Live Your Dreams Now

source: crosswalk

Live Your Dreams Now
Whitney Hopler
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer


Editor's Note: The following is a report on the practical
applications of Shannon and Michael Primicerio's
soon-to-be-released book, Life. Now.: Overcoming the 10
obstacles that Derail Your Dreams, (Bethany House, 2007).





What dreams lie dormant in your heart? Whatever you wish you
could pursue someday isn't really out of your reach right now. If
you start making deliberate choices to pursue your dreams –
without waiting for your circumstances to change – you don't
have to wait to see your dreams begin to come true.


So don't wait for someday. Overcome obstacles standing in the
way and start living your dreams now! Here's how:

* Overcome fear. Know that, although it's natural to feel fear
about taking the risks necessary to pursue your dreams, giving
into your fear will stop your progress. Realize that God will give
you all the power you need to do whatever He is calling you to
do. Rely on Him for help, knowing that He never fails. Don't worry
about what other people think of your dreams, since doing so will
allow them to control your dreams. Feel free to seek counsel from
a few trustworthy people who are close to you, but dismiss critics
who don't have your best interests at heart. Ask God to give you
the courage to do what He wants you to do, no matter what others
think. Make whatever changes you need to make to stop playing
it safe and living in a rut. Move, change jobs, find a new church,
or do anything else to get you unstuck and on the road toward
where you want to go. Meet with a trusted friend, family member,
or pastor to honestly express your dreams and fears, and ask that
person to pray for you. Check back in with this person regularly as
you make progress toward fulfilling your dreams.



* Stop trying to earn other people's approval. Ask God to help you
be comfortable with the unique person He has made you to be.
Then be yourself, rather than the person others think you should
be. Expect that, somewhere along the way while you pursue your
dreams, you're going to lose the approval of some people close
to you. Don't worry about asking anyone except God for
permission to go after your dreams. Understand that sometimes,
in order to obey God, you'll need to disappoint other people. Ask
God to give you the confidence you need to move forward with
what He wants you to do, even when people you care about don't
support you. For one week, keep track of how you make your
decisions (both simple ones like where to go to dinner and
complicated ones like whether or not to take a certain job). As
you make each decision, write down whether you did what you
really wanted to do, or whether you did what you felt others
wanted you to do. Then, after the week is up, study your notes to
notice a pattern in your decision-making strategies. Going
forward, remember to choose what you want to do instead of
seeking other people's approval.



* Be willing to leave the comforts of home. Understand that
pursuing your dreams often requires venturing out beyond all
that's comfortable to you now. Don't let a love for the familiar
stand in the way of your dreams. If you live at home with your
parents, set a time for leaving and stick to it. Establish true
independence in your life. If you're stuck in a dead-end job, look
around for better opportunities and go after them. If a longtime
friend doesn't support your quest to fulfill your dreams, find some
new friends who will support you. If your current area doesn't
offer the resources you need to pursue your dreams, move to a
place that will better enable you to pursue them. Don't be afraid
to leave behind a way of life that you've been conditioned to
think is normal so you can discover something better. Leave small
thoughts behind and dream big.



* Trade average for excellent. Don't be satisfied with halfhearted
living. Recognize that in order to give your best to pursuing your
dreams, you need to be at your best as a person. Decide to live a
life of significance – one that makes the world a better place
because you lived. Ask God to use your ordinary life to
accomplish extraordinary purposes. Never stop learning. Take
care of your body through good nutrition and regular exercise so
it will serve you well as you go after your dreams. Remove clutter
from your home, office, and car so you can think more clearly and
use your time more productively. Write down your goals clearly
on flash cards, and review them regularly to keep them in the
forefront of your mind and stay on track. Find a photo of
something that represents a goal you have (such as a photo of an
island if you're dreaming of vacationing in Hawaii one day), and
place it somewhere relevant (such as by your ATM card to help
you remember to save). Celebrate whenever you make
accomplish something that moves you closer to your goals. Every
day, spend time with God in prayer about your dreams and your
progress toward them.



