Your visions and dreams are portals to your success. Therefore, it is important for you to push past fear in order to protect and pursue your dreams. However, this is easier said than done, as illustrated by Dr. Sophia Miranda’s testimony below:
Scott Faye once said that we all need to “Dare to Dream”. I remember the first time I heard this, I thought to myself “Then what?” The truth is, I was not afraid of dreaming. In fact, I am an avid dreamer. I think I was more afraid of leaving my comfort zone to put my dreams to the test. This aside, I still had “fear”. Fear can be defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is perceived as unpleasant, dangerous, painful or threatening. My fears and apprehension could be summed up in the following questions:
- Could my dreams lead to unpleasant circumstances?
- Could testing my dream bring harm?
- Could any pursuit of my dreams cause undue pain?
Given the uncertainty and apprehension behind these questions, I put continuously my dreams on the back burner for years. But then, I had received a divine revelation. I remember sitting in Church service one Sunday, and Pastor Penny Compton Maxwell said something that resonated with me. She mentioned that we all have fears; so, even when we are afraid, we should “do it anyway”. She had stated this during a sermon on leadership, which was one of the things that I struggled with at that time. I felt like she was talking to me.
During that message, I felt like I was the only one in the room, and the phrase “Do it anyway” was on repeat. I felt a sense of peace at the moment, I knew that God was telling it “its OK to dare to dream and to take action on my dreams. He told me that I am more than enough and he gave me my dreams so that I can fulfill them. When recalling this promise, I remember asking myself “So what am I afraid of?” and “What was I waiting for?” It was time to put aside my fears and move on my dreams.
In the spirit of the testimony above, the aim of this article is to EMPOWER you with 7 strategies
Dare to Dream
It is important for you to know that your dreams are real. Throughout biblical scripture, God used dreams to communicate his vision, instructions, plans, and promises to mankind. In the same light, God also communicates his will and purpose to you through your dreams. So, pay close attention, not only to your nightly
Trust God
In the last point, we mentioned that God is ultimately the source of dreams. Trust that he will never lead you astray. Go to God in prayer and ask him to place his message in your heart. Read his word so that you will
Bring your dreams to life
Your dreams are powerful enough to change the world, but only if you bring them to life. Your dreams can potentially be immortal, but only if you work to make them a reality. If you do not, then they will die with you. Your dreams were meant to become destiny, not dust. But, you have to work toward a vision in order for your dreams to come to life. To do this, consider the following steps:
- Write down your dreams and ideas
- Rephrase your dreams as a vision to share with the world
- Write specific goals associated with your dreams and vision
- Do the things that are within your grasp to achieve your dreams and realize your vision
- Partner with people who share your dream and will work toward your vision
- Work, nonstop, toward realizing your dreams
Embrace Fear
Sometimes your fear is imaginary. For example, you are afraid that your idea will fail because it is radical and different, when in fact, the radical nature of the dream is the very reason that it will succeed. You are afraid to lose the game due to a lack of confidence, when in fact, you are the strongest player
Move out of your comfort zone
Fear has an anesthetizing effect. It keeps us in our comfort zone in order for us to avoid pain. The simplest example of this is the tendency for some to avoid physical exercise due to the pain and discomfort that it would cause. The truth is that we fear what is difficult and painful, and regular exercise fits that bill. We dream of having the body of an athletic olympiad. However, it is easier to wake up late, skip the workouts, eat 3 greasy meals a day, and sit on the couch watching primetime television at night. This feels comfortable in the moment, but keeps us from our dream of a fit and healthy body. In order to grow stronger and more successful, we have to move out of our comfort zone. We have to climb to higher ground to wait out the floods, learn to swim to survive troubled waters, and fish in deep seas to avoid famine. There is no easy route to a successful life. We have to grind and take risks. As Jim Rohn once said: “If you do the things that are hard, your life will get easy. But if you only do the things that are easy, your life will be hard.” Throughout the written word, God pushed his chosen people out of their comfort zone to move them toward success. In the same light, your dreams will be realized when you move beyond your comfort zone. So, stay out of the comfort zones.
Have Confidence in Your Dream
If you do not believe in your dream, then no one else will. Have confidence in your dream. We define confidence as the ability to trust your God, yourself, and your ideas in the face of difficult circumstances. This trust and confidence will allow you to make your dream a reality, not just for you, but also for the people whose lives you will change.
Dream On
Keep dreaming until your dreams become reality. Aerosmith was right when they sang “Dream on – Dream until you dreams come true…” in their classic song entitled: “Dream On.” Never stop dreaming. Dream about reaching your highest and divinely inspired potential. Dream about creating an innovation that disrupts the current market trends and changes the world. Dream about empowering others with your vision and leading them to a better tomorrow. Dream about pursuing your life’s work while earning a passive income without limits. And ultimately, dream about dreaming new dreams that inspire new goals, creative ideas, and pathways to greatness.
The Challenge:
So I, Dr. Miranda, challenge you to move beyond your fears and live your dreams today. I challenge you to look in that mirror this morning and tell yourself that you can soar! You were meant to be Great, no matter how bad your situation may look. And, keep in mind John C Maxwell’s words as follows: “A dream worth pursuing is a picture and blueprint of your purpose and potential.” Once I realized that I had the ability to dream and soar, and that I serve a Big God, then my eyes were opened and the lies that led me to fear were shattered.
#DaretoDream