I guess at some point in our lives we all get to that place where we think, “Oh, but I thought I would be here by now.”
When I was a child I had everything figured out and I never doubted for a moment I would accomplish everything I set out to do. I had a lot of confidence in myself. I was raised in a great home with parents who believed in me and I filled my head with books and stories of successful adventures. My life would be no different – I would slay every dragon and win every prince.
Life isn’t a story book. It’s not Wonderland or Disneyland or the Faraway tree and many times the road to success has more rocks, rivers and detours then we would ever have imagined. Soon we find out it’s a whole lot easier to read a story of bravery and conquest than it ever is to be brave and fight. We also find out that just because we believe we are going to end up somewhere doesn’t mean it will happen. If we wish to achieve something then we need to work for it and set up some healthy mindsets to life that nobody teaches us in the storybooks.
1. If it doesn’t scare you then it’s not worth doing
You are always going to feel scared of something. There are scary things in life, and that’s that. Being brave doesn’t mean not being scared. It means doing things even though they scare you. Your vision for your life should scare you. You should take risks and take steps of faith. When we do something we are scared of, we change on the inside.
2. Embrace who you are and who you have become
Nobody is perfect and we’ve all got battle scars of some type. We’ve all been through things and had struggles. Don’t hate your struggles; don’t write yourself off because of them. If you have faith in God he can use these to make you stronger and to build you into a more interesting, more caring person. Regret is such a wasteful emotion. Take your regret and turn it around. Life experience is always a valuable thing if not coupled with bitterness.
3. Have a healthy perspective
We can look at something as the end of the world or simply a challenge to overcome – it’s all a matter of perspective. The same situation to two different people can appear completely different. We always have a choice: see the good or see the bad.
4. Hard work pays off
I know it feels like you’ll never get there. I think that thought three times a day, but if you don’t work hard, it’s a whole lot less likely to happen. It’s important to work hard and build your dream. God wants you to succeed; he wants you to achieve your dream and live a good life. He also knows we don’t value things which are given to us for free. He is interested in our character and he knows how good it can feel to accomplish something.
5. Don’t be afraid to fail
If you don’t fail you aren’t trying and taking risks. Fail often – that’s what they all say. We aren’t supposed to get everything right the first time. We’re supposed to learn, learn, learn, and grow, grow, grow. I know it can be embarrassing but it’s worth it.
6. Chase the things that matter
Our big dreams so often include things which don’t matter. Big houses, popularity, wild success, or fame. No wonder we aren’t happy even if we do achieve these things. The best dream is to build good relationships around you with quality people and work with purpose.
We’re not alone in our big dreams. We have a God in heaven who is dreaming with us and his dreams for us are bigger and have more dimensions than the picture in our heads. We have to trust him with our dreams and trust him with our life. God doesn’t give us dreams to do alone, he gives us dreams which challenge us; which force us to rely on him; which grow our character and make us find other people. Don’t give up on your big dream but let God into it.