Seth Godin calls this season "the dip". He is a very wise man in respect to dreams. Wait...he's just wise in general. End of story.
He also advises people who are producing that there needs to be a "ship" deadline. And it's easy to stand back and say he dreams with finesse and flavor, with dipping and shipping well. As a business-social media-writer-speaker-leader-guru, He is very successful in the dreams department.
That is part of my dream also, to be a social media-writer-speaker-leader-guru in this author-rich or bloggerific-dreamy world of mine. I'll leave the business part to you wonderful number crunchers out there. If you want to apply to be mine, send me an email at janellekeith53@gmail.com.
Jon Acuff reminds me of what I am awesome at...starting a dream.
Jeff Goins reminds me of what I am not so awesome at....finishing a dream.
Lysa Tuerkerst reminds me that I am inching towards imperfect progress in this dream.
God reminds me that I am a grace-starving girl in my dreams.
And right now that's about how I have been working my dreams.
I have looked in my very empty soul spots and tried to pigeon-hole myself into everyone else's niche. I'm really awesome at comparing, I have won many blue ribbons in that class. I've been comparing my dreams for a long time with a mile long list of published authors. Much longer than I would like to admit here.
I'm inspired by the best writers I know. But now as I let God fine-tune my skill, I'm letting Him inspire me and create His best writing voice.
I gave my writing voice back to God.
I did something life-giving...I stopped comparing my words to those of others.
A small thing that is benefiting in big ways and with a dream like this, I'm rolling up my sleeves and digging in.
Right now, in this pit of words, it's kind of gritty with the successes of others slapping me in the face. I want to be awesome this: writing my perspective of who God is, like words could ever encapsulate His greatness. Perhaps, I should just stick with what He's teaching me.
In these unknown days of faith, I am learning a new facade of God's language. Is it okay that I go a bit deeper to fully investigate what that means? Yes, ...but it's about to get harder. So hang on...
(That's me giving myself a little pep talk) Maybe you need a little pep talk too.
When you signed up for this day, your life, your dreams or your 2014 goals you probably thought it was going to look a little different didn't you? Isn't that always the wayof new beginnings ? We are disappointed first and then we have to back up and re-group and put a little muscle and hustle to the things we want in life.
We end up working hard on projects, finding out what you have really signed up for in the messy middle. But we ignore that it's going to get hard work when we are starting a dream. We are blinded by the work part and tend to just focus on the dream itself.
So are you ready to give in to your excuses or are you choosing to lean into your determination to make your dreams happen? How about that dreamy 100lb-lighter picture of you on the refrigerator, or that photo of you with a full head of hair and six-pack abs, or you before or after children.
Don't we love to fast-forward to the finish line of our dreams before we cross the start line?
My heart is already there too.
Starting a dream or goal is easy, finishing them is hard.
Starting an exercise plan is easy, consistency in moving your body on rainy, lazy days is hard.
Starting an healthy eating plan is easy, but saying no to a bowl of chips on game day is hard.
Starting a reading plan to grow your faith is easy, letting the Bible teach you is hard.
I have found that when the going gets tough, I give up too easy. God didn't promise this was going to be easy, this step of faith that He called me to. God did promise that He would not leave me in my dream frustrated and stuck in the messy middle of it all.
So why wouldn't He bring a dream specifically for me where I'm going to need Him in a big way? Yes, it is hard work to trust, to have faith, to work on being the best Janelle I can be. But the Power that is alive in me is greater than the powers that are at work against me.
What kind of pride would I have to snub the Dream-giver the dream building process and think I can accomplish my own dreams on my own efforts?
How about I leave this business-social media-writer-speaker-leader-guru busyness to the One in charge of my dream in the first place? I'll just be over here in the corner, covered up with more words than I can handle, letting Him lift my head, and letting God show me His way in this dream of mine. I can write hard, obey hard, and leave the hard results to the One who gives me a lot of grace by the google-load to handle this hard dream process. This is not a sexy, popular, public place but the One who dreams of the Impossible already sees every place of imperfect progress, ship dates, and practice sessions of muscle and hustle.
1 Corinthians 9: 15-18 ~ "Still, I want it made clear that I’ve never gotten anything out of this for myself, and that I’m not writing now to get something. I’d rather die than give anyone ammunition to discredit me or impugn my motives. If I proclaim the Message, it’s not to get something out of it for myself. I’m compelled to do it, and doomed if I don’t! If this was my own idea of just another way to make a living, I’d expect some pay. But since it’s not my idea but something solemnly entrusted to me, why would I expect to get paid? So am I getting anything out of it? Yes, as a matter of fact: the pleasure of proclaiming the Message at no cost to you. "(MSG)
Sounds like a great plan to me. How do you handle your dreams?
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