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Creating a Legacy ™

The Wisdom of Being Teachable

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On our trek today, we discover why it is so important to be teachable. If you examine many of the most highly regarded members in any field, one of the most consistent similarities in their personalities is their ability to constantly learn and their desire to improve both themselves and their work. The ability to learn — and the confidence that you can learn — is the most powerful weapon you have at your disposal during all stages of your life.

There is an astonishing amount of research, both quantitative and anecdotal, showing that being teachable and able to adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in will be what ultimately makes or breaks you. Developing the humility required to be this way will be the most solid foundation you can lay to build a life worthy of God’s name.

Here are a few suggestions to help out.

1. Be aware and perceptive. Watch and listen attentively.

Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, once remarked, “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” There’s no point in arguing with a famous philosopher, or more importantly, God’s design. Using your eyes and ears more than your mouth in all situations can pay unforeseen dividends. Speaking up is not a crime, but speaking without understanding or forethought usually makes us appear hasty and arrogant — two qualities that will not serve you well. Proverbs 10:19 puts it this way, “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” Use the information that comes to you through listening and watching to learn and better yourself, mixing it with your own thoughts and ideas. In time, some small piece of information you might have missed had you not been paying attention may sway your life with unimagined power.

2. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity.

Be glad when things go wrong! It usually means you are pushing yourself, which is exactly what you should be doing. If nothing ever goes awry, how do you know that you are really doing anything? How do you know that the knowledge you are accumulating or the skill you are learning is truly sinking in? You will need to be able to distinguish the good from the bad. The best way to learn how to do this is to make mistakes yourself. There is no faster way to learn and no better opportunity that forces you to change what steered you wrong. Proverbs 12:1 tells us, “To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.”

3. Cultivate a love of knowledge for its own sake.

A lot of the time we learn things for a specific reason — to get through a class, to put on a resume, to make money…That mentality is troublesome to adopt and will not allow us to really understand and master the subject. Rather than viewing learning as an endless exploration of ourselves and the world we inhabit, we consider it a chore to be accomplished. By treating learning as a lifestyle, not as a means to an end, we increase our ability to progress and develop. Being teachable and understanding that learning will never end — yet will always bring us closer to our potential — is far more fulfilling than imagining it as an obstacle to be conquered.

4. Treat everyone and everything with respect.

You don’t have to be in a classroom to learn. By engaging with everything you come into contact with throughout your daily life, you find little nuggets of knowledge and wisdom in the nooks and crannies of every human and the many facets of nature. It’s tough to do all the time — our brains can generally only focus hard on one thing at a time, leaving little room for other information — but even an attempt at being mindful and remaining open can yield surprising results.

5. Read to help consolidate the thoughts in your head.

This one is a bit of a no-brainer. You would be surprised at what you can learn from a regular reading routine. One of the most beautiful benefits, however, is the way someone else’s words can solidify your own thoughts and lead to an otherwise missed revelation.

6. Write — even if just to get out of your head.

The therapeutic nature of writing is well researched, but if you really want to solidify some learning, try to write it down clearly and concisely. We spend a lot of time watching others do something or reading about how they do it, but unless we get it out of our brains and through the rest of our bodies, we will never learn it.

7. Be patient and remember every great thing takes time. But keep moving forward.

Don’t be hasty in your learning. If you are under the age of 100, you probably don’t know as much as you think you do, so stay humble. Life is like any trade — you’ve got to take your apprenticeship first. We are all keen to display our genius and make a splash, but if we rush things too much, we will skip out on building a good foundation to build our goals on and risk being blown over by the first puff of adversity that comes our way. Give the world a bit of credit. It’s tough to fool, and by forcing your way through, you miss out on many subtleties that determine success or failure. Instead, try every day to do at least one thing, no matter how small, to keep your head in a teachable mode and work towards a goal. It may take an entire lifetime, but nothing else will be as fulfilling. And hey, what else are you going to do with all that time? Proverbs 18:5 explains it best, “Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.”

Let me ask you another question…Are you teachable? It is wise to remain teachable your entire life. There is so much to experience and enjoy. Next week’s Wisdom Notes will be back on the trails as we explore another short story. To receive a daily dose of wisdom encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along each day on our podcast.

A New Definition of Success

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On our trek today, we look at what it really means to be successful. When we think of success, most of us gravitate towards being successful financially. This is just one area of true success. The primary reason that we may choose to pursue financial success is to have the resources to have a greater impact on the lives of others.

Success must cover all 7 areas of your Wheel of Life, which are Spiritual, Family, Physical, Mind, Personal, Financial, and Career. Success should also be balanced as much as possible over these 7 areas.

As we head up the trail, let me ask you this question, “What does it mean to you to be successful?”

Let’s start looking for the answer by reading 2 Kings 18:5-7, “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did.”

Success usually brings to mind financial achievement or being number one. Others would define success by the bumper sticker, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Some like to think that success is being busy—on the go, racing from one appointment to another and having too much to do with too little time to do it.

