Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 228 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Your Life Plan Blueprint – Wisdom Goals

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 228 of our Trek, and we are continuing on our current Trek Your Life Plan Blueprint. We have already mapped out the framework that will assist you in setting goals and creating a life plan for yourself. We have also explored the purposes for an effective plan and some basic goal setting principles.

Over the past two days, our trails took us through the overall concepts of the 6 step framework to create a successful life plan through effective goal achievement. We caught a glimpse of this powerful but easy to implement framework, which is the core for Your Life Plan Blueprint. We are purposely taking it slow on this life planning trail, which will allow us to understand the map that we are following. If you have any questions, or would like additional information as we go through our daily trek, either leave a comment on Wisdom-Trek.com or email me at guthrie@venturecg.com.  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 Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been a busy week of work and life activities with much still to do before we head back to The Big House Friday evening. Based on our 2016 calendar that we have laid out, we will be spending a considerable amount of time in Marietta with additional home renovations and preparing for the Chamberlain reunion on July 4^th weekend.

Let’s head on the trail for day nine of our Wisdom-Trek Life Plan process which we refer to as:

Your Life Plan Blueprint

On today’s trail, we will explore the first step of our WESPER framework which refers to wisdom. This is one element that I have never seen included in any goal setting programs that I have reviewed or used, and yet without wisdom based on Biblical principles and advice from trusted mentors, how can we begin to formulate a life plan?

With this knowledge, the Wisdom-Trek Life Plan Blueprint is based on what is commonly referred to as the Book of Wisdom which is Proverbs.  The foundation for a solid life plan is found in Proverbs 1:2-7,

Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise.
 Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young.

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
the words of the wise and their riddles.

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

While all wisdom ultimately stems from God’s Word, there are many friends, family members, and trusted mentors who have learned wisdom through their life trek and experiences. We should not hesitate to seek out these individuals for advice when we are working on our life plan and setting goals. Become part of an accountability group, a peer group, or a mastermind and utilize the experience and wisdom of others to assist in your trek of life. While experience is a great teacher, its lessons are hard. Vernon Law said it this way, “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.”  Voltaire understood the value of wisdom when he said, “Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?”

In addition to gaining wisdom from the Bible and others, there is another way to obtain wisdom and that is by asking God for it.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes in his letter to 1^st-century Christians that if we lack wisdom all we have to do is ask. James 1:5-8 reads, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

We need at least a measure of wisdom as we embark on creating a life plan and setting goals to fulfill it. God wants us to be wise, and He can fill us with the wisdom that will allow our lives to be successful. Wisdom is more than just being able to make wise and prudent choices. It is the actual skills that we need for everyday life. This is what we do in our homes, our professions, and our businesses. There are many examples of this in the Bible, Moses wrote these instructions from God in Exodus 28:3, “Instruct all the skilled craftsmen whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom. Have them make garments for Aaron that will distinguish him as a priest set apart for my service.”  

Also in 31:3, “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.”

King Solomon, who wrote the book of Proverbs, was considered the wisest man of all time. He gained his wisdom by asking God for it.  od’s response to Solomon’s request is recorded in 1 Kings 3:10-13, “The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, ‘Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame!'”

It is so clear that the first step in the process of life planning and setting of goals must be to gain wisdom. Wisdom can be gained in three ways:

1. Through the study of the Bible
2. Through your network of family, friends, and mentors
3. Through asking God directly for wisdom

The WESPER framework process integrates into our concept of Wisdom-Trek as we look at life as a trek, one step at a time. Tomorrow we will begin to explore how to establish meaningful and realistic goals in the seven areas of our life within the 6 step WESPER framework. 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, I encourage you to help us promote Wisdom-Trek in the following four ways:

1. Leave us feedback about the podcast on Wisdom-Trek.com.
2. On your smartphone, subscribe on iTunes, GooglePlay, Spreaker, Soundcloud or Stitcher, so the podcast will be downloaded to you automatically each day.
3. If you have an iPhone or iPad, leave us a rating and review on iTunes.
4. Share Wisdom-Trek 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!