Wisdom-Trek Day 36 – (Part 4) Wisdom from Ben Franklin

Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 36 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.Wisdom from Ben Franklin - Part 4

Hello and welcome to Wisdom-Trek! This is Guthrie Chamberlain, and I am your Guide to Wisdom. Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast.  This is Day 36 of our Trek, and in honor of Independence Day in the United States, Friday we started a 5-day series of episodes in which we are consulting one of our founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, who was known for his wisdom and practical sage advice.

Today we are recording our podcast from our studio at The Big House in Marietta, Ohio.  It has been a pleasant week although we have been getting a lot of rain in Ohio this summer.  It sure keeps all of the foliage green and nice looking.  We were unable to get started sanding the floor in the Eating Area prior to leaving for North Carolina on Sunday, so that project will be at the top of the list when we return in mid-July.

On our Trek today, we will continue our review of the 85 practical tips written by Benjamin Franklin called The Way of Wealth. In order to keep our daily Wisdom-Trek near the 7 minute length, I have split up the remaining tips over the next two days, so this series will be one day longer than expected.  I hope you don’t mind. I want to keep our daily wisdom nuggets short and digestible. So, let’s venture on our trail today as we examine steps 58-71.

When consumed regularly, these nuggets of truth and wisdom  help us to grow and mature and to become healthy, wealthy, and wise in all areas of life.

58. Wise men learn by others’ harms, fools scarcely by their own. – When a wise person observes the wrongs done by others, he will learn and not fall trap to the same actions. A foolish person rarely learns from his own mistakes.
59. Silks and satins, scarlet and velvets put out the kitchen fire. – If you spend money on luxuries when you cannot really afford them (especially if the money is borrowed), then you will not have money for the basic necessities of life when you really need it.
60. A ploughman on his legs is higher than a gentleman on his knees. – A honest hard working person, even in a common occupation, has more honor than a person of high status that is lazy and unethical. Proverbs 12:11 reminds, "A hard worker has plenty of food, but a person who chases fantasies has no sense."
61. Always taking out of the meal-tub, and never putting in, soon comes to the bottom. If we are always taking without giving back, then we will soon find there is nothing left to take. On the converse, if we give generously, we will have plenty to spare. Luke 6:38 reminds, "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
62. When the well’s dry, they know the worth of water. – As with most things in life, we don’t really recognize the value of something until it is gone. This could be our health, our wealth, or our relationships. It has been said that [spp-tweet "Even gold is worthless to a starving person if there is no food to purchase."]
63. If you would know the value of money, go and try to borrow some. – While I am not a big proponent of borrowing money with the possible exception of a home purchase, I do realize there are times when it may be a necessity. If you have ever tried to borrow money through conventional channels, especially for a business or other major purposes, you soon realized that the banks require everything that you own or might possibly own as collateral.  If you do need to borrow money, make sure you are realistic and willing to lose everything you own.
64. He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing. – This quote is not understood in today’s economy where it is so easy borrow money through a credit card with little need of collateral. Using credit to purchase goods and services that are not necessities is like tying a stone around your own neck while standing on the edge of a deep lake. One slip of your footing and you are under water.   [spp-tweet "Debt robs you of the ability to make wise choices for the future."] Proverbs 22:7 puts it best, "Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender."
65. Pride is as loud a beggar as want, and a great deal more saucy. – The primary motivating factor for making purchases that are not needed is our pride. We desire what others have, and we want the prestige that comes from owning stuff. It is not wise to make purchases that you cannot pay for in full today.  If someone holds you in higher regard because of what you own, then that person does not have your best interest in mind.  Ecclesiastes 4:4 reads, "Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind."
66. ‘Tis easier to suppress the first desire than to satisfy all that follow. Anyone who is a victim of any kind of addiction or dependency knows this truth all too well. Every time you feed an addictive behavior, it becomes harder to resist the next time, and it takes more to be satisfied. [spp-tweet "Be cautious of what you allow into your life. It may just overtake you."]
67. Pride that dines on vanity sups on contempt. – If you are driven to make purchases or choose any behavior because of vanity and pride, it will only lead to having contempt for yourself, and those that are driving that behavior in you. If you are satisfied with what you have and who you are today, then as you improve and are able to gain more, you will be satisfied tomorrow. The opposite is also very true.
68. Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Pride is never satisfied. At first we feel a sense of satisfaction, but as our lives continue on, our pride will take control and consume us. Pride is always screaming, "More, More!" We need to realize that we are who we are today by others who have helped us and by the grace of God.
69. The second vice is lying; the first is running in debt. – Being in debt causes us to make all sorts of unwise decisions. The first person that we start lying to is ourselves. We convince ourselves that we need "stuff" that we cannot afford.  Then we lie to others by displaying a façade that is not true.
70. But what madness must it be to run in debt for these superfluities! – Ben Franklin’s advice is certainly sage. "When we purchase stuff we do not need with money we do not have to impress others who do not care, it is a sign of insanity." [spp-tweet "When we purchase stuff we do not need with money we do not have to impress others who do not care, it is a sign of insanity."]
71. When you run in debt; you give to another power over your liberty. – When we are in debt, we give others control over our lives. We become enslaved to a thief. He robs us of our ability to make wise choices. He robs us of our ability to do the things that we need to do when we should. He robs us of our ability to make an impact on the lives of others because we do not have the resources or time to do so.

 

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 finish up this series of wisdom  provided to us by Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States.

So, please check into 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 four ways:

1. Leave us feedback about the podcast on Wisdom-Trek.com.
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Thank you!

The journal from this podcast can be found at Wisdom-Trek.com, where we also have 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!