Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 215 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

7 Thought Patterns for a Rich and Satisfying Life #1

Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 215 of our Trek. If you are listening to this podcast the day it is released, I would like to say Happy New Year! May 2016 be filled with blessings and be your best year ever!

For the final week of 2015, we explored two important areas of life. The first was how to live with purpose, on purpose. The second area we explored included the statements from the Apostle Paul that he proclaimed near the end of his life: “I have fought the Good Fight,” “I have finished the race,” and “I have remained faithful.” Let us resolve to be able to say this at the end of 2016 and every year of our life.

Listening to Wisdom-Trek daily is one thing that will help you to gain the wisdom you need to live your legacy today, which will also allow you to leave a legacy tomorrow. Today is the start of a brand new year, and I want to emphasize how important it is for us to have the proper mindset as we begin 2016. For the first three days of this year, we will explore how we need to renew our minds so we can transform our lives. After that, we will spend a few days focusing on setting our plans and goals for this new year. 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. Based on the life planning that Paula and I have completed so far, 2016 will be a very busy and eventful year. In preparation for the Chamberlain reunion in July, we will be spending a significant amount of time in Marietta this year working on and around The Big House. We are continuing our planning during this next week or so as we lay out the detailed plans for our new business focus.

It is now time to begin our Wisdom-Trek for 2016, so let’s get started on our trail for today as we hike the mountain of transformation. Personal transformation of any area in our life first begins on the trail of renewing our minds, or it might be said, changing the way you think. The only way 2016 will be a better year is if we change how we think. The trek up Transformation Mountain will take us three days as we explore the…

7 Thought Patterns for a Rich and Satisfying Life

If you desire to live a life that is rich and satisfying in 2016 and beyond, then it starts with changing the way that you think. It is such a simple concept, and yet for most of us, it is so difficult to do consistently each day. Our thought patterns, our habits, and the manner in which we live is so engrained in us. To make significant and lasting changes, it takes consistent and persistent commitment to change the way we think. Changing the way we think first begins with what we allow to enter into our minds. Our minds are programmed for certain thought patterns and outcomes based on what we feed it. Today we will explore the first two thought patterns that we need to infuse into our lives to make a real and lasting change.

1. Trust

If you want your life to be transformed, you must renew your mind.  You must change your thinking before you can change your life. You must be thinking thoughts of trust and faith and confidence in God. You must put away thoughts of fear, unbelief, worry, suspicion, unworthiness and doubt from your mind. Your mind must be dominated by thoughts of faith and trust in the faithfulness and goodness of God. Such positive thoughts will cause positive changes in your life, and you will be transformed. Whenever you need wisdom, insight, and understanding, it is best to go to the source of all wisdom, which is God’s Word.

You must change the way you think.

Romans 12:2 – Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

You must rid yourself of fear.

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

You must realize that you have the strength to change.

Phillippians 4:13 – For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

You must trust even when it does not make sense.

Romans 4:18-21 – Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”  And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.  Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.  He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

2. Thankfulness

If you want your life to be transformed, you must fill your mind and heart with thoughts of thankfulness and gratitude toward God for all the blessings, He has bestowed upon you.  You must count your blessings and not forget all His benefits. Such an attitude of praise and thanksgiving will bring great victories in your life. You must put away all thoughts of depression, complaining, murmuring, jealousy, criticism, judgment, and bitterness. Your mind must be dominated by gratitude for what you have instead of dwelling with self-pity and complaining about what you do not have. Such a heart and mind of thankfulness will transform your life and fill you with joy and happiness.

You must remember and be thankful for all your blessings.

Psalm 103:1-2

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.

You must be thankful for the protection that you are given.

Psalm 149:6-9

Let the praises of God be in their mouths,
and a sharp sword in their hands—
to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings with shackles
and their leaders with iron chains,
to execute the judgment written against them.
This is the glorious privilege of his faithful ones.

Praise the Lord!

You must refrain from grumbling and complaining.

I Corinthians 10:9-11 – Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites.  And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

On the first two segments of our trek up Transformation Mountain, we explored the concepts of trust and thankfulness. These two segments are crucial for changing the way we think and renewing our minds. If we apply the principles that we explore this week, we will change lives by chaining our thought patterns. Tomorrow we will cover the elements of truth, timing, and travail. 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. 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.

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!