Are You Fired Up About Your Dream?

People tell me about five minutes into hearing me talk about my dream, my passion for it comes shining through. How about you? Do you almost get giddy in describing that thing you’ve been called to do? Do people just smile back at you because you are so excited explaining your calling that they just can’t help it? That’s passion my friend and I hope you are full of it!

Passion can be a powerful thing. It becomes rocket fuel when you’re chasing your dream. T.D. Jakes states: “If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”

Today, let’s talk about three aspects of passion as power.

Passion helps us overcome adversity. It’s a fact that the moment you rise up to chase your dreams, challenges will manifest. I want to encourage you, however, that if you’re truly passionate about your dream, you have what it takes to embrace the challenge and conquer it. “The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but as a stepping-stone to greatness” –Shawn Anchor.

Believe me, when my dream came into view, adversity rose up to meet me. Listen, not every faith-based community understands the value of parachurch ministries, and few have positioned themselves to support marketplace ministry specifically. Yet I knew that God was calling me out into the deep and I couldn’t allow the traditions of some to dampen the vision God had given me. I allowed my passion to carry me through. It is still an uphill battle in some regards. However, following my passion has proven to me the dream is valid and I have been able to find a community of like-minded people who can support both me and my dream.  

Henry Ford once said: “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Passion is what allows you to break the gravity of what is attempting to hold you back. Go with it!

Passion provides the initiative we need to get moving. 2020 will be seen in history as one of the most devastating years our generation has witnessed. I don’t want to downplay at all how hard of a year it was for all of us. Through the exhaustion of it all, many people lost their passion and folded under the pressure of the chaos. Small businesses were simply crushed. Those businesses that survived 2020 as well as those that were birthed during it most likely have passion to thank for it.

Though my year came to a standstill like everyone else’s, I began stoking the flames of my passion again. While I couldn’t hold any public events for the ministry, I could do two things. First, I could reach out to other people online and encourage them and second, I could do something to improve myself. I learned to pivot, and after several months, some wonderful things happened.

I, like a lot of other people, learned to use Zoom to my advantage. I might have been stuck in my house, but I wasn’t going to stay isolated. I started hosting online Bible studies and I am so grateful I did. Two years later, I still host a Tuesday night Bible study. It keeps me sharp, fills my tank, and feeds my soul all at the same time.

In addition to venturing further into the online world, I registered for graduate level studies. Enrolling in Jakes Divinity School to start working on my Master of Arts in Theology during a worldwide shutdown was the exact thing I needed. Yep, my refreshed passion for God’s Word and the desire to teach others ignited a wildfire. It gave me the confidence I needed to prepare for a higher level of ministry. By working toward a higher level of ministry, I am opening myself up to opportunities that can further support and even possibly expand my dream.

Suffice to say, 2020 could have been a total wash, but thankfully my passion moved me beyond the circumstances and on to the next level of my dream.

Passion opens up opportunities that can lead to great success. I don’t know where your passion is trying to lead you, but I can tell you that mine has even led me geographically beyond what I was expecting. After putting my dream in motion here in the United States, opportunity came knocking and I was able to take my dream to Kenya! And since my trip to Africa, we have expanded She Steps Forward into She Steps Forward Ministries and She Steps Forward International.

Travis McAshan puts it this way: “Purpose may point you in the right direction but it’s passion that propels you.”

When you’re passionate about your purpose and you bring that energy to the table every single time, people will notice, and doors will open.

So, world changer, starting to feel a little inspired? Want to know how to live a consistent, passion-filled dream? Here are a few things to consider doing so your passion stays lit.

Get a 360-degree view of yourself. What do I mean, you ask? I want you to take some time to understand yourself both inside and out. While most of us know what some of our natural tendencies are, we don’t really know how they translate in the real world and how other people perceive us. We might think we’re being passionate, but someone else might see us as aggressive.

Taking the time to evaluate our personalities, our voice, and our spiritual giftings gives us a more well-rounded view of ourselves. It also helps us to identify our strengths and weaknesses. And most importantly, it helps us channel our passion in a productive manner –not a pushy one.

I highly recommend the following FREE quizzes. They come with detailed explanations of your results:

• 16 Personalities – Are you an Architect, a Campaigner, a Defender, or a Virtuoso?
• 5 Voices – Are you a Pioneer, a Creative, a Nurturer, a Guardian, or a Connector?
• Motivational Gifts – Are you a Server, a Teacher, a Ruler, a Perceiver?
• S.H.A.P.E Test – this one includes spiritual gifts

I can’t wait to find out what your 360-degree review looks like!

Knowing what makes you tick and knowing how to effectively convey your passion to others is just plain healthy.

Keep what’s important to you in front of you. All world changers go through periods of uncertainty. We start wondering, “What the heck have I gotten myself into?” The best way to fight back against uncertainty is to manage those things that are passion-killers, like exhaustion, overwhelm, or frustration and to get back to the basics.

During a period of uncertainty, a great question to ask is, “What was the need I identified and connected with that caused me to dream in the first place?” In other words, reflect back to the beginning when your passion and your purpose collided, and you just knew what you had to do! Then never lose sight of it.

One of the best ways to keep your dream alive and in focus is creating a vision board. It can be as simple as a small cork board where you post sayings and pictures that remind you of why your dream is so important and the kind of impact you are aiming for each and every day. The great thing about vision boards is that they can be revised on an annual basis or at the same time you make any revisions or upgrades to your dream.

Let go of the fear of being different. Can I be honest with you? Having a dream makes you different by default. Millions of people go through life day after day with absolutely no expectation that tomorrow will be any different. When a dreamer enters the picture, someone who constantly sees change and loves it, non-dreamers immediately think – weirdo!

But take a little advice from Jim Rohn: “If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.”

Think about it. Did anybody really think Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, or the Wright brothers were normal thinkers? No, the public probably thought: “Who do they think they are?”

Thank goodness they chose to embrace their uniqueness and their dreams, or we would not have the light bulb, understand physics, or be able to fly anywhere in the world today.

As Jennifer Lee says: “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

Lastly, as you age, don’t give apathy a ride. Nothing hurts my heart more than seeing a person’s passion die just because they celebrated another birthday. Let me say for the record, “retirement” does not exist in the Bible. It’s not there –take a look! This notion that we stop pursuing life at a certain age is an American ideal.

“You are never too old to set another goal, or to dream a new dream.” C.S. Lewis

Some of the happiest people in the world have followed their passions right up into the upper decades of their life. Let’s take Betty White for example. I love that this American born actress and comedian gave it her all right up until her death. Just a few weeks shy of her 100^th birthday, she was still following her passion of making people smile, and our lives were better because of it!

Take it from someone who defied apathy during aging:

“Everybody needs passion. That’s what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.” Betty White

Well world changer, ready to make your mark on the world? Let your passion be your secret weapon!