Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 105 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Life is Like Eating Humble Pie
Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 105 of our Trek. Yesterday we discussed the 9 Rules for making a great pot of coffee and a great life. Today we want to explore why all trails eventually end, specifically the trails of success and failure.
In celebration of our 100th day of our Wisdom-Trek, please check out Wisdom-Trek.com and sign up for our drawing for a free Wisdom-Trek T-Shirt that will take place on October 5th.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio. It is somewhat cooler and a little rainy today, and we are hoping that it clears up completely before the grand fireworks display this evening as Marietta celebrates the 40th annual Sternwheel Festival. Our friends Bev & Katie arrived last night from Charlotte and will be spending Saturday and Sunday with us. While I am preparing for my message at church tomorrow and working on this podcast, Paula is showing them around Marietta, which has many grand old homes and is a beautiful small town. Marietta was on the western frontier of the fledgling nation after the U.S. declared its independence from Britain. The area is noted for its military outpost which was called Fort Harmar.
My family has a long history of living in the Marietta area dating back to the earliest settlers. Marietta is the oldest organized settlement in the Northwest Territory. According to Wikipedia, “On April 7, 1788, Ebenezer Sproat and a group of American pioneers to the Northwest Territory, led by Rufus Putnam, arrived at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum rivers to establish Marietta, Ohio, as the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory.” It seems somewhat humorous to refer to southeast Ohio as the “Northwest Territory,” but it was at the time. Rufus Putnam was an ancestor of mine, so the bond to Marietta is strong. General George Washington was also one of the surveyors of the land around Marietta.
The adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in my blood, and two topics I am passionate about are success and failure, more specifically gaining the proper wisdom from both. So, let’s head out on our trail today to discover and understand that every trail, whether it is success or failure, will always come to an end. It is up to us to be prepared for both trails.
Whether it is an entrepreneur who thinks he is his own boss, a person who works for someone else, or one of the highest callings of all, a mom or dad who has the privilege of staying at home focused on their children, the outcome of their stories is all too common…After years of hard work pouring their lives into their calling, the trail of life takes an unexpected and seemingly disastrous turn.
So often when we experience success in any area of life we start taking credit for it and feel our success was based solely on what we did. We push aside colleagues who’ve helped us achieve success. We abandon the values and principles that have made us successful. We start making decisions and choices that are unwise.
We may also start believing that because we are successful in one area of life, we become experts in everything. It is true that not everyone treats success the same. Some people who achieve success remain humble, never forgetting who they are and whence they came. For many though, we don’t remain humble. On our Trek today, let us learn how to stay off the trail of pride and ego and eat these 12 tiny pieces of humble pie.
1. Success is temporary, but so is failure.
Success is a journey, not a destination. When you become successful, don’t rest on your laurels. As soon as you take your eye off the ball, you risk losing your edge.
2. Stop feeding your ego, and it will die
Don’t isolate yourself from reality by building relationships with people who stroke your ego. Surrounding yourself with “yes people” is just like talking to yourself.
3. Compete against yourself, not others.
When you compete against others, it’s easy to emphasize winning over self-improvement. However, when you compete against yourself, you both win. Become a better you, not a replica of someone else.
4. Even experts have room to learn.
Never stop growing. Never stop learning. Know your limitations and admit when you don’t know something. It’ll help keep you grounded.
5. Listen intentionally.
Discover what others have to offer and ask for their opinions before opening your mouth. This act shows that you value their opinions as well as their insight.
6. No one’s perfect, especially you.
Don’t let success go to your head. Be quick to apologize for your mistakes. You’ll never learn anything or impress anyone by making excuses and diverting blame. And, a little humility will remind you that you’re human.
7. Share your success, and it will multiply.
You may be successful, but there’s a good chance others helped you along the way. Find creative ways to share the credit and pull people up the ladder of success along with you.
8. Remember your roots. That is where nutrients come from.
Remember where you came from and what you’ve learned along the way. Help others by mentoring them.
9. Get off your high horse.
Treat everyone with dignity and respect. You may be successful, but that doesn’t make you better than anyone else.
10. Bragging makes you ugly.
There’s a difference between excitement and bragging. We know you’re thrilled about your new “toy,” but others may be cutting back on their basic needs — be sensitive. As John Wooden said, “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”
11. Be worthy of trust.
Money and success can’t buy a person’s trust or guarantee a good reputation. You earn these through your words AND actions. There’s nothing more valuable in life than integrity. Trust me.
12. Stay humble.
Many of us come from humble beginnings. We make something of ourselves through the pursuit of knowledge, integrity, hard work, and a bit of good fortune. By God’s grace you can enjoy the fruit of your success, but just like actual fruit, if you have more than you can consume, share it with others before it spoils you.
As is written in the letter from James 4:5-7, “Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
So, don’t let success go to your head. Be humble. Humility is a sign of strength, not weakness. People with humility possess an inner peace. They’re modest about their achievements, grounded in their values, and have nothing to prove to others. They’re down to earth, comfortable in their own skin, and quietly satisfied with their life. As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
As we have consumed these 12 nuggets on our trail today, let us remember them as we move forward. With this nourishment, please join us tomorrow for another day of Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy. Tomorrow we will learn why life is not a spectator sport.
That will finish our podcast for today. If you missed any of our previous podcasts, please check out Wisdom-Trek on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spreaker, YouTube, or Wisdom-Trek.com.
If you enjoy our daily doses of wisdom, I encourage you to take the time to invest yourself.
- Invest in improving Wisdom-Trek by leaving your name, email address, and a comment on our website, so we can provide you with wisdom and insights that best fit your needs.
- Invest in yourself by listening to our 7 minutes of wisdom each day.
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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.
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:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- 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!