You Can’t Succeed if You Don’t Try

How many of you have quit before trying? Perhaps you’d made a decision to try a new eating plan. I prefer not to use the word diet. Maybe you were going to start exercising. Or, had you finally decided to change a behavior, such as getting angry quickly, gossiping, or procrastinating. Then, before even getting started you stopped. You decided you would wait until a “better time”, yet that better time doesn’t ever seem to come.

Well how can you succeed if you don’t even try? Everything that we do begins with a thought in our mind. If you’re anything like me, you have a thought, then tell yourself that’s a great idea. You begin planning, in your mind of course. You tell yourself, I’m going to do this, I’m going to do that. You’re excited. Then what happens? Either you act on what you have thought about, taking action steps, or you let the thoughts remain in your mind.

Well, this year I’ve decided to act upon everything I believe God has placed in my spirit. I’ve told you I’m a believer. I believe everything God says. I trust Him and I want Him to trust me. I’m seeking Him. I’m praying for direction and guidance. I’ve asked God for the Wisdom of Solomon and the favor of Joseph. I am persevering. As I’ve shared with you on a previous call, quitting is not an option.

I pray after listening to the quitting is not an option conference call you too have decided quitting is not an option. Let’s face it life often gets in the way of our movement towards our destiny. What do I mean by life? I’m referring to the day to day activities that we’d rather not do, but for one reason or another we must do. In many cases it’s our job. You know the one. It’s the job that pays the bills even though it may not be our passion. For some of us it may be things like going to the grocery store, cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry. It could be homework, a second job, and in extreme cases eating and sleeping. My husband gets so involved with his music that he practices for hours on end, then realizes the day is almost over and he hasn’t eaten. Now I definitely don’t condone this behavior, and I have spoken with him about ensuring he eats.

Sometimes we may become so involved and focused on our passion, or the desire God has placed in our hearts, that anything that takes time away from what we love doing feels likes it hindering us or taking up too much of our time.

That’s where balance comes in. Like it or not there are things in life other than our passion that require our attention. The key is to find time to do them all, while not allowing the things we are required to do to make us anxious, or consider them as a hindrance. Remember, they are part of our lives, and our journey.

We must remember that God will always sustain us and provide for us. He will enable us to use the gifts He has placed in us. He has a plan and will always bring it to fruition. Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Regardless of what is going on around you God will always make a way. 

To listen to the message in its entirety click on the link below and select You Can’t Succeed If You Don’t Try.

http://www.gretahillman.com/#!audiovideo/cd8l

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Perseverance

Joseph was a dreamer. At 17 years of age he was going about his business feeding the flock. Now Joseph was special in the eyes of his father Jacob, because he was born when Jacob was no longer in his prime. As a matter of fact Joseph was Jacobs’s favorite child. He loved him more than his other children. In fact, he loved him so much he made him a coat of many colors. Now how would that make you feel if you were one of Joseph’s brothers?

You’d probably be jealous and maybe a little envious, and Joseph’s brothers, well they hated him plain and simple. As a matter of fact they couldn’t even carry on a peaceable conversation with him. So Joseph, happy go lucky in his colorful coat has a dream and shares it with his brothers. He tells them we were binding sheaves, or bundles of wheat in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance, or bowed down to my sheaf, they responded to Joseph saying are you going to rein or rule over us and have dominion over us, so they hate him even more.

Then Joseph has another dream and shares it with his brothers and his father. He tells them how in his dream the sun, the moon and eleven stars made obeisance or bowed down to him. This time his fathered rebuked him saying are your mother and I along with your brothers going to bow down to you on earth?

His brothers grew angrier, but his father thought about the dream.

What had Joseph done to cause his brothers to be so angry? Absolutely nothing. He didn’t cause his own birth. He didn’t make his father love him, nor did he make his father make his coat of many colors. He wasn’t even responsible for his own dreams. All he did was share his dreams.

Did you cause your own birth? Are you responsible for the dreams or visions God has given you?

I will issue a word of caution here. Not everyone will understand, encourage or support you in your vision, goals, ideas, or Gods plan for your life. Be careful with whom you share your dreams.

Your only responsibility is to have that childlike faith, believing and trusting in God as you forgive those that trespass or conspire against you, or try to deter you from God’s plan for your life, and persevere, or persist in anything you have undertaken. Maintaining your purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles or discouragement, continuing steadfastly, that’s the definition of perseverance.  Believing God for whatever He has placed in your heart whether it’s healing, a job, a relationship, a spouse, the birth of a long awaited child, a business venture, deliverance, or salvation for those you love.

You must be resolved, or stand steadfastly in your faith as you persevere.

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Perseverance

While on vacation last week I was able to witness two amazing performances by two different types of performers. The first included four different motorcycle groups performing synchronized drills. The precision was amazing each group unique in its own way. It was obvious the amount of time, effort and practice each group exercised to hone their skills.

At the end of each performance you could see the joy in their faces as they celebrated their flawless performance. The crowd applauded cheered and whistled at the finale when all four groups rode together blowing their horns and flashing their lights.

The second performance was by Vocal Trash. You may have heard of them or attended one of their performances yourself. I watched and listened as they sang, danced and engaged the audience with their enthusiastic musical message played on instruments made from recycled materials.

Both groups of performers were filled with passion. If you haven’t realized it I am very passionate about people who are passionate about their passion. As I listen to people talk about their passions I can see and feel their passion. I can visual the success of a passionate individual as they express to me their goals as well as their plans to attain them.

The operative words here are passion, goal and plan. In addition to a passion, drive or desire you must set S.M.A.R.T or specific, measureable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited goals. You must also have an action plan. Any of these by themselves are enough to light a fire but you need the other two to fuel the fire and keep it burning.

Even with the combination of all three there will be times you may think you are wasting your time, will never succeed and if you have made a monetary investment you may feel like you have thrown your money away. It was obvious the performers I watched had passion, a goal and an action plan but there were probably times when thoughts of failure may have crossed their minds just as they may have yours and mine.

What made these performers successful? Perseverance, it’s the same thing that makes anyone successful. I’ve written about commitment and being convinced but no matter how committed you are or how convinced you are you must still have goals and a plan of action to reach your goals. You should invest time and effort daily if possible. Create a weekly plan to reach your overall goal.  If you are unable to commit time daily set aside time on your calendar during the week to commit to your plan. Do not become discouraged if you are unable to keep your commitment one day. Instead if possible increase your effort the next day you have allotted on your calendar so you do not fall behind in your weekly goal. What is your plan this week to take you closer to reaching your goal?