When I was a kid, I had big, bold and audacious dreams. I wanted to be a world-famous brain surgeon or actress. I believed I could do anything. I anticipated great things, but I didn’t realize that the road to living your dreams is paved with obstacles.
Over time, as I faced setbacks, I developed the habit of “downsizing” my dreams to fit my realities. Finally, I stopped dreaming altogether. I thought I was just being practical. But, the truth is I was living life in fear. I stayed in my comfort zone. Who was I to want more, to expect more?
My case may have been extreme, but at some point we’ve all caught ourselves living on autopilot — doing what it takes to get by, but never daring to take risks. You’ve got to put some skin in the game and take a leap of faith to have your best year ever.
Faith is not uninformed fantasy. It involves educating yourself on the facts, preparing for pitfalls and then consistently executing in excellence — all the while leaving the results to God. To resurrect my faith, I had to remember the following and I hope you’ll do the same:
1. My Assignment Had Not Changed: We are a solution to the problems that move our hearts. We were designed to live as a response to a need we see in the world. My purpose is to deliver words that bring wholeness, restoration and healing. So, whether I am speaking on stage, coaching a client or writing, my mission is to share words that help others live their full potential. Following my gifts, I found my assignment and then had to take the actions to make my dreams come true!
2. There Are People Assigned to Help Me: Many of us have had more than our fair share of dealing with the haters with small minds and big mouths. “Friending wisely” helps us to get rid of them. But when we begin to faithfully move towards our dreams, we will discover the people assigned to help birth them. Too often, we want to know the hows of accomplishing our ultimate dream. But as I took the first steps, the future answers and resources appeared.
3. Faith Takes Action: If we’re not willing to act on it, then it’s not faith. It might be a good idea that moves us, but if we only “see” the possibility, we’re not ready to attract it. We attract what we apply our faith towards. Negative people attract negativity.
However, every moment is pregnant with the potential for a life-changing experience. We must expect our needs to be met, expect to make the right connections, expect God to be good! Wanting to live life at a new level, I had to approach every situation with the power of positive expectation.
On the cusp of the New Year, it is vital that we leverage our past to fail forward into the future. We must remember to forgive others and ourselves as we build friendships that help us fix our focus on our dreams. If we stay the course and faith our dreams into being we’ll look back on 2013 as our best year ever!
Live It! For the next seven days confess this affirmation. “I joyfully receive all the good that God has so generously provided.” Spend the first five minutes of each morning confessing them out loud in a quiet space. Digest the power of these words and continue to speak them to yourself throughout the day. Each evening, examine their impact on your attitude.
Recently named the “North America’s Next Greatest Speaker” by eWomenNetwork, Felicia T. Scott is a Certified Empowerment Coach™ who shares transformational truths that change lives. Follow her on Twitter for updates regarding her soon to be released seminar THRIVE! 7 Strategies for Extraordinary Living and more.