Sometimes we say things like, “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”, or “Just be committed and have a positive attitude, and it will happen.”, “Name it and claim it.” – as if by magic, our thoughts alone create what we want. My experiences don’t line up with this way of thinking.
Self
I’m not saying miracles don’t occur. I believe I’ve seen divine intervention on a few occasions. What I’m talking about is the idea that we just name what we want and claim it. In my experience, I need to follow up my dreams, intentions, and commitments with action.
In addition, I don’t bet the “whole farm” on a single deal. Success in the next deal is not guaranteed despite my thoughts and attitudes. Perhaps the primary purpose of my next deal is mainly for me to learn, and I just don’t know it yet.
At the same time, I do believe that our thinking and our attitude about something can greatly help or hinder our success. If, for example, we enter into a situation thinking that we will fail, we will likely subconsciously sabotage the situation and cause it to fail. So, I believe thinking patterns are very important. They’re just not enough without action.
God
One thing I’m learning recently and I am still wrestling with is to trust God’s interaction in my life. I see God doing things in my life consistently, but I’m having a hard time trusting on it. God has been sustaining us financially for quite a while now by bringing business our way – as if by magic. Yet, I still become anxious when things ebb.
I need to trust that the source of my life – what brings life and sustains it, doesn’t come from my next deal, my next gig, or my next client. It comes from God. And I don’t need to desperately cling to the next thing as if it’s the only thing that will provide for us.
God and Self
I find that there is a dance between God and I. I don’t do it all myself. Yet, I don’t sit on the couch and wait for God’s magical providence either. He leads, and I follow to the best of my ability. We dance. Sometimes I fall down, and He picks me up.
Sometimes I’m waiting on God, but most of the time He is waiting on me as I wrestle through my fears and hesitations. Sometimes I find myself dancing by myself only to discover that God has been dancing with me all along. I just didn’t know it. And sometimes God carries me in the dance because I have stopped dancing.
I believe that learning this dance well is a key to accomplishing great things in life. Instead of “name it and claim it”, it’s all about dancing.
