Month: February 2021

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Curiosity Gives You Courage to Chase Your Dreams

Curiosity gives you courage and as you’ve heard, curiosity killed the cat. Well, curiosity almost killed me. Okay, a little over exaggerated. I get into a lot of stupid situations because of curiosity. About a month ago, I had a predator barge through my electrical netting and kill a turkey on our little acreage. The next day, I made sure my electrical netting was up and working well. Nonetheless, the next night everything was gone. EVERYTHING!

The next morning, three turkeys and four chickens came back. I gathered them up and moved them to a more secure location. All except two chickens was what this chicken ninja couldn’t catch. I planned to get them at night when they went up to roost.

That night I went to fetch the fugitive chickens down the hill in our backyard with my cell phone light and that’s when I saw the glowing eyes staring at me. Me being the night and shinning armor, yelled at the mystery intruder. Suddenly, it ran a few yards away and crouched low to the ground. This wouldn’t do, so I kept screaming at the thing to get out and walked straight at it. Maybe it’s a racoon? I thought. No, too big. Maybe a bobcat? I had to find out what was lurking in my back yard and snatching up my poultry.

Slowly walking toward the trespasser while yelling at it until I got five yards away. I still couldn’t tell what it was and as I yelled, it crouched down but didn’t move. Then nothing, not a move. Suspicious and out of nowhere, I quickly hissed at it. I have no idea why I chose to hiss, except isn’t that what people do? Hiss at big glowing eyes in the dark? Well, it turned it’s head to the side and it was a flipping COUGAR! My curiosity turned to evacuation and I backed out of there like no one’s business. In case you are wondering, I can walk backwards really fast.

Curiosity Gives You Courage and Bravery

I was curious about what the eyes were and I walked right up to it and hissed at a cougar. Over time I have found that with my dreams too. I can do scary sometimes as dumb looking as hissing at a cat that could claw my face off things. Often in my curiosity, I dive in like when I jumped into my first restaurant. I didn’t know that I should be afraid. Unafraid, I dove in and ran the store, even slept in the back sometimes while working crazy hours. I didn’t know what was “normal” then. I was curious. Curiosity gives you courage in the unknown. Well, my second restaurant was harder and frankly I don’t know if I want to go through that again. Curiosity is gone and pain is seen.

Curiosity Takes the Emphasis Off of Me

When we are curious, we don’t think about our own safety. For example, giant flesh eating cat anyone?! In fact, I’m not thinking about myself at all when I am curious. I’m thinking about whatever I’m studying. It may be glowing eyes in the dark or my wife sitting across the table from me. When I am curious about her and what she is thinking or feeling, I don’t think about myself. Curiosity, in fact, drives my connection to her. The good thing is that she is a moving target and there is always more to find out! Curiosity takes the focus off me and puts it on others.

Curiosity Leads to New Opportunity

I could have opened a cougar spray company after that incident! In all reality when we ask why and why again we can find opportunity that we didn’t know was there. When we maintain curiosity we open ourselves up to new ideas, thoughts, and problems. Every entrepreneur knows the value of a problem. A problem is a business in waiting. Curiosity gives you courage to act on that opportunity. As you stay curious it will lead you into new opportunity that you never knew was possible.

Curiosity can be one of the most valuable things in the world or it can put you eye to eye with a she cat. Be wise about what you are curious about but never stop exploring new ideas and new thoughts. Breakthrough is just on the other side of a good question or a pondering thought. Dreams come true when we look at things differently.

What keeps you curious?

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Chasing Dreams Increases Our Faith

Often, I need more answers than I have, and I wait to get those answers before I move. It’s a brilliant strategy that leaves me standing still. I cover it with adult sounding reasoning, and I agonize in my soul while I plead with God to just tell me what to do. Often I hear Him telling me just to follow Him, but I don’t like that answer. I want the answers because I really want certainty instead of requiring faith. Shockingly, those areas I am waiting for certainty, I am still waiting years later. One benefit to chasing dreams is that in the process we see that chasing dreams increases our faith.

Scripture Shows Stories of Faith

As I look through scripture, I see God inviting us on a great adventure. Little shepherd boy David faced mighty gargantuan Goliath and killed him. Noah built an ark for a flood when it had never rained before. Abraham left everything he knew in search of a place God would show him late; he left family and comfort for the unknown. Others like the disciples took up the call of Jesus and died a martyr’s death. We see those stories and we see the beginning to end and skip the messy majority when they did not know and they had no certainty.