The problem with these definitions of success is they exact a high cost. The Executive Digest has noted, “The trouble with success is that the formula is the same as the one for a nervous breakdown.” That’s sobering, uncomfortable, and too often true.

Maybe the definition of success that you are familiar with is not the correct one. I would encourage you to reassess your definition of success before it is too late. May I propose a new look at the word S.U.C.C.E.S.S.?

Service – There is no such thing as success without service. The secret of success lies in meeting the needs of others. And when we are meeting people’s needs, we will discover fulfillment.

Understanding contentment – Let’s not measure success by how much we own or how much money we have but by a sense of inner contentment. Real success is always internal, never external. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11, “Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.”

Character – Character is of greater value than how much money or status we have. A man’s best test of character is revealed in how he treats people around him. So measure your success, not by your possessions and achievements, but by the quality of your character and conduct.

Compassion – What really matters is not money, power, and ego but issues of the heart—such as compassion, kindness, bravery, generosity, and love. Do you love people more than things? Luke 6:36 says, “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

Excellence – Excellence is not being the best but being your best.

Significance – The popular notion of success has not cut it. A growing number of people yearn for significance more than success. Significance comes by giving ourselves to something that is greater than us and that will outlast us. – Leave a living legacy each day.

Sacrifice – A problem in our society is that we are spending our entire lives looking for something worth living for. It would be better if we found something worth dying for. Once again Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans 12:1,“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

Success under these guidelines will bring you into harmony with God’s guidance.

Let me ask you another question. How do YOU spell success? Let us make sure that we are successful in all 7 areas on our Wheel of Life. All of us have something we can learn each day, so encourage your friends and family to join us each day on our podcast.

Life Is Like a Whirlwind

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On today’s trek, we want to explore how life can become so hectic that we seem to be caught up in a whirlwind of activities all the time. We need to determine the importance of prioritizing the most important tasks each day.

Run, run, run, and then run some more. It is so easy to be in a hurry today darting from one thing to another gaining little ground in any one thing. For a lot of us, our lives are a whirlwind of activity with household tasks, work, all of the messages on our latest technological device that seems to be attached to our hip, and piled up work to catch up on. It never seems to stop.

In the past, you probably heard about establishing priorities and labeling these Priority A, B, and C where A is the most important and had to be done right away. It seems that most of us have forgotten this rule. However, recently, I watched a video online and was reacquainted with the absolute necessity of establishing priorities and not allowing oneself to become distracted by the myriad of information coming at us at full bore. The real challenge is to be able to control the extraneous demands coming to us demanding our attention.

But, when it is all said and done, there are reasons to set priorities on a daily basis. If you do not, you will see yourself flitting like a hummingbird from flower to flower or a project or demand and on to the next without getting anything marked off the major to do list.

An example of planning and prioritizing is found in Proverbs 24:27, “Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.”

If you haven’t set your daily priorities for quite some time, maybe a suggestion or two would be welcome.

The easiest and simplest of ways and still one of the most effective is to start to record your major priorities for the day on your calendar. This can be done on your iPad, iPhone, tablet, or any other electronic device, but some prefer to record it on a physical calendar with a pen. Whichever way works best for you, it is best to put it into place immediately. Some science seems to indicate that initially using a physical calendar and pen lets your brain understand the connection you are making, and it is this conscious connection that makes your note more effective.

The real challenge comes next, and that is to remove or ignore all other events, issues, or demands for your time or attention that could knock you off your track. This is not to say, however, that there might not come along a much more urgent request from a superior. If this happens, you obviously must attend to it, and the request becomes your focus. However, what was left uncompleted before the new request must be put back on the top of the list as soon as your requested action is complete.

The Apostle Peter instructs us to prepare even our minds in Chapter 1 verse 13, “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.”

Focus is the key to accomplishing what is necessary. It’s an easy word to spell. It contains only five letters, but it is probably one of the most powerful words there are to move forward with confidence and expected results. One definition for focus that comes from a fellow podcaster and friend is: Follow One Course Until Success. As much as possible, prioritize and stay on task.

This week we looked at how our life is like a whirlwind but we do have control of the outcome. We do not need to be blown and tossed if we plan, prepare, and focus. The lessons that we can learn from each other are valuable, so encourage your friends and family to join us each day on our podcast.

Life Is Like a Word Well Spoken

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On our trek today, we want to explore how life can be like a word well spoken. In other words, how we use our words will dramatically impact our lives.

We may not all be created equal in every attribute, but we all have several things in common. So, what are these things? Of course, Our time…All of us have the same amount of seconds, minutes, and hours in a day to do with as we desire.

And there is individual power…We also have individual power although some may think not because they live in countries where they are ruled by a strict dictator or military government. But, even these people have power.

Can time and power combine in your words?

