Ready, Set, Goals - Day 11: Are Your Dreams Non-Negotiable?

Your dreams are priceless. Success in achieving your goals depends in large part to the value you place on your goals and dreams. What is the amount of money you would take in place of your dreams?
That is a critical question because it determines at what price point you will say, “Dreams, they never come true anyways.”

People come up with a gazillion excuses as to why they have not yet realized or at least started toward their dreams.






Some of the more famous excuses are…

“I don’t have the time.”

“I don’t have the money.”

“I could never do that, it was just a dream.”

“I’ll do it when I get older.”

“I’ll do it when the kids are grown up.”

“There’s no money in it.”

“What would people think.”

“I’m too old now, I should have done it when I was younger.”

“I have a family to support.”

                      …and on and on the list goes.


A Small Price on His Birthright: The Story of Jacob and Esau (Gen 25:20 - 28:5)

Esau and Jacob were twin brothers. Esau was the oldest by a few minutes, so he was entitled to the birthright and inheritance. But his brother Jacob was their mother’s favorite son. She came up with a plan to help Jacob buy the birthright from his brother Esau.

Jacob made some lentil soup and when his brother Esau had returned home after working very, very hard, he asked Jacob for some lentil soup. Jacob agreed to give him some lentil soup if he would give up his birthright. Esau was so hungry that he agreed to give up his birthright, his inheritance for a bowl of lentils.

Esau sold his birthright for a measly bowl of lentils. That was his price. That is what he was willing to take in exchange for his dream. But there is a second part to the story. Although Jacob had bought the birthright he still needed the blessing of his father Isaac.

Jacob’s mother helped him disguise himself as Esau. You see Esau was a very hairy man so Jacob’s mother helped him cover himself with hair and she also prepared his fathers favorite meal. Now with his disguise and meal in hand, Jacob went in unto his father who could barely see.

His father was suspicious because Jacob didn’t sound like Esau. His father reached over and felt his arms and thanks to the disguise, Jacob fooled his father and received the blessing. You can imagine that when Esau found out he was highly upset. In fact, he wanted to kill Jacob.

Jacob’s had to flee for his life. Jacob had the birthright and the blessing, but he had to give up everything to get them. Esau sold his birthright and lost the blessing because one night he was hungry.

What will you take in exchange for your dream?

Like Esau many sell their dreams for a meal, or a meal ticket. They give up on their dreams for a secure (not so much anymore) job. A job is fine if it’s your DREAM Job. Maybe you always dreamed of being a doctor or a teacher or a nurse. Then by all means go for your dream job.

Now that you have identifies your goals and dreams you must develop and determination and perseverance to accomplish them. Again, most people get this far and not much farther. The purpose of the series is to,

Help you Identify your goals and dreams, and to declare Why you want to achieve them, then to Expect to achieve and finally, take Action towards achieving them.

Yes, there will be challenges and days you just want to take the easy road. There will be days you wish you could just win the lottery and buy your dreams. But the truth is you cannot buy your dreams either.

If you go out and somehow artificially but your dreams you deprive yourself of the journey and the person you will become as a result of going for your dreams. True success cannot be bought, it must be earned. Jacob bought the birthright but he still needed to earn the blessing, and he only got that by deception too. That is why God changed his name from Jacob, which means deceiver, to Israel.

Do not deceive yourself into thinking that you can live a “life on purpose” while denying yourself of “your purpose in life.”

This is a step that many people skip in setting goals. And it is a major reason they do not ever reach those goal. A resolution is a promise to change something in your life that you are not satisfied with, whereas a goal or dream is a passionate desire to fulfill your right to an abundant life. In other words, you seek a lifestyle change. You seek purpose and value and meaning in your life.

What is the most famous new years resolution? I think it is “This year I’m going to lose weight.” Of course there are others like stop smoking, stop drinking, read more, spend more time with kids, etc.

Now the reason this resolution does not make it into February is because it is not attached to some greater purpose. That is why I spent so much time having you declare your WHY. Why is it your goal or dream? Your why has to be strong, unbreakable, non-negotiable.

