Inspiration, Motivation, Striving for the Best

This year, I made a list of things to do while I am 17. I have been a halfhearted, good enough person for my entire life. A person who does 'good enough' but not 'the best'. Someone who quits when I feel like it, a person who does not push to the breaking point. In school, I did well, but not my best, in the gym, I went hard, but not the hardest, in my music, I played passionately, but not the most passionately. I decided that that is enough halfhearted, weak attempts. I decided that dreams are not caught by jogging comfortably, but by sprinting until your heart bursts out of your chest. I decided to give everything everything I have in me, to try my best and then do better.

After deciding this I was faced with the mountain of a question: How?
How in the world do I give every single part of me to every single aspect of my life, my dream, my passion?

How am I supposed to give everything in me to my life when I can't even wake up before 9 a.m.? How am I supposed to sprint after my dreams when I absolutely hate cardio?

I believe in dreams, and going after them.  I have written about this before, but right now I feel like I need to write more about this. It seems like people are afraid to chase their dreams, or believe that they aren't sensible. I feel like people say "I always wanted to do that...", but I am asking "Why didn't you?" I refuse to be an 80 year old woman wishing I had done the things I dreamed of doing. I refuse to be married and have 3 kids and wish I went on that crazy road trip with my friends after high school. I refuse to let dreams just be dreams. I want stories, I want boldness.

It takes a lot of work and exhaustion to give your all to your passions and chase after those dreams hard. It takes motivation and a smart mindset.

Today, not only reminding you, but reminding myself, I'm going to share motivation to chase those beautiful dreams you have in your sweet little hearts.

I'm not going to lie, sprinting, jogging,  and even walking after your dream is such a difficult, tiring journey. Discouragement is so easy to catch and so hard to shake. I say that because yesterday, when I first began this post, my heart was all aflutter and my 'dream shoes' were laced up, and I was sprinting after my dream all morning. And today, I am feeling utterly discouraged and inadequate to chase my dream.

That hurts, a whole lot.

It's actually quite terrifying being a dream chaser.

Let's get our favorite coffee mug (I have several), and go over a few pointers.

Stay Focused

As we sprint, we see on the side lines the few people cheering us on. We see that new person, who is possibly over-enthusiastic. We slow down to take a closer look, and the next thing we know we're stopped in the middle of the Dream Marathon having a chit chat with this new supporter. Suddenly we're falling behind, and we try to catch up. Then, taking a look back, we see the new, over enthusiastic supporter is farther in the back, and walking away from the trail. Stay focused. Let those who cheer you on cheer, keep your eyes ahead, looking toward the Prize.

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." philippians 3.14

Don't Be Discouraged

If you have run any length, you know that the time drags on. 5 minutes can seem like half an hour, and you get discouraged, ready to quit before the time is up. However, discouragement can occasionally be good (if it is not too much discouragement). When you are discouraged, stop and take a breather. Ask yourself, 'Why am I discouraged?", and then make changes. Are you discouraged because you are thirsty? Drink some water:

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." john 4.14

Are you hungry? Eat some bread:

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger;..." john 6.35

Are you tired? Rest, sweet one:

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." matthew 11.28

 We cannot run endlessly without resting, re-hydrating, and carb loading. Jesus is the sweetest and most fulfilling place to do so. Don't give up, rest, and run a little further.

Believe in the Creator

I put 'believe in yourself', and then I realized, we can do nothing, absolutely nothing. We cannot run without the legs He created, or the lungs He drew, or the heart He built. It is only by the grace and mercy of our Savior that we even have dreams or hearts to chase them. It is only Him that can give us the strength and support we need to follow our dreams. So I do not say to you, "Believe in yourself, you can do it!" but rather, "Lean on God, He will give you strength and provide you with the means to accomplish what you desire." 

"The Lord is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed." psalm 28.8

Give Your All

What is done well, that is not done fully? If you have a dream, yet you do not give your all to it, then how do you expect to accomplish it? I have concluded that the only way to give my everything to everything, is to give my everything to Jesus. I am not my own person, I am His Dream Chaser. What I have to offer to the things I am passionate about is nothing unless I have given it to the Potter to mold and form into worth while art. First, give your heart, your dreams, your passions and desires to the One Who gave them to you, and He will surely help you sprint after them. What you have accomplished, you have not done so on your own. Give Jesus everything. 

"Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength." 1 chronicles 16.28

Now go and chase your dreams, or rest, or surrender so that you can start chasing.