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TITLE: Diligence is the key to your dreams
By Christine Pembleton
05/17/07
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Men/Women 18+ who are looking to move forward with their vision. This could be considered inspirational more than Christian, since no scriptures are referenced.
Racing Towards the Finish Line
Diligence is a key to realizing your dream

If life were a race, and we the runners, the finish line would be our dreams. Sometimes, our dreams can seem so far away. From time to time, the finish line, which was so clear when we started running, can appear to be such a distance. We can get discouraged. We might even say to ourselves, “Why bother? The end is so far from now, why should I continue pressing?”

But consider that finish line. When you put on your running sneakers and started this race, that finish line was so tasty. It was worth more to you than sleeping a few more minutes or reading the Sunday funnies. That finish line motivated you to begin, and now that you've started, it can still motivate you to continue.

This is not the time to throw in the towel. It's the time to keep on going. What separates the dreamers from the achievers is simply that achievers keep pressing no matter what. Achievers have tenacity; they stay concentrated on their goals until they see them come alive. Within you is that same tenacity. You have what it takes. But it’s not the time to quit until your feet cross that big, white line.

Diligence is the key to realizing your dreams. No, it's not knowledge, or even the right amount of money. It's not wisdom, or the right connections. All these things can be obtained through others. But diligence can only come from within. If we don't daily commit ourselves to move forward, we will never reach the goals God has set for us in the time He has given us.

Diligence, by definition, is attentive and persistent effort. One time is not going to do it. We have to strive and strive, over and over again, to reach our ultimate goal. Sometimes, we want credit for the effort we've already exerted. Mini-goals and mini-steps help to keep us motivated. But passing one class, one semester, or even one year of college doesn't earn us a degree. It's only when we complete all the requirements that we can truly rest.

Fall in love with the process
Accept the fact that you have no choice but to succeed. Once you do, you can learn to love the process of achieving your dream. You might not love to study for the exams, but studying will get you the grades you need to get that Bachelor's Degree. The end goal allows you to love the studying, and feel proud that you're moving forward. In all things, you can find something to enjoy. Celebrate each step, one after another after another.

Love yourself by being consistent with your dream
You are worth the hard work! It's takes so much to accomplish our dreams, because they are so huge. We can sometimes give up on ourselves out of self-loathing. We are trying to punish ourselves for believing we can be more than what we are. It's okay to spend time on your dreams. Your dreams are what make you valid. They define you. By being consistent, you are validating your right to exist.

Giving up is not an option
An ever-present mantra of the successful is "Never, never quit!" There is no excuse for moving backward. Today is a great day to start your new goals. Why wait until Monday to start that diet? If it is in your power to do, now is the time to do it. If going back is an option for you, burn that bridge! Set yourself in the position that it is harder for you to move backward than to move forward. Every time the thought comes to you to quit, make the decision to say no!

Every race as a time constraint; and every dream as a time limit. God only gives us a certain time on this earth to live out our purpose. We each experience different seasons of life, and some accomplishments can only take place within those seasons. There is a season for a woman to give birth naturally. Once that season is over, the body cannot physically carry a baby to full term. It is the same with our lives. What a horrible feeling to know that an opportunity has passed, never to be realized, because we didn’t give it the time it needed to mature.

Consider this message a friendly pep talk from your personal trainer. Reset your sights on that finish line, and keep peddling your feet towards the prize. Sooner than later, that finish line will be closer than ever. And you’ll be standing at the winner’s circle in victory.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.