The Ball in the Fall 2015 at Trevecca University this past Saturday was an incredible event. Kudos to event founder Amanda Roberts and her devoted husband Dwayne for bringing a first of its kind, twelve-scene production to the stage just for women. Over one month in advance, more than a thousand women had registered to attend this free event to be refreshed, revived, and inspired. I am grateful to have been asked to play “The Doctor” in an intense, labor and delivery scene, and then encourage The Ball attendees to find the courage to birth their own dreams.
Following are a few highlights from my keynote:
“The greatest loss is the death of the soul when the body is still alive. When the body could still choose to follow that dream but doesn’t. I don’t care how old you are, if you’re breathing you can take a shot. You can do something. You can honor that song in your heart. We weren’t created to muddle through each day, barely surviving. We were intended to THRIVE!
I want to share three steps to help you find the courage to birth your dreams. First, you have to know what your dreams are so you must tune into your spirit, your heart, the essence of what makes you tick to find out what you are passionate about, and to find your song(s) to sing. The answers are already inside you, not “out there” somewhere. Nurture your spiritual maintenance just as you would your physical and emotional health. Think of it like a radio. Are you hearing static or is the signal clear?
Second, silence the doubt! Stop the limiting chatter, but don’t throw it out—it’s valuable! Write down your specific negative beliefs, revise them into powerful truths and re-program your brain by reading these daily. You can’t move forward if you are chained to unbelief!
And third, start taking some action. Small steps lead to big change! We won’t get anywhere overnight but we won’t get anywhere at all if we don’t start moving, so choose one thing today, a small step, to get you going in the right direction. Without action, our best goals will remain wishes.
New awareness can sometimes lead to fear, but the cure for fear is always ACTION!
“I’m afraid!” Do it anyway.
“I may fail!” Do it anyway, because either way you will grow.
“What if it doesn’t work?” It definitely won’t work if you don’t try, but what if it does?
“Who will I be if my dream doesn’t work out?” I don’t know, but who are you now, with an unsung song in your heart?”
JUST START. Take the first small step and share your dream with a supportive friend who can hold you accountable and who can be your cheerleader. In fact, I’ve started a cheerleader network on my website at FindingTheGift.com. Join the FTG community to share your victories and struggles, and encourage each other by interacting on “our” website.
The measure of our dream’s success isn’t defined by the outward manifestation that everyone else can see. We will know we are living our dreams when we feel an inward sense of peace and fulfillment, walking in passion and authentic alignment every day, using our unique gifts, whatever those are. Step one: Tune In. Step Two: Silence the Doubt. Step Three: Just Start!
How many of us would like to give our own precious child a gift and have it sit on their dresser every day unopened when we know how amazing the present is inside? How painful would it be to know they never took the time or found the courage to open it? Find your gift. Open your gift! Find the courage to let your dreams LIVE!”
Ladies were encouraged to join the FTG community to support each other as we all continue on our own journeys. “Door prizes” were promised and the winners are in! Three women were randomly chosen to receive an advance copy of my new book, Finding the Gift: Daily Meditations for Mindfulness (Stay tuned for official book launch, coming soon!). And two women were randomly chosen to receive a thirty minute coaching session with me. The winners of the books are Debbie, Kathy, and Tammy. The winners of the coaching sessions are Marsha and Ana. Congratulations! Each of you will be contacted in the next few days by email.
Thanks to all of you who have joined “our” community and received your free eBook, Ten Secrets for Finding the Gift. (A free gift just for joining the community! If you haven’t already, sign up in the orange box on the right, or if you’re on a mobile device, scroll down to the bottom of the page. Your free eBook will be delivered immediately.) I can’t wait to see what gifts each of you bring to share. Have a great day Finding the Gift!
