Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 178 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

5 Steps to a Thankful Thanksgiving

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 178 of our Trek, and yesterday we explored Thanksgiving through the Bible as we focused on some key verses. Today we want to climb the five steps to a thankful Thanksgiving. If you miss any of our Wisdom-Trek episodes, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com to listen to them and read the daily journal.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. With our client workload a little less this week, it is our hope to start putting some structure into our plans going into 2016. We see several areas of opportunity but want to make sure to focus on the wise opportunities for this season of life. As with many of the decisions that we make in our lives, it is not the choice between a good or bad option. Those are clear, but it is choosing the wisest option among several possible good options. The more you focus on making wise choices, the more you will realize just how very important it is.

Tomorrow we celebrate Thanksgiving in the United States, and as such, we have been focusing on Thanksgiving all week. We have learned much through these nuggets of wisdom and thankfulness, so today we want to climb the 5 steps to have a thankful Thanksgiving.

5 Steps to a Thankful Thanksgiving

If your home is like most, your Thanksgiving Day will be very busy, with either traveling to where you want to go or preparing your home to have others over for the day. Either way, that can be very hectic and emotionally trying, which doesn’t lend itself to preparing your heart to be reflective and thankful.

This means all the more that if we want to be the kind of people who are characterized by thankfulness, then we must make sure that we focus on it, not just on Thanksgiving Day but at all times during the year.

Here are a few key steps as well as some thoughts that are simple and practical to apply that you can use right away in your quest to become more thankful.

1. Time

Set aside time regularly to be quiet and to reflect. We live in the fastest paced time ever. From the moment we awake to the moment we collapse into bed, we have the opportunity to go at full speed and never slow down. If we schedule time every day during which we can be quiet and reflect, we will free our hearts and minds up from the tyranny of the urgent and rushed.

Psalms 119:15, “I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways.”

2. Thought

Give thought to the many blessings that you have. Living in a consumer culture, most of us are fully aware of what we do not have and how we absolutely must have “it.” But how often do we reflect upon that which we already have? Take some time each day and think of one or two things that you have that you may typically take for granted, and then take a moment and give thanks for those.

Psalms 85:12, “Yes, the Lord pours down his blessings. Our land will yield its bountiful harvest.”

3. Generosity

Be generous toward those with less and not envious of those with more. We tend to look at others who may be wealthier than ourselves and think, “I sure wish I had what he does.” That kind of thinking breeds envy and jealousy rather than contentment. What can we do to break that cycle? I would suggest being generous to those who are less fortunate than yourself. Go to work at a food bank. This should not just be during the holidays — everybody works there then — but on a regular basis during the year. That will remind you of how good you really have it.

Psalms 112:19, “They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.”

4. Ask

Ask a friend what they are thankful for. The next time you are at lunch with a friend, ask him or her what they are most thankful for. You will be amazed at the answers you receive, and you will create a meaningful bond with your friends as you focus on this powerful question.

1 Thessalonians 2:8, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.”

5. Acknowledge

Lastly, tell those you love how thankful you are for having them in your life. So many times we neglect to take the time to craft the words to express to those closest to us what their presence in our lives means to us. Take the opportunity of Thanksgiving Day to write them a note or sometime during the day put your hand on their shoulder, look them in the eyes, and tell them. Let them know what they mean to you, and in return, you’ll begin to create the possibility of deeper, richer, more fulfilling relationships with those you love.

Ephesians 5:20, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Of course, we should do what we can to make the most of the day we call Thanksgiving, but wouldn’t it be a shame if the only time we reflected on our blessings was that one Thursday in November? And the answer is, of course! So let’s do our best to be aware of the many great gifts that we have each and every day of the year. As we do so, we will see our hearts soar, and our minds will experience more and more peace as we regularly remember and remain aware of our good fortune.

Now that we have climbed the five steps for a thankful Thanksgiving, let us put them into practice each day. If you are thankful for the nuggets of wisdom that I share with you each day, please encourage your friends and family to join us and come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy as we look at the Psalm of Thanksgiving, which is Psalms 100.

That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.

If you would like to be added to our weekly email update for Wisdom-Trek, just text the word “Wisdom” to 44222 on your phone, and you will receive a message asking for your email address. It is very quick and easy to do.

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!