud of yourself. Maybe you are not as good as you want to be or as great as you one day will be, but thanks to all the lessons you’ve learned along the way, you are so much better than you used to be.

Along our trek today, we learned for every season that ends in our lives, a new season begins. We located the 9 “From now on…signposts” or lessons that we can learn from during these times of change and transition.

As we hike our trail tomorrow, we will compare popularity and integrity and see if they are mutually exclusive? So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

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!

Day 302 – 9 Ways to Stay Young

March 28, 2016 by H. Guthrie Chamberlain, III 1 Comment

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 302 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

9 Ways to Stay Young

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 302 of our trek, and yesterday we explored the 9 different moments each day that will bring us happiness. Today we are going to travel on the Fountain of Youth Trail and learn 9 ways to stay young.

Thank you so much for coming along with me each day as we explore and consume these “nuggets of wisdom.” These bits of wisdom help us to live a rich and satisfying life while creating a living legacy. While some of our daily treks are multi-part series, you can join us at any time and start along with us from that point on. If you would like to listen to any of the past episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal. You can also subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and Google Play so each day’s trek will be downloaded to you automatically.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It was a great weekend of activities. Our three older children and their families were with us Saturday, and we had a family Easter dinner that evening. On Sunday together we worshiped our Risen Savior Jesus Christ. What a great blessing it was.

We also have the blessing of our grandson Kip staying with us for this week. We will continue our renovations and have a full client load, so it will be a challenging week accomplishing all that we would like to complete. We are glad that we are young both mentally and physically for our age, as it gives us the strength to carry on even when we are busy.

There are certain habits or character traits that will help you to feel and stay young. On our trail today we will explore and examine…

9 Ways to Stay Young

Youth is wasted on the young—or at least, that’s what has been declared, but it would be a travesty if it were true. Youth is not only a time of life; it’s also a state of mind. Paula and I often speak on how we still feel that we are in our 30s. We do still consider ourselves young—and we intend to stay that way.

You can have a youthful outlook and attitude at an older age, or an old-fogey attitude at a young age. The choice is yours. Want to stay young at heart and mind? Here are a few ideas to help you:

1. Keep only cheerful, positive friends.

You can pick your friends, and I like to choose those who are positive and those who challenge me. They make me feel good. They don’t drag me down or make me angry at the world. Negative people see the difficulty in every opportunity while positive people see the opportunity in every difficulty. We need to be choosy of who we become close friends with or spend a lot of time with. 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

2. Keep learning.

I think Henry Ford put it best when he said, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” You should consider that you are a disciple all of your life. Never stop learning.

3. Enjoy the simple things.

Don’t forget to take the time to enjoy the things that you like to do—go for a walk or to the movies, read a good book, watch a favorite TV show, or spend time with your family. To stay young, you have to have a good balance in life.

4. Laugh often.

Starting your day with a good laugh, or, at least, a big smile, is as beneficial to your health as it is to your mood. Scientific studies have concluded that laughter benefits the heart, lungs, stomach, and other organs. It relaxes tension, changes attitude, and increases the body’s natural painkillers. Plus, it has no harmful side effects.

5. Stay in shape.

Exercise is good for your mind as well as your body. Studies show that healthy employees have decreased absenteeism, improved performance, and improved morale. I’ve always felt that a healthy life is a dynamic life.

The human body is the only machine that wears out faster if it is not used. Cherish your health. If you’re healthy, do what you can to preserve it. If your health is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

6. Be happy.

You are responsible for your own happiness. We sometimes convince ourselves that life will be better after we get a better job, make more money, get married, have a baby, or buy a bigger house. Yet the accomplishment of any of those events might not make any difference at all. If you are not happy with the stuff you have now, you will never be happy with more stuff. There is no magic secret to happiness, but it starts in your head.

7. Don’t stress out.

You can’t escape stress, but you can avoid creating unnecessary anxiety. You just need to find a stress reliever. Mine is running, working on renovating The Big House, and working on the lawn. If the stress just doesn’t go away, then you have to make some changes in your life that might be more stressful in the short term but healthier in the long run. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

8. Don’t take guilt trips.

I remember a story about the worry tree. At night, an accountant would go home from work and place all his worries on a tree in his front yard. The next morning he would pick up those worries on his way to work, but surprisingly, they weren’t as heavy the next day. Taking trips can be enjoyable, but stay off the guilt trips.

9. Visualize yourself as youthful and with endless energy.

I learned years ago that visualization through life planning is the most powerful means of attaining personal goals. Visionaries can achieve whatever they want by determining a plan to attain it and expecting positive results. Visualization doesn’t do the planning, and it doesn’t anticipate the obstacles. But, it gives you a real idea of what is possible, if you want it bad enough. Vision is not so much what you think as how you think. If you can visualize it, you can make it happen. If you have a vision to build a house, you must take care of the preliminary requirements before beginning as it tells us in Proverbs 24:27, “Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”

Harvey MacKay put it into perspective,

If you want to stay youthful, stay useful.

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Along our trek for today, we learned the 9 ways that will help you stay young. As we hike our trail tomorrow, we will search for the 9 signposts to turn endings into new beginnings. So, encourage your friends and family to join us, and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

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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