Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 644 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Imagine Life As It Could Be – Mindshift Monday

Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 644 of our trek, and it is time for our Mindshift Monday series. Wisdom-Trek’s primary focus is to assist you in creating your living legacy. Creating your living legacy can only be accomplished by gaining wisdom in many areas of life.  You can only gain wisdom by changing what you allow to go into your mind which is a result of changing the way you think. In other words, to create your living legacy you must choose to be in a continual mode of Mindshift or “changing the way you think.”

It is easy to get stuck in a mindset that your current circumstances cannot be changed. This is not true, but you must understand this fundamental principle…In order to change your life, you must change how you think and what you think about. Our Mindshift Monday podcast and journal will be to provide you practical ways to make a mind-shift to a rich and satisfying life. 

We are broadcasting from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. After a warm and rainy week, the weather finally moderated a bit over the weekend, and we were able to get out and do more chainsaw work and mowing. One of the storms on Friday brought down a sizable limb in one of the old majestic oak trees beside our house. Fortunately, it did not hit any of the house. It added to my list of wood that needs cut for firewood, so we will work at this as we have the opportunity.

We are still waiting for Hazel’s blood county and immune system to rebound from the past three weeks of being low. She did have an appointment on Friday, and the oncology team will reassess her situation after her next blood test on Tuesday. If her count is back up, they will continue with the chemo treatments, if not they will investigate as to the cause. The waiting is difficult, but we realize that God is in control of her situation, and physically she seems to be feeling pretty good.

We continue to positively look towards the future. Our mindset is very important with every aspect of life. If your first inclination is to think negatively, then a Mindshift is required. You cannot get trapped by your current situation and feel there is no way to change it. So on our trek today I desire you to have a Mindshift that will allow you to…

Imagine Life As It Could Be

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Some men see things as they are and say ‘Why?’  I dream of things that never were and say ‘Why Not?’”  In order to have this type of thinking, most of us will need a Mindshift. In other words, we need to change how we think and what we think about.

In some area of life, all of us are leaders. That may be in your home with children, a business leader, or a leader of a ministry. John Quincy Adams said it this way, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” Nearly everyone inspires others in some manner.

As a leader, one of your distinguishing characteristics is that you have a vision for the future. Vision is the ability to imagine life as it could be, not to be stuck with life as it is today. Part of vision is realizing that you must accept life today as it is, not what you wish it to be. This does not mean that you need to remain where you are today, just acknowledge it so that you can move forward with a vision to change what otherwise would be your destiny.

True leaders see life as it could be. They always see a little farther with a little more complete than those around them. To change your mindshift, you need to change the way you speak. Most people will say, “I have to see it to believe it.” When you have a mindshift, you will say, “I have to believe it before I can see it.”

How you view life largely dictates how your life will turn out. It is the difference between losers and leaders. The loser sees the work that needs to be accomplished and make excuses like saying, “My little effort will make no difference, the task is too great.” The leader looks at the same work that needs to be accomplished and says, “Here is a great opportunity. I’ll do my part to make it succeed.”

Losers see the hard work they must endure to climb the mountain of success. Leaders see the success of climbing the mountain of hard work. Losers see the problem in every situation. Therefore, they focus their thinking on the problems and the possibility of failure. Leaders see the potential in every situation. Therefore, they concentrate their thinking on the potential and the possibility of success.

To change your perspective, you must have a mindshift from the thinking of loser to that of a leader. It is very possible for two people to look at the same situation and view it very differently. While our physical eyesight is important, our mental eyesight may be even more important.

Most of us will go to the eye doctor on a regular basis to have our physical eyes examined and purchase corrective lenses if required. How is your mental eyesight? When was the last time you had your mental eyesight checked?

Here is a quick mental eyesight checkup which may determine if you need corrective lenses for your mind, or in other words, a Mindshift.

1. When you hear a new idea for the first time, do you look for the potential or the problems with that idea?
2. Are you afraid to share new thoughts with others for fear that they may react negatively?
3. How do you think when in a group and a problem arises that requires a decision? Do you participate in finding a solution, or hope that someone else will have an answer?
4. Do you generally view life as difficult and full of problems, or do you see potential, even when you have difficult days?
5. How do you react when you are faced with responsibility? Do you accept it and work with others to accomplish the task, or do you try to avoid responsibility at all costs?

How is your mental eyesight? Do you need the corrective lenses of a Mindshift so you can fulfill your God-given responsibilities? How we think controls how our life will turn out. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:8, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

With these thoughts in mind, we will conclude our trek for today and as we do, imagine life as it could be, not what it is currently. It all begins in your mind.

Next week we will continue our trek of Mindshift Monday.  On tomorrow’s trek, we will explore another wisdom quote. This 3-minute wisdom supplement will assist you in becoming healthy, wealthy, and wise each day. Thank you for joining me on this trek called life. Encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along tomorrow for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of our past treks or read the Wisdom Journal, they are available at Wisdom-Trek.com. You can also subscribe at iTunes or Google Play so that each day’s trek will be downloaded automatically.

Thank you so much 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.

As we take this trek of life 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!