Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 17 of our Wisdom-Trek and thank you for joining me. 

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

Today we look at The Value of a Checklist.

We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we are at the beginning of a new week, which should be a busy and exciting adventure as always. We are in for a hot spell in North Carolina this week with temps nearing 100° every day.  It looks like the entire eastern US will experience much of the same.

As we continue upwards on our Trek today, the beautiful blue sky calls us higher and higher.  As I look at the cloudless sky, it makes me desire to take up flying again to be able to soar above all the terrain and obstacles of life.

I obtained my private pilot’s license when our oldest son Harry was in high school.  If fact, we had the blessing of taking lessons at the same time, and Harry was able to receive his private pilot’s license even before he got his driving license.

I went on to get my instrument rating at the time, both for my peace of mind and for safety’s sake.  It was enjoyable, and I do miss not flying currently. But, with my current responsibilities and workload for this season of life, it is not a priority at this time.   It does take a lot of commitment, in both time and resources, and my commitments are focused elsewhere for now.

Similar to flying, if we decided to set out on a long and difficult trek such as hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, which runs through the mountains of North Carolina, one of the first items that would be required is a complete checklist.

Every step in the process from flight planning, pre-flight inspection, flying, landing and safely parking the aircraft, is driven by a detailed checklist, even as private pilot. If these checklists are not followed exactly, it literally could be the difference between life and death.

One of the most important elements of flight training is safety, and one of the most essential safety procedures is the preflight checklist. There are as many checklists as there are models of planes because the preflight checklist is of utmost importance. A good pilot knows that having a preflight checklist can avert a disaster.

Even with the most detailed checklist, though, pilot training includes always expecting the unexpected. The electrical system malfunctioned and we lost all lighting and communications with the tower during one flight when I took Paula with me.  Fortunately, we flew out of a small regional airport near Marietta and were near the airport, so we were able to land safely and call the control tower after landing to explain the situation.  The extra training we received on how to handle this type of situation came in very valuable that day.

Let’s get back on the ground and continue on our Trek.  Imagine if we were going to hike the Appalachian Trail.  What would be on our checklist?  While I have never hiked anywhere close to that long or difficult of a trail, I have read several articles from those who have hiked all or part of it.  The checklist is extensive, and if you are not prepared, the hike can be very dangerous.

Completing the entire 2,185 miles of the Appalachian Trail in one trip is a mammoth undertaking, which can take three months or more. It requires great determination and commitment, but can potentially be accomplished by anyone with the ability to walk. That’s not to say hiking it is easy. The footpath of the Appalachian Trail is far more rugged than most anticipate, given the soft and gentle profiles of the mountains and relatively low elevations.

Each year, thousands of hikers attempt a thru-hike, but only about one in four makes it all the way. Who knows, I may attempt a thru-hike at some point.

As it is with our trek of life, first we need to have a good understanding of where we are heading and why.  We then need to have a plan on how we are going to travel towards our destination. We can refer back to Day 12 for some guidance as we discussed The Compass and the Clock.

Each of us should have a set of guidelines or a code that we live by.  This will establish our baseline for the decisions that we need to make each day.  While we may not see a lot of progress made on certain days, it does not take too long to realize that the days string together quickly.  If we don’t have a set of guidelines, or as it were, a checklist, then we will stumble blindly on, never ending up where we desire to be.

You may establish your guidelines or checklist on a different moral code than I do, but we all have a compass that gives us direction.  If your compass is not functioning and pointing to your true north, then it will show up in a lack of integrity and commitment.

My personal moral compass is the Bible, which I consider to be God’s Word.  It has been my guide throughout life.  Just as in flying, there is a checklist for every aspect of the flying process, I consider God’s Word to be a complete checklist for my life.  I am not referring to a legalistic ridgid set of “rules” that I must follow, but through the spirit of living in such a way that my manner of life and integrity stands true in all areas of life.

The most famous checklist of all time and the basis for most civilized governments is referred to as the 10 Commandments. It sets the moral standard for how we should conduct ourselves in every situation. My paraphrased version of Exodus 20:1-17 is:

1. There is only one God – and He comes first.
2. Worship only God.
3. Don’t misuse God’s name.
4. Set aside one day a week for rest – it is holy.
5. Honor your parents = long life.
6. Don’t murder.
7. Don’t cheat on your spouse.
8. Don’t steal.
9. Don’t lie about your neighbors.
10. Don’t desire what is not yours to have.

All of the laws that were set up in the Old Testament of the Bible were to show how far short we fall from being God ourselves.  It is not possible for us to achieve that standard. Fortunately we do not have a long checklist that we need to follow for each day of our lives.  In fact, it is quite short, and yet covers all that we need.   In Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus put it this way, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

I like to put it this way:

Christ even boiled it down more simply for us, which we refer to as The Golden Rule found in Matthew [7:12],

What is your checklist for life?  Can you articulate it, and do you follow it each day?   Let us make sure that our moral compass points to true north, that our destination is known, and that each day of our trek of life is lived with integrity. This will ensure a sure footing regardless of how rough the terrain may be.

That will finish our podcast for today. Check out today’s journal entry for a free PDF summary checklist of what is needed for a successful trek.

Tomorrow we will look at another flying analogy of why planes always takeoff and land heading into the wind – relating it to our trek of life and how it applies to creating a living legacy.

Please check into our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

I encourage you to leave a discussion topic, comment, suggestion, or question about this podcast in the comment form on Wisdom-Trek.com/day17, or email me at guthrie@venturecg.com.  If you would like us to discuss any topics or answer any questions during our podcast, please let us know. We would love to have interaction from members of our Wisdom-Trek team.

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If you are interesting in hiking, check out this great comprehensive article on Top 50 Long Distance Hiking Trails In The USA http://bootbomb.com/info/hiking-trails/top-50-long-distance-hiking-trails-usa/

This link is provided with permission by Brian Bradshaw of http://bootbomb.com

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As we take this Trek together let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy the Journey, and Create a Great Day! See you tomorrow!