Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 324 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 324 of our trek. Yesterday, we hiked on a trail that was carved out hundreds of years ago as we discovered the 10 signs of a life well lived. Today on our trek, we want to learn why life is not a dress rehearsal.

Thank you so much for coming along with me as we learn from the wisdom of the ages on our daily trek of life. Every day presents us a new opportunity to learn, to laugh, to love, and to make an impact in the lives of others that will last for eternity. While some of our daily treks are a 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 broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Sunday was a relaxing day as we worshipped at church with Nat & Elizabeth and four of our grandkids. We then shopped for some more renovation materials and groceries. The afternoon was invested in finishing the painting of the back wall of the bookshelves in the library and visiting for a short time with my brother Jack who is recovering from a recent gallbladder removal surgery on Friday. He is recovering well, and it is amazing the advancements that have been made in surgery. He was in and out of the hospital in about five hours and will be able to return to work on Tuesday. Surgery of any kind is serious. We are blessed to live in such a time. Even with such advancements, we still need to take pause and realize that we need to make time for what is really important because…

Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal

“She called me a bad name.” “He took my toy.” “She didn’t like my dress.” “I had it first.” Ah yes, the thrill of being young again. Remember how important these things seemed when we were young? In retrospect, they now seem so trivial.

Of course, as we get older and wiser, we focus on important things, like showing our friends how successful we’ve become, outflanking others to get a promotion, keeping up with the Joneses, and ensuring that we look young — forever. You’d think we’d have learned something from our kindergarten days, wouldn’t you?

The truth is, we’re often so busy running on our treadmill to nowhere that we can lose focus on the things that really matter in life. Before we know it, the seconds have become minutes, the days have become weeks, and the months have become years. And when we finally take the time to catch our breath, we look back in retrospect and think, “Where did all the time go?” As I am approaching 60 this summer, this hits all too close to home.

It’s so easy to be blinded by ambition, power, and success that many folks miss out on the simple pleasures of life. For example, do your children’s birthday parties, sporting events, or recitals make your priority list? Are you available to counsel your friend in need? Do you make the time to help your kids with their homework, to attend back-to-school nights, or to put down your newspaper, smartphone, and iPad when your family wants to tell you about their day? Or, is something else more important to you at the time?

Now, I know that you lead a hectic life and that you’re getting pulled in many different directions. The truth is, it’s not that you don’t have enough time to devote to things that matter to you but rather, the time needed is spent doing something else instead of being invested into what is truly more important.

It goes without saying that every time you decide to focus on one thing in your life, you’ve also decided not to invest that time on something else. Unfortunately, once opportunities are lost, they’re often lost forever — life doesn’t come with a dress rehearsal. So, if you think you may regret the path you’re on, it may be time to change course.

Here are six guideposts of questions to point you in the right direction:

· Priorities

Have you ever stopped to think about what matters most to you? Do you invest the majority of your time in those areas? Or do trivial issues sidetrack you from doing the things that you should care about the most?

· Agenda

Do you let other people control your agenda? How much time do you spend reacting to fire drills versus doing things that matter? Are you asking your loved ones to do all of the accommodating, while allowing others to have free rein over your priorities?

· Time Management

How much of your day is spent on autopilot? Do you devote more time to thinking about what you’re going to do or to doing it? When was the last time you identified and eliminated wasteful tasks and routines?

· Quality

How much of your day is spent worrying about problems versus appreciating the moment? What percentage of your time do you spend being physically present but mentally absent? Does multitasking damage your ability to give your undivided attention?

· Inner Peace

Do you care more about what you want out of life or about what others think? Do you value creating wonderful memories as much as you value material rewards? Are you investing in your family and friends or taking them for granted? When was the last time you felt comfortable with yourself?

· The Decision Is Yours

It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae that we quickly lose sight of the big picture. Those who are truthful and have paused long enough to reflect on where they’ve been have concluded that they’ve squandered much of their precious time on earth.

Even those who have secured enviable positions of power and material wealth admit that their decisions to follow these paths have come with real costs — in relationships and precious moments that can’t be replaced. This doesn’t have to be you.

The trail that you choose is your decision and yours alone. The only correct answer is the one that fulfills your God-given design for you. As George Eliot once said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” The crucial element is to know what your purpose in life is at this point. The key is to establish goals that matter most to you and your loved ones, align your priorities around your life purpose and goals, and then pursue them. While doing this, you need to take the time to enjoy your life and remain true to yourself through your calling and to those who love you.

Your goal shouldn’t be cramming as much stuff as possible into your life. Success and happiness are achieved by investing time and attention in areas that really matter to you. No matter how old you are, you still have time to change course. As Alan Lakein once said, “Time = Life, Therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life.” Are you investing your precious time in the areas that matter most to you? It’s your choice.

We would all do well to study the entire lesson that Jesus taught in Matthew 6:19-34, which will help to keep our priorities straight. For brevity sake, I will read verses 31-34, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

The six guideposts that we discovered today will help us to refocus our lives so that we invest our time into what is most important instead of spending our time in those activities that have no eternal impact. Tomorrow on our trek, we will explore the 5 trails to success. 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 trek for today. Just 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:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. 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!