You can live the life of your dreams
It was the first snowfall of the winter season. And hour by hour, the snow became heavier. Soon, all of nature was covered in a glistening white blanket of snow. It was a pure winter wonderland.
Before long, my three daughters scampered outside and began sledding down the steep hill in the back of our house. I was shoveling the walkway, and I saw my middle daughter lean over and pick up some snow. Next, she formed a small snowball. Bundled up in her warm ski jacket and boots, she then cupped the snowball, hiding it in her two hands.
After that, she trudged over to her little sister. Reaching out her arms in front of her, she eagerly asked, “Guess what’s in my hands?”
Without missing a beat, my youngest daughter answered, “Well, you should know… it’s in your hands!”
As I overheard the conversation, I smiled. And I thought: our life is in our hands. We can shape the future the way we desire it to be. For our life is created, most often, by our attitude, our words, our actions, our choices and our deeds.
What is it that you really want in each area of your life? In your heart, what sort of goals would you like to accomplish? If you could ask God for something, what would it be?
Take your time identifying your objectives, really thinking them through to fruition. Free your mind from all limitations, and ponder upon goals that you would love to complete that would have a positive impact on your life and the lives of others.
I’ve always found it helpful to list my goals on a sheet of paper and place it where I can see it often. This keeps me more focused and organized. Next, I see myself as actually living my dream in colorful, vivid pictures, visualizing goals as already complete. The words you speak have power. So, keep your words concerning yourself and your future positive. Also, it can be beneficial to break down your objectives into little steps; creating a plan you’ll follow in order to achieve those aspirations. To achieve anything worthwhile, you must go about it one step at a time. Clear, specific, goals and written plans, which you single-mindedly follow and work on implementing each day, will increase your probability of success.
God wants you to use all of your gifts and talents. There are no limits to what you can achieve. Your potential is boundless. Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would astonish ourselves.” With your extraordinary abilities, you have within yourself the capability to achieve almost any God-inspired goal you set.
So, don’t compromise what you truly want. You have so much to give. Thus, never sell yourself short. By underestimating yourself, you will live far below what you are truly able of accomplishing. Do not be trapped by the past, afraid of failure or rejections. Stop dwelling on what happened in the past. Don’t focus on the circumstances that you cannot change. Some time ago, a reader wrote that because of company downsizing, he lost his corporate sales job. But rather than being angry toward the company, he explained how the sudden loss of his job made him re-evaluate his life. “I took a step back, and saw this challenge as an opportunity to do something different,” he wrote.
Feeling a renewed sense of purpose, this reader decided to go back to school to finish his degree in the medical field. He did not procrastinate. He developed a plan. He got into motion, telling himself daily, “dare to go forward,” “make the effort,” “start,” and “it will be well worth it.” For if we wait for perfect conditions, we’ll never get anything done!
Pursuing his goal wasn’t easy. But today, this reader is indeed working in medicine, positively affecting others. He is living the life for which he believes he was destined. He concluded his letter, “Although it was difficult at the time when I was let go from my job, now I look back on that change with gratitude to God.”
You can create the life of your dreams. Don’t let anything hold you back from doing what you love. A transformation can begin at this moment. So believe in yourself and move toward your God-goals. I like what Saint Francis of Assisi once wrote, “Start by doing what’s necessary, then what’s possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
A few months back, I was in the Atlanta airport. My flight had just landed, and I was trying to make my way to the baggage claim. Since I was traveling alone and I hadn’t been to Atlanta before, I wasn’t sure if I should get on the tram or not. It was difficult to determine which way I should go. So I decided to just keep on walking. About 30 minutes later, I thought to myself, “It seems as though I am going in the opposite direction of where I should be.” However, I kept on going. Eventually, almost an hour later, I arrived at baggage claim.
Similarly, you may have taken a wrong turn along the way or it may seem as though you are heading in the opposite direction of your dreams. But persevere. Don’t stop now. God will not let you get lost. He will always direct you where He needs you to be. For God is getting ready to bless your days in the most extraordinary way.
On the morning of one of my friend’s birthday, her dad called her on the telephone to wish her a ‘happy birthday.’ Next, her father asked, “Have you given any thought to what you want the next year of your life to be like?” She was silent for a few minutes. And I love how my friend answered, “That is a question you should ask every day… 365 days a year! Life was meant to be lived each day with purpose and on purpose.”
I’ve heard it said that, “Defining moments define us.” So let this be that defining day, as we set our goals and act upon the beautiful dreams of our hearts.
Put God first place. Utilize your time by helping and encouraging others. Set your standards high. Believe big. Dream more. Count your many blessings. And continue being the best that you can be.
Reach forth to the height of God’s great plan and purpose 365 days a year. Commit your ways to God. He is directing your steps, and unexpected blessings and rewards are coming your way. And your breakthrough may come… today!