Adventure often does not feel like adventure in the nitty gritty of life. It feels to me more like, “What the heck are you doing to me God? Did I do something that you’re not making life easier?” We want to be used by God, however, trusting Him is a little more difficult. That is when our dreams have the potential to increase our faith.

I have found a few things that have helped me to enjoy the journey a little more than I used to and not lose sleep when I do not know what path to take.

Process

The great journey of life is a process and a few years of living have shown me that no matter what things I fixate on, they are a fleeting desire. It seems that there is always a direction that I’m waiting for an answer on of what to do. I’m sure your life is no different. Through the process we are being formed by God. I believe one of the things that He is doing in the in between is shaping us into His image. While we wait for answers we are listening to the Spirit of God and in the process He changes us. Trusting that He is forming something good in you as you walk through the unknown brings joy to the moment. After all it’s the shaping of our lives that God cares about anyway. Valuing the process over the result will help to grow our faith.

Chasing Our Dreams Increases Our Faith and our Relationship With Him

Every step of faith I have taken has required a more intimate relationship with God. If God gave us the answers that we are wanting we would focus on that instead of Him. At least this guy would do that. I can tend to use God as an answer man instead of my Savior and friend. I have a hunch that you may be the same way. If we focus on the journey, we slowly draw closer to God. In those moments fear will subside as we focus on Him instead of the fork in the road.

Nothing Wasted

I have screwed up a lot. I mean A LOT! It’s kind of scary when I think about the amount of times I have sinned, doubted, stubbed my toe, or lost money in some stupid way. One of the things that I have noticed is as I bring those mistakes and losses to God, He has used them for His glory. This is not an excuse to go do something stupid; I know you may be like me and be looking for stupid to happen. It is a thing that should bring peace to your heart. God will use that path you pick even if it’s the “wrong one” when you surrender it to Him.

Certainty never reveals itself until we look back on what has already occurred. Instead of looking for certainty, go with something different, something better, go with Faith. Trust God to know more than you, because He does. Trust His timing and that He won’t waste a thing. He desires relationship and as we seek Him instead of our certainty, a truly great adventure will reveal itself in the rhythm of life. If you would like a sherpa to help you on your journey, I wrote a book to help that you can get here.

What helps you trust God when you don’t know what to do?

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How to Hit Goals and Dreams Instead of Quitting

Most goals and dreams don’t come to fruition. Most of the time we give up before the result we desire. That can be a depressing statement, but I believe it’s fixable. I want you to hit your goals and dreams. You want to hit your goals and dreams. Mind blown, I know.

 I have been thinking about one of my favorite quotes from Jon Acuff, “Give the grave only bones.” Steward well all that God has given to you. God has given you tasks to do, dreams to reach, and goals to hit.

Goals and Dreams Don’t Have Constant Returns

Often times we think of goal outcomes as having a constant state of return, however, I have not found that to be true. When we change behavior on the way to a target we need to have a realistic time frame for visual change. Physically it’s easiest for us to understand this concept of slow change. I could lose five pounds and you wouldn’t be able to tell that I had changed physically. What’s more difficult is it takes a long time for me to lose five pounds. Somehow it’s not so long for me to gain that pesky five though. It’s funny how that works.

Any goal is the same slow growth. Actions for a period of time are required for change and change is hard to see until it’s not. Somehow one day all of a sudden change is visible and people start wanting to know your secret. When you are tempted to quit on your goals remember that change will happen in time, but probably not as quick as you would like.

Fall in Love With the Process

Process matters more than the end results. If we are only shooting at targets when we hit that target, we will stop. I have ran a few marathons and guess what happens when I finish those races? You guessed it. I stop running cold turkey with no effort; I’m that good. I hit the target and it is over. No race to aim for so no running for this guy. Same things happen when we aim at the target of a certain weight. People usually yo yo back to the old weight because the target is reached.

Make the target more about the process and you can maintain a new habit that you can build upon. A great example is to process out things that you enjoy that will help you lose weight. Workout a half hour a day six days a week and cut drinks that aren’t water and you will hit the goal and keep sailing on. Don’t fall for the yo yo of goal, hit, and done. Aim in a direction and make a habit that will last.

