Ain’t No Lesson Like a Bought Lesson
Jumping to your next level of greatness isn’t easy. If it were, you’d see more people leaving dead-end jobs and unhappy marriages, and getting to the business of finding out their gift or going for the job of their dreams.
But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try to go beyond what you can see is possible in your life. When you take that first jump, it’s going to be challenging. But when you jump, learn to jump again and again. With each jump, you develop the confidence to take a bigger leap of faith. With every leap, you gain the faith to take on the next mountain on your path. The more you jump, the more you will look back and be amazed at how far God has brought you.
There Are No Straight Lines in Nature
The great things in life aren’t nearby, they aren’t easy to find, and when you do find them, they aren’t easy to get. Diamonds aren’t lying around on the ground. Pearls aren’t sitting there on the grass waiting for you. Diamonds are found deep in the earth. Pearls are at the bottom of the sea.
If you want something more in life, life is going to require more from you. You cannot get it without a massive and sustained effort. You can’t find oil without digging miles into the ground, without hard, sustained work. Now, there aren’t any guarantees that you will get it, certainly not right away. But you won’t get it if you don’t try, if you don’t jump. True success is never free; you have to do some work.
If You’re Going Through Hell, Keep Going
It’s normal to have some anxiety after a major jump. It’s a place you haven’t been before. You need time to adjust. You need space to contemplate options and listen to the voice of God.
Inevitably, when you sit still, somebody is going to recognize what an honorable thing you have done. Anyone in a position of authority will know because they have been there, too. Any successful person knows that most decisions have to come by making hard choices. It’s only a matter of time before someone says, “She took the heat, she held her head high, and now a few more people can hold on to their jobs. She did the right thing.” Your son or your daughter may not appreciate it now, but they will be able to look back and see that your being hard on them when they decided to be a knucklehead will have an ultimate payoff in their future. They will come to thank you for the lessons.
Life Is a Four-Letter Word
Understand that when you fail, you are in the midst of a great lesson. You must put your hopes in motion, and God will bless your steps if you are taking some. Life is a series of lessons learned and failures overcome.
Though you may not know exactly what your journey will be to bring you to your dream, be open to the process, and seize the opportunities God presents to you.
The higher you climb in life and the more you attain, the fewer people you will have to count on. As you get to the top of wherever you are on your journey, there will be fewer people doing the things that you are doing. Does that mean you are supposed to be afraid of climbing? No. You have to make your journey up to the top.
A Man Without a Vision or a Dream Shall Perish
No business starts by generating $100 million in revenue out of the gate. You start with one product or one idea. Coca-Cola began with one formula for a can of cola. Apple began with one home computer. The Wright brothers began with their hope of putting a plane in the sky.
What is the one idea that you can begin with today? What is the one service that you can do better than anyone else? What is that one product that you know everybody loves? You need only one solid idea to make that jump.
No matter what level you are on, whether you are a CEO with a seven-figure salary or an aspiring entrepreneur with a great idea, you have to appreciate every accomplishment along the way. Every victory should be a confidence booster to let you know that even more is possible. Once you get a few victories under your belt, you can keep building on your vision and making your dreams even bigger.
Stop Existing and Start Living
By facing life’s challenges, you will emerge stronger, and God will reward you by providing you with a larger manifestation of your dreams.
Accept that change is inevitable and allows you to grow, and participate in the change. Don’t base your hopes on your perceived limitations. Take inventory of those in your life, and surround yourself only with positive people.
Never let your past mistakes or your fears stop you from jumping.
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit—
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out—
The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It might be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
—Anonymous