Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 258 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
The Wisdom of Being Teachable
Thank you for joining us for our 7 days a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 258 of our trek, and yesterday we discovered a new definition of success. Today we want to hike the trail of The Wisdom of Being Teachable. 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 Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As mentioned previously, we will be in Arizona for 4 days, so I am recording some additional podcast ahead of time for while we are away. These days may be somewhat shorter as we will take quick daily treks on some short trails.

Let’s head out for today and learn…
The Wisdom of Being Teachable
If you examine many of the most highly regarded members in any field, one of the most consistent similarities in their personalities is their ability to constantly learn and their desire to improve both themselves and their work. The ability to learn — and the confidence that you can learn — is the most powerful weapon you have at your disposal during all stages of your life. There is an astonishing amount of research, both quantitative and anecdotal, showing that being teachable and able to adapt to whatever situation you find yourself in will be what ultimately makes or breaks you. Developing the humility required to be this way will be the most solid foundation you can lay to build a life worthy of God's name.

Here are a few suggestions to help out.
1. Be aware and perceptive. Watch and listen attentively.
Epictetus, a Greek philosopher, once remarked, “We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.” There’s no point in arguing with a famous philosopher, or more importantly, God’s design. Using your eyes and ears more than your mouth in all situations can pay unforeseen dividends. Speaking up is not a crime, but speaking without understanding or forethought usually makes us appear hasty and arrogant — two qualities that will not serve you well. Proverbs 10:19 puts it this way, "Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut." Use the information that comes to you through listening and watching to learn and better yourself, mixing it with your own thoughts and ideas. In time, some small piece of information you might have missed had you not been paying attention may sway your life with unimagined power.


2. Embrace failure as a learning opportunity.
Be glad when things go wrong! It usually means you are pushing yourself, which is exactly what you should be doing. If nothing ever goes awry, how do you know that you are really doing anything? How do you know that the knowledge you are accumulating or the skill you are learning is truly sinking in? You will need to be able to distinguish the good from the bad. The best way to learn how to do this is to make mistakes yourself. There is no faster way to learn and no better opportunity that forces you to change what steered you wrong. Proverbs 12:1 tells us, "To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction."


3. Cultivate a love of knowledge for its own sake.