* Surrender a sense of control. Realize and accept the fact that
you can't control many things that happen to you. Whenever you
encounter frustration and disappointment as you pursue your
dreams, identify what your feelings are and face them with grace,
trusting in the fact that God is still working out good purposes in
your life. Don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself. Know that,
although you can't always change your circumstances, you can
always change your attitude in response to them. Pray for the
Holy Spirit to help you grow in the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control. Let go of the way you think things should
happen, and trust God to guide you through His best plans for
your life. Resist the temptation to be jealous of others who are
seeing their dreams come true while you're still waiting. Simply
remind yourself of all you do have to be thankful for, and keep
moving forward toward your goals.



* Start where you are. Don't wait for a certain time or situation to
start going after your dreams. Start right now, right in your current
circumstances. Be creative about maximizing your time. Know
that if you invest even small amounts of time toward reaching
your dreams, over the long haul your investment will pay off in a
big way. Whenever you have idle time, fill it in productive ways
(such as by listening to Scripture on your commute to work). Don't
let seemingly urgent things like household chores and checking
e-mail distract you from what's most important. Make sure that
you're focusing on important tasks – ones that will help your
dreams come true – first, and just fit all the "urgent" tasks in as
you can. Establish and grow relationships with key people who
can help you fulfill your dreams. Pray for God to lead you to a
mentor or two and place the right people alongside you at the
right times as you go after your dreams. Don't wait for all the
pieces of a plan to make perfect sense to you before moving
forward if you sense God calling you to do so; be willing to take
steps of faith as He leads you.



* Use money to fund your progress. Recognize that you'll need to
spend money to pursue most of your dreams. Don't let financial
constraints prevent you from following your dreams. Instead, think
and pray about a plan to make money available, over time, to
fund your progress. Get and stay out of debt to free up cash to use
for pursuing your dreams, such as starting your own business or
going back to school to earn a certain degree. Set up a budget
and stick to it so you don't overspend. If you're not bringing in
enough income, start looking for a second job or a new primary
job that pays more. Set short- and long-term financial goals. Save
as much as you can, tithe faithfully, and give generously.



* Stay motivated. Remind yourself often of the reasons why you're
making sacrifices and working hard to pursue your dreams. Paint
a vivid mental picture of what you want your life to be like after
you've achieved your goals. Write out a plan for how to make
your dreams realities and move forward with that plan while
inviting God to edit your plan as He sees fit. Dream lavishly and
expect God to do even more than you could ever imagine or ask.
Ask Him to keep encouraging you as you follow His dreams for
your life.



* Follow through. Be persistent when you face challenges on your
way to fulfilling your dreams. Don't grumble about difficulties;
instead, be thankful that you have the gift of each new day to
keep making progress. Try to enjoy the journey as much as the
destination. Be prepared for trials and tragedies that will
inevitably threaten to derail your dreams. When you encounter
them, depend on the hope that Jesus offers and keep working to
make progress as you can. Don't let your mistakes or failures
cause you to give up. Stay focused on your vision, keep working
hard, and continue to trust God.



* Keep seeking God's will. Constantly check in with God to make
sure your dreams align with His will for your life. Spend time with
Him daily in prayer. Regularly read, study, and meditate on
passages of the Bible. Participate in a church and a small group
to build relationships with trusted friends who can help you
discern where God is leading you. Make your relationship with
God your highest priority in life. Know that if you seek God
Himself first – before your dreams – then your dreams will fall into
place.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adapted from Life. Now.: Overcoming the 10 Obstacles that Derail
Your Dreams, copyright 2007 by Shannon and Michael Primicerio.
Published by Bethany House Publishers (a division of Baker
Publishing Group), Bloomington, Mn., www.bethanyhouse.com.
Shannon Kubiak Primicerio is the author of The Divine Dance,
God Called a Girl, and the BEING A GIRL... series. A popular
national retreat speaker, Shannon has also been featured in such
media outlets as PBS's Religion and Ethics Newsweekly and Time
magazine. She has a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Biblical
Studies from Biola University.

Michael Primicerio has served as a youth pastor's assistant for
three years. He has discipled teenage boys and taught at youth
camps, high school chapels, and in a regular youth group setting.
He attended Calvary Chapel Bible College, including time abroad
in Israel.