It is easy to be caught up watching what others have and get jealous. It is indeed a human emotion because of the fall but it must be handled well. It is easier to look at what people have and desire it than to work for something. It is easy to compare your life to others are feel like it is unfair but is it? Of course not! I will not talk a lot about it because we know it.

One conversation changed my heart on this one.

It was at the end of a long month and Jenny, (not her real name), is down an her head was hanging low because she could not figure how her family would eat or even go to school that month. She did not know how to get to work or support her parents. She had done all she could but every time she seemed to hit one wall after another. She worked harder, longer and smarter (or so she thought) but alas. Nothing was changing.

Looking around her, she found that everyone seemed to be doing super well but for one reason or another she was not rising. The opportunities she found did not turn out as planned. Job after job, hope after hope, dream after dream did not pan out as expected. It was so hard to keep dealing and walking but she had no choice but to hold onto hope, whatever that meant. Every day she battled discouragement and sadness but kept a lid on it so that no one around her noticed so they would leave her alone. Hiding had become her norm

One day a confrontation flipped a switch big time.

She had a session with a coach in a last-ditch effort to get things going. They were talking about finding one’s way and though intriguing, it just did not make sense. Coach talked about finding peace in the process and doing the work and the goal would be attained. How was it possible that everything would work just because one put in the effort? She had been trying to do that for so long to no avail. However, she was determined to understand and make the needed changes to get out of the rut.

It all made sense when coach broke it down to five simple things needed to keep the dream alive and on track. Initially, it was hard to understand but as the conversation continued things got clearer.

• Assess: look deep and understand exactly what ails you. What is holding you back? What are your thoughts? What do you believe? Where did this come from? It is important to dig deep because the truth of the situation is rarely on the surface. Whenever you find a ‘reason’ challenge it, question its validity, break it down until you get to the root.

• Accept: Understand who you are, how you were created and become comfortable with yourself. You are unique and have a very specific path established for you. There is a space in the world that looks like you and fits your shape, connect to that.

• Articulate: when you know who you are, stand up and speak what God has spoken to you and what you expect of your life. Have a clear vision, know what you bring to the world and live it out every day. Speak it to yourself every day. Write it out and read it every day. When things are out of whack speak out what you believe and stand firm, speaking out!

• Act: Rise up and move towards your goal. take a step every day. Make clear effort to move forward. No looking back or turning away from the path. Anyone who wants to make progress, must take decisive action not aimless action. Be sure to be making progress in the desired direction not just move around aimlessly.

• Account: Track the journey on paper and with your people. Let the team ask the hard questions and challenge your actions to ensure your heart is right, your mind is on point and your goal is still in sight.

Beloved, it is possible to become everything you are established and created to be but you have to do the work. Nothing in this world happens by magic or chance; it is all through hard work and commitment. Even a deeper relationship with God takes discipline and desire to know Him better. Do the work and the rest falls into place.

Stand on the WORD in hope and become everything that you were established to be.

Shalom.