TAKE THE SHOT!!!

My brother once told me “after you finish making money for your employer go home and work on your own dreams”. That rang loudly and brought fresh perspective to how I function daily. Oftentimes we spend countless hours working and creating someone else’s dreams that we put our own on the backburner. We are so fueled by making that next buck that we often become slaves to the agendas of others. There are certain gifts, talents etc. that we let go to waste for a variety of reasons and choose to never pursue them and use them to leave great legacies.

One of the biggest reasons for not pursuing after our goals is a fear of taking risks. The idea of failing leaves many of us in a state of “rigamortis” afraid to move and stuck in the same place of normality. Every dream WORTH chasing involves some level of risk and naturally the thought of not succeeding comes to mind. Let me clear it may very well be the case that the way you envisioned the accomplishment of your goals may not become a reality. Someone once said that “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. The idea of completing an objective or reaching a goal should be exhilarating and should light a fire that produces a level of momentum.

While starting my website plenty thoughts of doubts and insecurities crossed my mind. Thoughts like

“Who would want to really look at my website”?

“Why would you pursue something that will ultimately fail”?

“You haven’t even created a website before it will not be appealing”?

All of these ideas flew around my mind like a carousel and for many days and stopped me dead in my tracks. Soon after I realized that I was basing my success on the volume of people who visited my site (which there is success in that). However, the true success in it is reaching and engaging with people who actually need my product, whatever that number might be. I have big goals for my website, even to the extent of becoming a household name but it would of never happen until I took the first shot. No matter how ugly and uninspiring that first attempt was, I owe it to myself to go after it with a sense of excellence.

Make time for your own passions and desires. Put the time into it with the same ferocity that you would someone else’s goals and keep people around you who back your talents. Celebrate the small victories and don’t give up when faced with the first sign of failure.  Failures and risks help to build the strength needed to persevere.  Don’t sleep on your dreams just because others don’t see it, it’s time to create your brand, a brand that helps others and leaves a lasting impact.

Struggles

Trials and life

FYI (Throughout the post I will use trials and struggles interchangeably …so don’t be alarmed)

Life…… the word that comes to mind when I think about life is...TRIALS.  Oftentimes in this world struggle seems like our true companion. It follows us around, attached to our side whispering sweet nothings in our ears. It doesn’t show favoritism and comes in many forms often times catching us off guard. Overwhelming us and bringing us to our lowest point, consuming our hearts and controlling the whirlwind of emotions we experience. OH, how life was so simple when we were younger. The innocence we experienced all while not having a care in the world. To be honest I wish I could barricade myself in a closet hiding myself from the world. Struggle wasn’t something we were necessarily taught as we grew up. Some of us experienced struggle more than others. The idea of struggle was something that I believe most parents tried to cover up. They didn’t want us to encounter it or be exposed to it thinking it would lead to destruction. This has led to our downfall instead. We are opposed to struggle of any kind and attach negative characteristics to it, though struggling and trials help us to reap great benefits.

                Struggling (trials) should be looked at through the right lens. It’s not something that should be viewed as an idea designated for certain individuals. Each person will have to experience it in some fashion. The harm created with trying to shield the coming generations from struggle is that it has created of culture of FAKE PEOPLE. Look at any social media post and you will see the great strides many go to attempting to hide their lives and create a picture perfect reality. We have in a sense become the authors of our lives, controlling it an editing out the things we don’t want others to see.

However, there are two things promised in life. DEATH AND STRUGGLE. 

James 1 made it very clear the posture we should have when we face various trials. COUNT IT ALL JOY. The reason is because it produces something is us that would never come to completion without it. It creates perseverance. This is the ability to graciously make it through the storm without giving up. A change in our perspectives comes through looking at the bigger scheme of things the eternal picture. Giving up when faced with issues shouldn’t be in those who have already won the final battle. YESSSSS, times are tough and it does look as though we can’t find a way escape. However, we have been promised to overcome as we are reminded of Gods goodness in the midst of our most challenging times. Put down the façade and take off the mask because let’s be honest none of our lives are perfect. Be open with those close to you and receive the help offered by others to make it on the other side. We are not meant to face life alone it must be done in the presence of community. From now until the day we die it will be imperfect people helping imperfect people. You may be able to hide from others but in the private when no one is around we will still have to deal with the brokenness of our lives. You can’t run from reality so let’s deal with it straight on.

Love

Sometimes I feel like the love I have is insufficient. Like the love I possess is incapable of loving someone fully. That my tainted view and picture of love will further bring someone to their ruin. The love that I desire to give is incomplete, lacking something that will benefit those that are close to me.  Giving love often puts me in a vulnerable position that opens my heart to all types of hurt. Love isn’t this perfect idea beautifully wrapped and ready to be given to its recipient.  Loving someone often times is grimy and is not the fainthearted. Loving even when it seems to not be reciprocal many times humbles you and reveals the inauthenticity and flakiness of our love. It shows how conditional our love is and how it only flourishes in the most perfect circumstances.

Crazy thing is we have been sold a false idea of love for so long that we have been blinded to what it really looks like. From reality TV shows we see a love that manipulates and is aggressive and often times lacks service. From Disney to other kid networks we see a love that’s without struggle and conflict. Because of this we run from things that are painful and dish out resentment when we are hurt. Since many have been manipulated constantly they place everyone that follows into that same box not letting anyone in. The love that many seek only leads to disappointment because they have disguised what is really lust and called it love.

We all have rehearsed and quoted 1 Corinthians so much that it has become stale lacking power in our lives. Though that verse shows us how love looks, many never seek to put it into action and from the sideline never enter the game. These verses hold great power and change the landscape of our relationships and our world.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres
We see in the early parts of the chapter we are given a full description of how love should look.

-We see that love is patient and kind. This shows us that love requires the ability to deal with friends, spouses and others with long suffering as they imperfectly try to express their love to you. It means that when they do upset you and get under your skin that you extend mercy and are kind even when there is no benefit.

-We see that love does not envy, it does not boast and is not proud.  We see that when we love that we celebrate with those who God is blessing in a different way. We walk with them and congratulate their successes. We see that love doesn’t boast in successes or become proud as if our good works are the sole reason to our rise up the ranks. It walks humbly before others and considers others before ourselves even if it is not reciprocal.

-We see that love doesn’t do anything that would bring shame or disgrace to their name.

-We see that love is not only focused on what we will get in return.  Good works aren’t done with evil intentions solely based on our benefit. It’s seeking to serve and put ourselves lowly for the benefit of others.

-We see that love isn’t being easily angered. It is being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. This means that we use great wisdom in our responses to others. We don’t lash out in an emotional rage tearing down whatever is in our path. Its fully hearing what the other is saying and responding accordingly. “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” BE WISE

-Love doesn’t keep a tally mark of the amount of times someone has wronged us. We freely forgive because we have been forgiven. It doesn’t benefit anyone to hold grudges and choose to be filled with hate. If someone harms you don’t count it against them. Use wisdom when dealing with them again but don’t let your heart be consumed with anger.

I know these things aren’t natural for us. In a world filled with hurt, pain, and corruption love will be the driving force behind change. I am not perfect by any means, I struggle with loving my spouse and others perfectly all the time but I am glad that God strengthens me daily to grow in these areas. Join in as we love genuinely and serve those around us.