Friday, March 9, 2012

Faith During Your Journey to Succcess

"Optimism is key to reaching high levels of success."~ Valorie Burton

Hello all!

I am currently reading Valorie Burton's book, "The Successful Woman Thinks Differently". There has never been a truer statement! The journey to success is not an easy one. There are twists, turns, ups, downs, long roads seemingly headed nowhere and complete dead- ends. Sometimes, "Why even bother?" creeps into our hearts and minds because the headaches associated with succeeding sometimes seem like too much! This is why so many give up before even really getting started or throw in the towel just on the brink of their breakthrough.

I have learned that in order to be successful, your thought process has to be one of a hopeful, faith-filled, optimistic person. Success is a result of pushing through and persevering! In order to do this though, you must know your purpose. You have to know why you are pushing toward what you are pushing toward! If you were to sit down and evaluate your life's purpose, would you know what it would be? Do you have any idea how you would get there? Once these questions have been answered, the next question should be; "Am I willing to do what it takes to get there"? If the answer is a resounding 'Yes!' then there is where you begin. Yes, thats only the beginning!

The next step is perhaps the hardest one for some; having enough faith in God to know He is going to take you places you have never even dreamed you could go. This is not something I came up with on my own. The bible says, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us..." Ephesians 3:20. The journey to success is just that- a journey. Journeys are never easy. Perpetual "bumps" in the road are inevitable. These bumps come in the form of rejection, financial issues, temporary failures, fear, etc,etc. During this time faith is your stronghold. Optimism results from your faith. Your faith reminds you that God is with you. These temporary setbacks are in their own way, propelling you forward by teaching you what works and what doesn't. Your faith reminds you of what the bible says in Mark 11:24: "Therefore I say unto you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and you shall have them."

Despite what you may see around you your faith in God will push you through and give you the desire of your heart. Being optimistic in this way is not for the weak-hearted woman. You must have a strong belief in God, a strong sense of self, and a strong sense of purpose. You must believe in your vision. This vision is yours and yours only. No one can truly see it except you and God. If you are blessed enough to have a great support system behind you then thank God! Having people in your life who believe in your vision is a true blessing! However, if you don't, don't give up. You have the vision you have because God gave it to YOU! If the vision is there, it is there for a reason!

Lets look at some examples: What was Tyler Perry's vision? How many supporters did he have at first? What was his journey? Where is his vision now?
What was God's vision for Moses? Who believed in Moses' vision at first? What was Moses' journey like? What was the result of Moses' journey?
Oprah Winfrey? Madam C.J. Walker? Kem? These are just a precious few examples. I could go on and on. There are so many similarities in the journeys of these people. One of the main ones is the fact that they (seemingly) failed so many times but something in them kept propelling them forward. Yes there were insecurities and feelings of doubt and despair. Through it all though, something made these people keep going util they accomplished the unthinkable and some are still going!

This journey to success is not an easy one but it is definitely one that can be accomplished. Having a firm belief in God and yourself is key to getting to where you want to go. Optimism is a result of your faith. Being optimistic in the midst of temporary failures and setbacks will allow you to find the lessons intended for your benefit and will allow you to be confident that you will succeed no matter what!

I hope this helps someone as it has helped me!

Here's to your success!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE THIS! I NEEDED TO HEAR THESE ENCOURAGING WORDS!