The time you take and the power of your individual words – how you say them, what words you choose to use, and when to speak these words – make a difference. These words can be ones that ridicule, make fun, or chastise, or ones that encourage, praise, or demonstrate kindness, as mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

A Story Of Time and Power of Words

I recall a story told to me about a man who used to commute to work daily on a train. Once disembarking the train, he always walked the short distance to his office building along with all the other throngs of people hurrying on their way to their work.

Each morning, he passed an older man who was always at the same spot with a cup in hand hoping to get a bit of change from those who passed by. For most people, this person was someone to be ignored as if he didn’t exist, a person with whom they didn’t want to be bothered.

Invariably, though, this man would always say good morning to him and bid him have a good day. The stranger would smile back, say good morning and remain at the station until all the commuters had gone on their way.

Occasionally, my friend would drop a dollar or two in his cup on his way by as he said hello.

This behavior went on for several years until one day, his last day on the job before retirement, the man stopped for a few moments to speak with the one whom some would consider a beggar.He told the man that he would no longer be passing by because this was his last day on the job.

The man took his hand and shook it warmly saying that he had always looked forward to seeing his friend pass his way and not because he dropped a few dollars in his cup. He said he would miss my friend because he was one of the few people out of thousands who passed him daily who ever said hello and was the only one who ever bid him have a good day.

The man also said that his warm words always brightened his day and helped him to continue despite being ignored by thousands of others who saw him daily.

The Message Is Clear

We all have power in words, and this does mean that the most basic of greetings and recognition have a significant impact.

In fact, all our words have an impact, and so often we do not recognize that some can be devastating to another, cause others to give up, or help encourage.

Remember your power when you speak for you have more influence than you think. Your words may be the encouragement that someone desperately needs. Take the time. Sometimes it is only a matter of seconds! You may be surprised the difference you will make in someone’s life. As Proverbs 25:11 tells us, “Timely advice is lovely, like golden apples in a silver basket.”

This week we looked at how our life is a like a word well spoken because all of our words have an impact, either for good or harm, for encouragement or discouragement. The lessons that we can learn from each other are valuable, so encourage your friends and family to join us each day on our podcast.

Life Is Like a Mouse

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On our today’s trek, we want to explore how even the smallest acts of kindness can have a huge impact.

There are times in life when we don’t take action because we feel the act of kindness is too little or that it wouldn’t make a difference. However, sometimes the smallest gesture can make a huge impact on someone’s life.

There are many different ways we can show kindness to others, and it doesn’t have to be in a big way. The simplest of things may make the biggest difference. A smile, a door being held open, a handwritten note, a kind word…The list can go on and on.

I was recently reading some of Aesop’s fables and came across the story of The Lion and The Mouse. While this story has been around for a long time, it still has wisdom in its words. Below is the story.

One day a Lion was asleep when a little Mouse began running up and down his back. This soon wakened the Lion, who placed his huge paw upon him and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Please don’t,” cried the little Mouse. “Forgive me this time, I shall never forget it. Who knows but what I may be able to do you a turn some of these days?”

The Lion was so tickled at the idea of the Mouse being able to help him that he lifted up his paw and let him go.

Some time after the Lion was caught in a trap, he pulled with all his might, but the ropes were too strong. Just then the little Mouse happened to pass by and seeing the sad plight in which the Lion was, went up to him, and with his sharp little teeth gnawed away the ropes, setting the Lion free

“You once laughed at me,” said the Mouse. You thought I was too little to do you a good turn. But see, you owe your life to a poor little mouse.”

While you may think the story is far-fetched, the point I found in reading the story is not the size of the action that is important, but the difference that a small action made. Small acts of kindness make a difference in ways you may not realize!

Do you have opportunities to give small acts of kindness? Some people might think that they do not have a chance to show another person a small measure of kindness, but these opportunities are everywhere you go through the day. For example, if you ride on a bus, have you ever said good morning to the bus driver, or do you just ignore him or her and proceed to your seat? A simple good morning or good afternoon tells the person that you acknowledge them, and it is even an acknowledgment that can help to brighten a day.

If you drive a car anywhere, do you let someone enter into traffic, or do you just keep driving inching along and ignoring the other driver? Stopping and waving the other driver into traffic ahead of you is a small gesture of kindness that may influence this driver to do the same for someone else later.

When you go to the supermarket or grocery store, do you hold the door open for a young woman pushing her baby in a stroller, or do you just dart ahead through the door without stopping?

When you are at work, do you say good morning to your colleagues, or do you just go about your business without acknowledging their presence?

Or, how about those people you meet on the street that ask for money or who are peddling various goods? Do you ignore them or give them no acknowledgment that they are also human and have feelings?

Proverbs 3:3 instructs us to “Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.”

Also Colossians 3:11-13 encourages us, “Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”

This week we looked at how our life is like a mouse and that even the smallest acts of kindness are very important both to us and those who are the recipients of our kindness. The lessons that we can learn from each other are valuable, so encourage your friends and family to join us each day on our podcast.