Wisdom-Trek ©

Creating a Legacy ™

Life Is About Giving and Gratitude

by Leave a Comment

Regardless of how difficult our life trails may be at times, we have so much to be thankful for. Our first discovery for today is…

Learn To Be Thankful For What You Already Have

I want to start out this trek with a question. Is thankfulness a survival skill? Perhaps most of you would respond with, “No, Guthrie, thankfulness is not key to survival,” and I would tend to agree with you. Most of us have probably already solved the necessary problems of survival, gone beyond that, and are now working to achieve our desires. But let me give you this key phrase, “Learn to be thankful for what you already have while you pursue all that you want.” I believe one of the greatest and perhaps one of the simplest lessons in life we can learn is to be thankful for what we have already received and accomplished.

Both the years and the experiences have brought me to where I am today, sharing with you daily on our Wisdom-Trek and in our weekly Wisdom Notes as we pursue creating a living legacy.  We have not arrived to this place on our trek together by accident. It was by divine design. It is the attribute of thankfulness that opened the windows of opportunities, blessings, and unique experiences to flow my way. My gratitude started with my parents who raised me and gave me an incredible foundation that has lasted me all of these years, and it continues with the mentors that I’ve met along the way who have absolutely changed and revolutionized my life, my income, my resources, and my future. I am also very thankful for the people, the associations, the ideas, the chance to work and labor, and the opportunity to produce results that I have. All of that has brought me to this place on my trek of life. I’m grateful for it all.

What a unique opportunity each one of us has, with so many of us representing different countries, nations, and cultures, to appreciate the uniqueness of our own experiences that has brought us all here together each day as we gain new wisdom, insight, and understanding and also reinforce what we have learned in the past. We know that each day of our trek represents countries all over the world, and we have the freedom and liberty to come together on this trek we call life.These are extraordinary times. There is more freedom across the world than at any time in history. Although our modern news media on both the right and left would try to convince us otherwise, the facts tell a different story. We as a country and as a world have so much to be thankful for. Always start with thanksgiving. Be thankful for what you already have, and see the miracles that come from this one simple act.

Now thankfulness is just the beginning. Next, you have to challenge yourself to produce. Produce more ideas than you need for yourself so you can share and give your ideas away. That is called fruitfulness and abundance. I think fruitfulness and abundance mean to go to work on producing more than you need for yourself so you can begin blessing others, blessing your nation, and blessing your own piece of the world that you have the privilege to impact.

Once abundance starts to come and once someone becomes incredibly productive, it’s amazing what the impact can be. But, to begin this incredible process of blessing, it often starts with the act of thanksgiving and gratitude – being thankful for what you already have and for what you’ve already done. Begin the act of thanksgiving today, and watch the miracles flow your way.

Thankfulness comes from your heart, which is controlled by what you allow into your mind. Nearly 50 times the Bible reminds us to give thanks, such as in Ephesians 5:20, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The second discovery of wisdom we want to explore today is…

The Best Gift to Give Yourself and Others

I often hear the question, “How can I best help my children, spouse, family member, staff member, friend, etc. improve/change?” In fact, it the most frequent question that is asked by those that want to make an impact on the lives of others is “How can I help change someone else?”

My answer may come as a surprise…The key to helping others is to help yourself first. In other words, the best contribution you can make to someone else is your own personal development. If you become 10 times wiser or 10 times stronger, think of what that will do for your adventure as a parent, as a grandparent, or as a business colleague.

The best gift you can give to others, really, is your ongoing personal development – getting better, getting stronger, becoming wiser…I think parents should pick this valuable philosophy up. If the parents are okay, the kids have an excellent chance of being okay. Work on your personal development as parents, as grandparents, as friends, and as colleagues. This is the best gift you can give to anyone that you impact.

As we discussed previously, if you have ever ridden in an airplane, then you might have noticed the oxygen compartment located above every seat. There are explicit instructions that say “In case of an emergency, first secure your own oxygen mask and then if you have children with you secure their masks.” Take care of yourself first. Then assist your children or others that are dependent on you. If we use that same philosophy throughout our whole lives, it would be so valuable.