People will try to negotiate you out of your dreams. They do this for selfish reasons and if you probe long enough you will discover it to be thus. Watch out for negative people who will try to make you feel silly for having a dream.

I know some of you might be thinking, yes, but you do not know what it’s like living with so and so, or working at such and such company, or being broke or losing a loved one, or, or, or…

I do know what most of those situations are like, but I also know I had a choice to accept them and remain in bondage to them, or to overcome them and use them as building blocks for reaching my dreams and accomplishing my goals.

"Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them."  ~Einstein

If you think your problems are holding you back – then they certainly will hold you back all of your life.

But if you think of your problems as experiences and opportunities to climb to great heights in success, personal growth, quality of life and dream builders, then they will certainly be that for you.

I know this is the hard part. That is why I will be with you every step of the way. Each week I will send you a reminder to keep moving forward. In that reminder will be testimonials, motivation, Inspiration, insight, tips, ideas and resources to keep you on track.

You need to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, “The Goal-Getters”

You assignment is to catch up on any of the previous post and/or sit back and visualize what your new life will be like. Use all five senses and really imagine your amazing new life with your goals accomplished and your dreams realized. Again, be specific and see it as clearly as you can. Smile and breathe deeply and think thoughts of gratitude.

Ready, Set, Goals - Day 10: Are You a Soaring Eagle or a Circling Buzzard?

Eagles are goal-oriented birds. They are success minded and use their various skills toward a specific aim or purpose.

Buzzards on the other hand are weak-minded, opportunistic birds. They too have aim and purpose, but their intent is to get what they can by the efforts of others – to take advantage of others.

The masses choose the buzzard lifestyle. Think about a buzzard (aka. Vulture). It is of the family of eagles and hawks, but is far from the majesty and grandeur of an eagle. Why? Because buzzards spot something that is dying and then circle above it waiting for it to die so they can eat.



The Mentality of the Buzzard

Why doesn’t the buzzard kill it itself or finish it off? Because of fear. Buzzards have weak claws. They live off the hard work of other animals. They live a life of hoping and waiting for their next meal to be served up by some other animal.

Most people are the same way. They won’t admit it, but it is true. They need someone else to provide for them whether it’s the government or an employer.

The culprit is fear. Fear will keep you in bondage to a so-so life. But there is an undercurrent of fear. People simply sell their birth right of an abundant and prosperous life because of fear of the unknown, or more simply put, hunger. We’ll get deeper into fear and overcoming fear on day eleven.

The Mentality of the Eagle

I don’t know of any country that has chosen the buzzard for their national symbol. When people see an eagle whether in person or in a picture or on a movie screen their reaction is always one of awe. Why? Because the symbolic power, strength and freedom associated with the Bald Eagle in particular, resonates deep within our spirit - which is why they were selected as the U.S. national symbol.

The eagle has a certain presence, especially when in flight. The eagle while in flight can see its target from a great distance and can see another eagle soaring nearly 50 miles away.

Notice that the vulture (aka. Buzzard) does not get the same reaction. Why? Because they only eat what something else had already killed. They are incapable of seeking out their own means of subsistence. They have weak claws and live chiefly on "carrion" (dead and decaying flesh).

Eagles have a different mentality altogether. Eagles are birds of opportunity. They get out there and look for what they want and need. Eagles are powerful and courageous and skillful hunters.

Do you remember those National Geographic documentaries? I remember seeing one on eagles and they showed an eagle zero in on its goal – in this case a fish swimming in the ocean. That eagle was able to spot it’s goal (target) from miles away, head towards it, swoop down and pluck it out of the water with it’s claws and hardly lose any momentum. They can do the same thing with small animals on land.

You have to have that kind of determination about your goals and dreams if you are ever to capture them. Imagine that the ocean is full of all the goals and dreams of every living person in the world. Your goals are in this vast ocean of possibility. In order for you to obtain your goals and realize your dreams, you first have to identify them - you have done that part already.

