Author: JC Gardner
Title: Get Busy Dream-weaving
One of my goals in life is to inspire others to follow their dreams. A lot of motivational speakers give lots of tips on how to tap into your inner self to do better and improve your life and make the most of today. Many times, I hear the same message over and over again - things that my grandmamma, my mama, my best friend, my counselor and countless others have told me a thousand times. These speakers get paid a lot of money to tell us most of what we already know inherently; we just fail to act.
I want to give you four things to ponder over -- something you maybe didn’t hear before. If you did hear it, A-men; we are on the same page and I hope you have already begun to follow your dreams.
#1: How many times have you heard: “It’s never too late to start living your dreams?” I’m here to tell you that that is absolutely not true! In my life this past year, I’ve had friends and family pass away without notice. Some have been young; some were old. Obviously for them, it’s too late. For you to say you’re going to wait until you retire to get your business off the ground - that’s too late. If you’re waiting for your kids to get squared away, in today’s society, most kids are never squared away and it’s not their fault. It’s always going to be - Mama can you help me, can I come back home, daddy, I need a few dollars. The more you keep pushing your life to the side, the more it is not going to get done. You will end up at the Pearly Gates wondering how did you get there and didn’t accomplish half of the stuff you wanted to get done. Don’t make your family the mountain you can’t move. If anything, that is the one thing you should have control of. Exert your authority; get your mountain climbing gear on and starting hiking towards your destiny.
#2 Haters! There are a multitude of haters in our lives and the sad part is that some of them don’t even know they’ve been labeled as such! Why is it so ingrained in them what you can’t’ do? Why are they so wrapped up in your life?
Let’s think about that. There could be several reasons, but more than likely, they don’t have a life of their own so it is better for them to be all up in your business. Better yet, what they see as impossible for them to achieve should also be impossible for you too.
Get that particular relationship in check! Am I recommending that you cut off your friend? Absolutely not, but learn to recognize when he/she starts to put a damper on all of your ideas, plans and vision. My favorite reaction is to listen without hearing. That’s when you nod in agreement just to keep the peace and then steadfastly continue on your journey. Or, if you feel empowered, gently say, “I hear you and I appreciate your concern, but this is my dream – my vision that God has placed on my heart. So let me learn from my mistakes and keep me in prayer.” If they are a true friend, they’ll still be there whether you fail or succeed and perhaps back off a bit. And in extreme cases, they might just have to go!
#3 Cloud of negativity. This is different than a hater. This is a cloud you create for yourself. I had several clouds of doubt and insecurity. They followed me around thundering and lightning, telling me what I couldn’t do. An educator of long ago planted negative seeds in me that festered and grew into thorns that threatened to cut off my creativity. I walked around in it and manifested it. It consumed my daily life and almost robbed me of my purpose.
I’m here to tell you there is a rainbow. You will need an umbrella to cover from the sunshine so bright, you won’t even know where the clouds went. When you know that God has placed a desire on your heart and that it is for you and only you, all of the strongholds that had you bound will be released. But this requires a faith-walk; this requires you to believe in yourself and what you know you must do. It takes prayer and courage to stop daydreaming and begin dream-weaving. We can be our own worst enemy. There are enough hurdles in the world without us creating additional obstacles. Love yourself. Trust and believe and [re]connect with your higher power.
#4 DO IT. Embrace your true calling. Don’t delay moving forward on your dream. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] with the subject heading: DREAM WEAVING for an uplifting word. Get a support group of friends who will have your back. These would be true friends who believe in you and sincerely want you to succeed – friends that will tell you the truth. Write out a plan, get advice, stay in prayer and make it happen.