Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 56 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.

A Cowboy’s Guide to Life

Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 56 of our Trek, and as we consume the daily nuggets of wisdom we need to realize that wisdom does not come from formal education. In fact, most of the time, those who are wise have learned wisdom from everyday living.  Today we are going to look at “A Cowboy’s Guide to Life.”

We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. Our yard sale today went pretty well, and we got rid of some of the larger items. But there are still a lot of “things” that we desire to depart with, so we will probably do it again next Saturday. It should be easier next week since most items have been sorted and made ready. We will probably put additional stuff in the pile next week.

As mentioned in the introduction, today we are going to look at some practical wisdom taken from the life of a cowboy. While I have never been a cowboy myself, I still love a good western movie or TV program.  We also lived in Kingman, Arizona for about 15 months a few years ago while working with our friends and business partners Charles and Alison Mecom, so I was able to experience some of the western lifestyle. We have the privilege of working with the Mecoms again on a project that is just starting in Mesa, Arizona.

While in Kingman, I took many weekend treks into the hills and mountains surrounding the city.  I really enjoyed the desert environment, which is so different from the lush green hills of the east.  I must admit that by God’s grace, we have been able to find contentment in each situation.

So, let’s head out on our trail today over the Rocky Mountains and into the western deserts, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.  As I read through “A Cowboy’s Guide to Life” with no additional commentary, just sit back and enjoy the humorous sage wisdom and practical advice. Some of them are pretty funny, and all of them have real meaning. So, pull up a log, and let’s sit a spell around the camp fire and listen to Wild Bill share his wisdom.

A Cowboy’s Guide to Life –

1. Life’s tough. It’s even tougher if you’re stupid.
2. Don’t interfere with something that ain’t botherin’ you none.
3. Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
4. The easiest way to eat crow is while it’s still warm. The colder it gets, the harder it is to swaller.
5. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
6. If it don’t seem like it’s worth the effort, it probably ain’t.
7. The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you shave his face in the mirror every morning.
8. Never ask a barber if you need a haircut.
9. Keep skunks and bankers and lawyers at a distance.
10. Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight, and bull-strong.
11. Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
12. A bumble bee is considerably faster than a trotting horse.
13. Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
14. Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.
15. Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
16. Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
17. It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
18. You cannot unsay a cruel word.
19. Every path has a few puddles.
20. When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
21. The best sermons are lived, not preached.
22. Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
23. Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
24. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
25. Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
26. Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
27. If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
28. Don’t worry about bitin’ off more’n you can chew; your mouth is probably a whole lot bigger’n you think.
29. Generally, you ain’t learnin’ nothing when your mouth’s a-jawin’.
30. If you ridin’ ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there with ya.
31. Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement.
32. Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back.
33. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back into your pocket.
34. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
35. Don’t squat with your spurs on.
36. Always drink upstream from the herd.
37. Never spit in the wind.
38. Don’t eat yellow snow.
39. There’s two theories to arguin’ with a woman. Neither one works.
40. There’s three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation, and the rest of them have to tinkle on the electric fence for themselves.
41. My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people – those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me try to be in the first group. There’s less competition there.
42. It don’t take a genius to spot a goat in a flock of sheep.
43. Never kick a cowchip on a hot day.
44. Never slap a man who’s chewin’ tobacco.
45. When you give a lesson in meanness to a critter or a person, don’t be surprised if they learn their lesson.
46. When you’re throwin’ your weight around, be ready to have it thrown around by somebody else.
47. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. A hunter came along and shot him. The moral – When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
48. Life’s a whole lot easier when you live it one day at a time
49. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Do the next indicated right thing.
50. Work as hard as you can, and leave the rest to God.

Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

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These simple, yet profound statements bring to mind three verses from God’s Word. Consider their wisdom.

Psalms 19:7, “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.”

Psalms 119:130, “The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.”

Proverbs 1:4, “These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young.”

I hope you have enjoyed these practical and usable tidbits today. If you would like a PDF copy of these 50 tips in a professional layout, click on the image below or find it in the Free Resources section of Wisdom-Trek.com.

Well, that will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud or Wisdom-Trek.com. Tomorrow we will take a look at “Why Change Is the Only Constant in Life.”

So, please join us at our “camp” tomorrow for another day on our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you enjoy our daily doses of wisdom, I encourage you to help us in the following five ways:

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Thank you!

The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have pictures, tweetable quotes, wisdom nuggets, and free resources.

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!