Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 629 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Don’t Just Do Something – Sit There! – Mindshift Monday
Thank you for joining us for our 5 days per week wisdom and legacy building podcast. This is Day 629 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 your negative habits into positive habits. Changing habits 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 provide you with 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. I am recording this podcast and journal in advance as I will have just arrived back from my week in Arizona. I will provide updates on my trip and Hazel’s progress on Wednesday.
Everyone is busy. Schedules to follow, goals to achieve, problems to solve, appointments to keep, projects to finish, places to go, kids to love, and deadlines to meet. I get tired just thinking about it. I would say that it is a time for all of us to have a Mindshift – plan some time for reflection and relaxation and recharge your body, mind, and soul. So our trek today will cover…
Don’t Just Do Something – Sit There!
The problem for me, and probably for many of you, is that I enjoy keeping busy. I love my work, or at least most aspects of it. Even understanding this, at the end of many days I feel like I have been riding a merry-go-round. Plenty of action and movement, yet I didn’t seem to accomplish much. I end up with as much or more to do than when I started. I read a quote that said it well, “Don’t just do something, sit there.”
From the beginning of creation, God instituted a practice that we all would do well to follow, yet many of us (including myself) fail miserably. That is working six days and taking a day off each week for complete rest. This is a Mindshift that is hard to put into practice.
Allow me to share with you some of the reasons it’s necessary at times to stand still instead of rushing around.
1. There’s a constant need to reevaluate your priorities.
I used Romans 12:2 the past couple of weeks, but it is so applicable here also, “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.”
It is very easy to fall into step with the world’s thinking and take on their behaviors and attitudes about life. The pressure of those you associate with sometimes starts you in the wrong direction. It is easy to fall into peer pressure and the paths of least resistance. When your life fails to embrace discipline, and your desires become selfish, it’s time to reevaluate your life.
2. Only by waiting on God can you be spiritually energized.
My life verses are found in Isaiah [40:29]-31:
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
3. It’s necessary to review the past.
History is a great teacher if you learn from the lessons that others have experienced. Your own experiences are a hard teacher. Only by taking the time to reflect on yesterday and honestly evaluate its successes and failures can you learn and prepare for tomorrow. Your willingness to learn and adjust positively from mistakes and shortcomings will largely determine how far you will travel the road to success.
4. Problems will begin to resolve more easily when exposed to the light of time.
If possible, it’s always best to give tough situations extra time for creative thinking and effective action.
5. Taking time out increases your capacity for gratitude.
A thankful heart is one that has had time to count blessings. The leper who was cleansed by Jesus was too busy rejoicing to remember to thank Him. Only as you stop in meditation will your hearts be filled with praise for your friends, your past blessings, and your God.
6. A day’s worth of hesitation sometimes is sufficient time to allow the situations around us to change.
Many times problems will take care of themselves if given the opportunity. In an option play in football, the quarterback hesitates just long enough to force the opposing tackler to commit himself. Then he’ll know what he should do to make the desired yardage. If you allow some time to reflect, you may be able to determine the best course of action.
7. Standing still is a great tool used to prepare for handling the pressures and battles on your trek of life.
The Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians 6:13-14, “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.”
The words “standing firm” and “stand your ground” mean to hold still. Part of the preparation for the battles of life is not only to acquire the right tools and skills but also to make proper preparations of the mind. We need to have a Mindshift and reflect before charging recklessly forward.
8. Relaxation and rest are necessary so that you can feel, think, and act properly.
Your spiritual, physical, and emotional condition will greatly determine how you act and react to life’s situations and circumstances. The better condition you are in for these three areas of life, the more capable you will be to evaluate difficult situations and make important decisions. When pressures are pressing, schedules are scheming, and your world is whirling by remember…Don’t just do something, sit there.
With these thoughts in mind, we will conclude our trek for today and consider how you need to make a mindshift and purposefully take the time to relax and recharge so that you can be reenergized to live the rich and satisfying life you were designed for. In order to do so, you must have a mindshift by allowing God to continue to change the way you think.
Next week we will continue our trek of Mind-Shift 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.
That will finish our trek for today. 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:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- 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!