Take Action

Now comes the part where most people fall short…taking action. Now you must possess relentless determination and skill and knowledge and passion. It is all within you already, but it is up to you to develop it, refine it and bring it out. You must align yourself with other eagle-like individuals and groups.

As you begin to think of yourself as eagle-like, and you begin to hang out with and learn from other eagles, you will your claws getting stronger, your eyesight for spotting opportunities getting sharper, your ability to soar towards you goals improving and your outlook on how great life can and will be expanding. You will see farther than you have ever seen before – beyond what the physical eye can see.

You must take action. Take flight to the ocean where your dreams and goals are swimming around just waiting for you to take hold of them. You have to recognize them and swoop down and grasp them and soar with them to the land of fulfillment. That abundant life is for everyone, but God will not force it upon you.


Exercise 13:

What is Your Mentality?

Write out you answer, response or reaction to each statement below.

How do you spend your Days? Time? Life?...

On the lookout for opportunities or hoping for one?___________________________________________

Expecting greatness or accepting the status quo?_____________________________________________

With love in your heart or bitterness and contempt?___________________________________________

Expecting success or anticipating failure?___________________________________________________

Giving of your time and talents or using others for your own gain?________________________________

Loving people and using money or using people and loving money?_______________________________

Being a Go Giver or being a Go Getter?___________________________________________________

In gratitude and thankfulness or in selfishness and being un-thankful?______________________________

In prayer and meditation or in wishful thinking?______________________________________________

In finding ways to serve or in finding ways to be served?_______________________________________

Going the extra mile or stopping short of a mile every chance you get?____________________________

Building value-rich relationships or shallow “what’s in it for me” relationships?_______________________

Appreciating what you have or complaining about what you don’t have?___________________________

Sowing seeds rich in giving or sowing seeds of me and mine?____________________________________

Developing a more meaningful me, or this is who I am so whoever doesn’t like it, too bad?_____________

I look for the positive in every situation or there can’t be a positive in every situation?_________________

Growing, improving & manifesting or stagnant, under-developed & unclear?________________________

Setting goals or hoping for the best?______________________________________________________

Keeping physically fit or I’ll get in shape someday?___________________________________________

Eating healthy foods or I worry about that after my body starts falling apart?________________________

Keeping my home & work areas clutter free or I know where everything is?________________________

I am Happy or I will be happy when XYZ happens?__________________________________________

I smile more often than not or there’s not much to smile about these days?__________________________

I speak mainly high-energy words or I say whatever comes to my mind?___________________________

I look for the good in everyone or I can’t see past other’s faults?_________________________________

I have ways to motivate myself or I went to one of those motivational things once?____________________

I am passionate about my goals and dreams or I’m only in it for the money?_________________________

I live my life with purpose or the only purpose in life is to survive the best you can?____________________

I tithe or give 10% of my earnings or I barely have enough to take care of my own?___________________

I accept responsibility for where I am in life right now or it’s not my fault?__________________________

As much as possible I think positive thoughts or who can keep that up all the time?___________________

The glass is half full or half empty?________________________________________________________

I read non-fiction books for personal development or I prefer to watch television?____________________

I find inspiring and creative ways to unwind or I need a drink (alcohol) to unwind?____________________

I network with success-minded people or I network with whoever I can pitch?______________________

What I do today determines my tomorrows or I might not be here tomorrow so who cares?_____________


**Write a few of your own and share them in the comment section below.

Again I ask the question…

Are you a soaring eagle or a circling buzzard?

You do not want to get stuck going in circles day in and day out, month after month and year after year. Buzzards fly around in circles but are going nowhere. Most people are living their lives the same way – circling around mediocrity.

I know that saying, “Birds of a feather flock together” is cliché and over-used, but nevertheless, it is true.

Have you ever seen an eagle flying around with a bunch of buzzards?

I know someone is thinking, yeah, but what if you’re married to one?