If you learn to create happiness for yourself, your children, your grandchildren and everyone else in your world, they now have an excellent chance to be happy. If you create a unique lifestyle for yourself and your spouse, that will be a great example to serve your children, your grandchildren, and your world.
Self-development enables you to serve and to be more valuable to those around you – your child, your business, your colleague, your community, your church…

That’s why I explore these wisdom nuggets and share them with you. If you keep refining all the parts of yourself, your character, your health, etc. so that you become an attractive person to your world, you’ll attract opportunity. Opportunity will then begin to seek you out. Your reputation will begin to precede you, and people will want to be with you and/or do business with you. All of that possibility is created by working on the philosophy that success is something you attract by continually working on your own personal development.

Even if you feel you know a great deal, there is always room for improvement. Proverbs 9:9 tells us, “Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.”

The two wisdom nuggets that we explored today were to be continually thankful for everything and to understand that the best way to help others is to continually improve and help yourself.  As we digest these concepts and incorporate them into our lives, commit to joining us each week.

Developing Your Sense of Humor

by Leave a Comment

On this Wisdom Note, it is time to head back out on our humor trail and discover some interesting ways to establish the habit of humor in our lives. You will find that as you implement these humor nuggets into your life, you will become a funnier and happier person in all that you do. You will be better able to enjoy the rich and satisfying life that you were meant to have.

1. Bring more humor and laughter into your life.

We are all born with the ability and desire to laugh. Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can relearn to laugh at any stage of life. It is truly a habit that you can re-form in your life.

Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.

Here are some ways to start to weave humor into the fabric of who you are:

  • Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds true for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
  • Count your blessings. Literally, make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When you’re in a state of sadness, you have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
  • When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
  • Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily – both at themselves and at life’s absurdities – and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
  • Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”
  • Create your own opportunities to laugh. Did you ever stop to see why all modern day sitcoms on TV have a continuous “laugh track” embedded into the show? It subconsciously initiates the laugh center within your mind. It allows you to enjoy the program more, and for it to appear funnier than it really is. Have you ever tried watching a sitcom or program without the “laugh track”? It is a lot less humorous.
  • Seek out opportunities of enjoyment. We have to intentionally seek out opportunities for humor and laughing. Make it a habit to form your humor habit by deliberately finding humor in everyday life.

King Solomon understood this when he wrote Ecclesiastes 8:15, “So I recommend having fun because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.”

2. Develop your sense of humor. Take yourself less seriously.

One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!

Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But, most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary life, giving you the choice to laugh or not.

Here are some suggested ways to infuse humor into everyday situations:

  • Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously. It is okay to look like a fool occasionally as long as you don’t make a habit of being foolish.
  • Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
  • Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.
  • Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control — particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.
  • Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
    Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.

3. Use humor and play to overcome challenges and enhance your life.

The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable but also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.

Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But, when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.

Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this creative ability.

As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective. Weave the habit of laughter and humor into the fabric of every day life.

Life Is Like a Garbage Truck

by Leave a Comment

In this Wisdom Note, visualize with me a campground that is not well maintained, and we notice that the garbage bins are overflowing onto the ground, and there is garbage strewn all around. We comment to each other that we sure hope that the garbage truck picks it up soon. What a mess it is! We then think about the purpose of a garbage truck, which is to pick up other people’s smelly and gross garbage and take it somewhere else and dump it. This reminds me of a story of how, if we are not careful, our lives can become like a garbage truck.

This true story was experienced by David Pollay on a business trip to New York City, and it goes like this.

“I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment, our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started cursing at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face. And he even threw in a one finger salute! I couldn’t believe it!

But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, ‘Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!’ And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck®.’

He said, ‘Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.’”

This story should cause you to reflect. How often do you let other people’s garbage trucks dump their trash on you, and then how often do you transfer their garbage and spread it to other people – at work, at home, on the streets? We should not do this; however, that’s easier said than done. When we overreact to people who “dump their garbage” on us, we need to realize that what the other person does is his or her problem, but to the degree that we overreact is our problem. To react in a Christ-like manner, it is imperative that we resolve our “garbage.” If we don’t, we will be forever allowing others to control our moods and trigger our unresolved problems.