Goals and Dreams Need to be Yours

People that love you have great ideas for your life. They love you and want the best for you. Many times people form their goals that other people want them to have and not what they want. When my wife and I were first married she really wanted to pray together so I made it a goal. It never worked because I was too insecure about praying out loud and I failed at the goal. I have grown now and want to pray with her. I now don’t struggle to pray with her because I’m ready. Goals inspired by God and that burn deep in your heart are goals that have a chance. Pursue goals and dreams that you have, not what others want you to do, and you will have a chance at reaching them.

You can reach your goals and dreams that are brewing in your heart. You are full of potential, you have achieved some of those things, but if you have breathe in your lungs there is more work for you to do. Make goals and dreams yours, fall in love with the process, and be patient with the time they take. Keep God in focus and chase those dreams.

What helps you to not quit your dreams and goals?

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Having Joy While Chasing a Dream

I’m a serial dreamer. I always have something cooking in my mind and I’m pretty sure that’s the case for every entrepreneur. It’s a blessing often to be a dreamer, but it has some challenges as well. When you are a dreamer you live in a constant state of reality, not matching the dream. Always improving and tinkering, wavering back and forth between being in a state of feeling overwhelmed or bored. It’s a big reason why I wrote Chasing Dreams in a Minivan. Early on I was failing at bringing joy along while chasing a dream.

Joy is not based on circumstances, but man it’s a lot easier when circumstances are “right.” For example,  when I reach the summit of a mountain, joy is a lot easier than when I’m struggling up a shale rock path taking two steps forward and sliding back three steps. The problem is that hiking up the mountain takes up the majority of time. So please don’t be like Eeyore, it’s kind of sad. When you need joy in the journey I’ve got a few tips that should work for you, so give them a shot.

4 Ways to Have Joy While Chasing a Dream.

Kingdom Perspective Brings Joy While Chasing a Dream

God gives us many of the dreams in our hearts and we chase after them for His glory and in His name. I have noticed though that slowly I take the dreams that He has given me and make them an idol. An idol is when we take a good thing and make it the main thing. I think in our in-between state it’s easy to obsess over a dream that has not been realized. When we notice our joy leaving us we need to remember that the dream is great when God is chased above all. In a kingdom perspective we pursue God and the dream below that. Then we have the fruit of the spirit which one of them is joy. It is really that simple, however, I must confess it’s not easy. I often need help getting there and so I added some tips below.

Stepping Away Brings Joy While Chasing a Dream

Even as adults we need a timeout. Some of us more than others. One of the things that happens in a timeout is that blood pressure lowers and perspective returns. The bigger the loss or heartache, we need to step away a little longer. Take some time in nature; go for a walk or even get away out of town and out of cell phone reception. When we get away from it all we can hear God’s voice whisper to our hearts and fan the flame of passion for a dream. In those moments we can be drawn back to a Kingdom viewpoint and have joy in the journey.

Exercise to Hear

I have been working out a few days a week and it helps my joy level. My mind is so active and sometimes I act like I can worry and stress my way out of the depression. That maybe if I think about it long enough, bam! It’s suddenly okay. When we exercise there is a certain point when oxygen is hard to come by that stress and pressure dissipate. A bonus of exercise is that creative ideas happen when our body is moving. Connect with God by exercise and watch joy make an appearance.

Surround Yourself with Your Tribe

Sometimes I just need a hug and told it’s going to be okay and I’m not a failure. In our chase to reach our dreams we can take on the identity of the dream and forget that our identity is in Christ. In these moments we need people that we trust that can speak the truth of our identity in Christ over us. When we can’t see who we are we need them to remind us of who we are. Surround yourself with people that love you and love Jesus to remind you of who and whose you are to have joy return.

We will have moments on the journey that just plan suck. Other points will make you cry and question why. The key is not to get so frustrated that you don’t see Jesus in the moment because He is there with you. Take a moment and step away, exercise to get out of your mind, and get encouragement from your tribe. God wants to do something through you but more than anything He wants to do something in you. When we commit our lives to God and focus on Him and in the end TRUST Him and His plans we will be filled with joy.

How do you bring joy to the journey?