Go back to the above list. You’ll find your answers there. Each situation is different. Each person is different. So far, we as a nation have not gone out and shot all the buzzards in the world because we think they are useless or lack character or skill. If we look for the good in them, we’ll surely find it.

Stop circling and focusing on your problems and fears. Get out there, soar, and you’ll find solutions and opportunities that will blow your mind and blast your problems and fears right out of your life.

Keep working on your projects:
Project 1: Your Vision Board
Project 2: Your Success Notebook

Copyright© 2009 Anita Crawford Clark       All rights reserved worldwide

Your Heart's Sunrise

Did you catch that sunrise this morning?

Wow, God never ceases to amaze me. He has given us another day.

But what will we do with this precious gift?

Will we greet this day with love in our hearts?
Will we love our neighbors as ourselves?
Will we use our God given talents to bless others, our community, the world?
Will we release bitterness and allow forgiveness to flow?
Will we believe God for that miracle or answer to our prayer?
Will we give God thanks in ALL Things as we go through our day?
Will we forget about ourselves and help someone else solve their problem?
Will we release "doubt" & "fear" and take hold of a "sound mind" & "courage"?
Will we deepen our relationship with God, pastors, spouse, children, relatives, friends and colleagues?

 In other words will we die out to self? Will we decrease so He can increase?

If you desire to do these things, change every "Will we" to "I will" and repeat them silently or outloud as often as you need to until you believe it, feel it and expect it.

God Loves You. Have a Great Day and Future.

Are You Passionate About Your Goals?

Here is an affirmation to help keep you on track...

I am passionate about my goals.

My passion drives me forward to live the life of my dreams. I know what I want in life and set goals to get me there. I know that each goal I achieve brings me in union with what I desire. I feel truly invigorated with each success!

Meeting a goal, no matter how big or small, strengthens my confidence and self-esteem. I enjoy these feelings and strive to recieve them as often as possible.

Setting and achieving goals is a never-ending circle of positivity that fuels my passion even more. My passion encourages me to persevere over obstacles and it is replenished and increased with every goal I complete.

My passion enables my success. I use tools to ignite and refuel my passion on a daily basis, even when I face challenges that try to smother it.

My tools include affirmations to transform negative thoughts into positive ones, mediataion to relax and rejuvenate my energy, prayer to connect my spirit with the Highest Power Source - Jesus, and notes and pictures to inspire and remind me of my goals.

Today, I choose to feel inspired by my passion and let the excitement propel me forward to achieve my goals, regardless of any challenges that may arise.

Action Questions: Don't just read them, answer them and then put action behind them. DO Them!
Do Something. Do Anything, but don't just sit there hoping your goals will be achieved...See That They Are!

1. Am I passionate about my goals?

How badly do you want change?
What are you willing to give up to achieve your goals?
What is the alternative if you do not reach your goals and live your dreams?

Remember the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" with Jame Stweart where he got a chance to see what the world would be like if he had never been born. Now I want you to imagine what your Life will be like if you do not go after your dreams and reach your goals. What are you going to do with the Time God has given you here on earth?

2. Where can I find additional inspiration?

I would start with the BIBLE!

Then there are quotes to inspire and encourage.

Other like-minded, success striving, abundant living people. Careful here though- stay clear of negative people who will pull you down to where they are and where they intend to stay - mediocrity. You are above average. You are an Over-Comer. You are an Abundant Life Living Person. Why would you take advice from your broke and dead-end job friends and family.

3. What task can I achieve today to fuel my passion and get me back on track toward my goals?

Make up your mind you WILL Succeed! It first starts with a decision. Then you must believe it is going to happen. EXPECT IT!

Write down your goals and review them often.

Get training and/or coaching from those who are where you want to be.

Pray! and if you Pray, don't doubt or worry. If you are going to worry-no need to pray because you are showing that you do not really believe "That With God ALL Things Are Possible"

Now get out there, get out of the nest of confort and ease, spead your Wings and Soar to the Land of Possiblity!!!