After teaching the beatitudes, in the 5th chapter of Matthews’s book of good news, Jesus covered several other areas of teachings, one of which was how we should treat those who have mistreated us.

Matthew 5:43-48, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

How often do you let other people’s garbage pollute you and change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? The mark of a successful (wise and mature) person is how quickly he/she can get back his/her focus on what’s important.

The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best salespeople know that they have to be ready for their next client. And, the best parents know that they have to be ready to greet their children with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best, for the people, we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not allow their lives to become garbage trucks. What about you? What would happen in your life starting today if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

The author of the story above, David Pollay, came up with this.

The No Garbage Truck Pledge

I do not accept garbage in my life.

When I see garbage trucks,

I do not take them personally.

I just smile, I wave,

I wish them well. And I move on.

I do not spread garbage to others, I am not a garbage truck!

I do not accept garbage in my life.

It is so important that we not allow our lives to be like garbage trucks, but instead, we need to free our minds, control our anger, and move on.

Life Is Like Starring in a Movie

by Leave a Comment

As we begin our Wisdom Note this week, let us ponder how important making the most of every moment really is.

Each of us is the screenwriter, director, and leading character in our movie of life. Our family, friends, associates, and everyone with whom we come in contact are cast members in our movie. Some of these people will be our co-stars and supporting actors while others will just be walk-ons. You are the only person that is in every scene of your life.

The important concept to grasp is that there are no practice days, and there is no dress rehearsal. Each day is an impromptu performance. Once we understand this, it may help us to perform at our best. With all impromptu performances, we must realize that we will miss cues and flub up lines, that will draw cheers and boos from those watching our performance. We won’t perform perfectly every day, but the show must go on…

All too often we get so consumed with our “star role” that we lose site of the importance of our overall, lifelong movie and the crucial role that all the supporting cast members play. We miss 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 time to catch our breath, we look back in retrospect and think, “My performance is nearing the end, where did all the time go?”

It’s so easy to be blinded by our own performance, ambition, power, and success that we miss including the simple pleasures of life into our script. For example, did your children’s birthday parties, Little League games, or dance recitals make it into your movie? Did you include the scenes where you were available to counsel your friend in need? Did you make the time to help your kids with their homework, to attend back-to-school nights, or to put down your newspaper/telephone/iPad when your family wanted to tell you about their day?

Or, were there more important plot lines that you included in your movie of life?

Now, I realize that your movie includes hectic scenes of life and that you’re getting pulled in a million different directions. The truth is, it’s not that you don’t have enough time to include the things that matter to you into your script — but rather, you allowed other priorities to become part of your movie.

It goes without saying that every time you decide to focus on one thing in your life, you’ve also decided not to spend 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 script that you are writing, it may be time to change who will be the most important supporting characters in your life’s movie.

Here are some guideposts to help you as you continue to write your script.

1. Priorities

Have you ever stopped to think about what matters most to you? Will you include these supporting characters and plot lines in your movie? Or do trivial issues sidetrack you from doing the things that you should care about the most?

2. Agenda

Do you let other people write your script for you? How much time do you spend reacting to other people’s plots and drama versus writing your own and doing things that matter? Are you asking your loved ones to take minor roles in your movie, while allowing others free rein over your priorities, making them strong supporting characters?

3. Time Management

How much of your day is spent on autopilot? Do you show up on the set of life and allow someone else’s agenda to control your role in your movie? Do you devote more time to thinking about what you’re going to do or actually doing it? When was the last time you identified and eliminated wasteful tasks and routines – that is wasteful scenes and lines?

4. Quality

How much of your day is spent worrying about problems in your script versus appreciating the moment or the current scene? What percentage of your time do you spend being physically present reciting your lines but mentally absent? Does trying to be in multiple scenes at once – that is multitasking – damage your ability to give your undivided attention to your current scene that is most important?

5. Inner Peace

Do you care more about what you want out of life or about what others think about your performance? Do you value creating wonderful memories as much as you value material rewards? Are you investing in your supporting characters – that is your family and friends – or taking them for granted? When was the last time you felt comfortable in your “star role”?

