Dreams, Goals, Detours

Thirty-four years ago I finished high school with no clear direction of where I wanted to go in my life.  My dream was to be a writer but I had received no encouragement in pursuing a career in that direction.  In fact, just the opposite, I was told that "you can't make a living as a writer", and so I set that dream aside and entered my adult-hood witout a clear goal for my life.

Not surprisingly I followed paths that were not the best.  I found myself on a detour that deviated so far from my true path that at times I lost sight of what that true path was, let alone how to get back on it.

I will turn fifty-one in a few weeks and I can say without a doubt that I am back on the road that I should be on.  My progress is somewhat behind where it could be at this stage in my life due to the detours, but I don't mourn these delays.  The twists and turns of the detour worked together to help form the strength of character that I have today. 

Why do I share this with you? I want to encourage you to take a hold of the dreams and goals that you have, right now.  Whether you are seventeen, thirty, forty, or fifty-one, take ownership of your dreams and goals and don't wait for someone to hold your hand and show you the way. 

Spend time with yourself and determine what your life would look like if it were all up to you.  Pray about those dreams and goals, and then step forward!  Don't let anyone else discourage you; God put those dreams within you for a reason.  If you have a dream it's very likely that you have a special in that area.  Spend time honing those skills that you need to achieve your goals and don't lose sight of that vision that you have of who you want to be.

Are there things that you set aside in the past because life just got in the way? Are they things that you loved and found great satisfaction in at one time? I'll bet you'll find that if you pick them up again they will provide the same, perhaps more, satisfaction in your soul that they did at one time. These things just might be the ticket to helping you achieve success in a manner that you could not have imagined.