6. The Decision is Yours

It’s so easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day minutiae that we lose sight of the big picture. You must take the time to pause, reflect, and enjoy your movie.

Even if your life movie becomes a blockbuster and you secure the enviable positions of power and material wealth, understand that all decisions come with real costs — in relationships and precious moments that can’t be replaced. Make sure that your stardom does not come at a price that is too high to pay.

The script you write, the movie you direct, and the role you play in your movie is your decision and yours alone. It is never too late to rewrite the script and make the most important people in your life your supporting characters. It is your life movie, make it a great one for you, your supporting characters, and the scenes that matter most.

A successful life movie is achieved by spending time and attention on scenes that really matter to you. No matter how young or old you are, you still have time to write a great script and direct your movie from this point forward. Are you spending your precious time in the areas that matter most to you? It’s your choice.

As recorded in James 3:13, “If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”

Now that you realize you are the star of “This is Your Life Movie,” what role will we play as supporting characters?

Today we have learned the best way to brew an excellent pot of coffee and also learned how to become a more excellent individual.

Life Is Like a Clock

by Leave a Comment

In this Wisdom Note, we want to consider the concept of time. Before setting out on a long hike or trip of any kind, you will usually calculate how far you will be able to travel each day if everything goes according to plan. So much of what we do in our lives is controlled by time. In fact, life is like a clock in so many ways.

While there is a certain reality that time is controlled by the rotation of the earth, the measure of time, represented by a clock, is a man-made creation. As Albert Einstein put it, “Time is an illusion,” yet nearly every moment of our lives is controlled by the clock. The clock tells us when to get up, when to go to work, when to eat, when to go home, when to sleep…And then the cycle repeats itself each day.

As such, we need to be careful of how much we allow the clock to control us. As H. G. Wells put it, “We must not allow the clock and the calendar to blind us to the fact that each moment of life is a miracle and mystery.” We need to live a life that is rich and satisfying.

Life Is Measured in Quarters

As we continue on our trek through life, let us examine the different ways that life is like a clock. In our first analogy within the created limitations of time, humans set their own boundaries, defining life in quarters just as a clock has its time measured in fourths. The first quarter of life is childhood, the second is young adulthood, the third mature adulthood, and the fourth is old age.

Paula and I wonder where the years have gone. We still feel like we are in the second quarter of life but realize that we are firmly entrenched in the 3rd quarter of a normal lifespan, even if God grants us the opportunity to live to 100 or longer.

Time, like life, does not stop for anyone. For this reason, each hour of your life is valuable. Other than to learn from it, you must not live in the past. You cannot change yesterday. You can only make the most of today and look with hope toward tomorrow. Live fully and enjoy each day, for you will never have an opportunity to live this day again. Take time to be kind, both to yourself and others. You need to make sure that you utilize your time to make the greatest impact.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in his letter to the church in Ephesus Chapter 5 verses 15-17, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

Life Is Broken Into Seconds, Minutes, and Hours

Next, let’s look at a second analogy of how life is like a clock. The measurement of time is broken down into seconds, minutes, and hours. As God’s most precious of creations, made to be bearers of His image. We are made up of mind, body, and spirit. The mind is like the seconds moving at the fastest rate. We are constantly thinking and planning. The body is like the minutes, controlled by the mind to take action based on the decisions of the mind. The spirit is the reflection of the accumulation of our thoughts and actions. What is your spirit reflecting today?

There is no separation between the three. All are intertwined to make us who we really are. We scheme and plan in our minds, we take action with our bodies, and we feel we are in control of our destinies in our spirits. Our lives, to a certain extent, are the sum of our choices, but it is God who is the final timekeeper.

As Jesus’s half-brother James wrote in his letter to the dispersed Hebrew nation in James 4:13-17, “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog — it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise, you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

And for further inspiration, consider this poem about the clock of life.

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.
To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
That no man can restore.
The present only is our own,
So live, love, toil with a will,
Place no faith in “Tomorrow,”
For the Clock may then be still.”
― Robert H. Smith

This week we are reminded that life is like a clock. Let us be mindful to invest our time wisely on our trek of life and keep moving forward each day.