ummmm...what? I took all the games off my phone? Isn't having apps and games part of the fun of having a smart phone? Well yeah. Having mindless entertainment at my fingertips sounds like a perfect time. Here's the problem with that: Being mindless isn't a good thing. We were created to use our brains. By sitting and staring at a tiny little screen making the little man jump around, we are essentially teaching our brain how to be useless.
Now you might be telling me, "well, the games I play on my phone involve brain teasers and math problems, and require a bunch of logic." Which, to that I say, fine. If you want to keep your games, keep them. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. I'm simply explaining why I chose to take everything off mine. I'm even thinking about taking Facebook off, even though I use it for my business all the time. Having all these things that I could be doing instead of developing myself further is holding me back, not pushing me forward.
If I'm not sitting playing a game on my phone, it gives me more time to write, or research for my blog, or go on twitter and work on marketing. I have so much more time to do things I need to do rather than just what I want to do. I'll have time to work on my online classes, and learn things I need to learn in order to be as successful as I can be. I have taken to turning off all my data when I'm working, so that even when I get an email, my phone doesn't ding all the time. I'm able to be so much more productive than I thought, because of how I am choosing to spend my time. Candy Crush can't do for me what other things can. Even just taking the 5 minutes I would normally take to drive my little car on hill climb to read a book instead can take my life to new heights.
What do you do to take back control of your time? Leave a comment! I'd love to hear! Don't forget to follow me on twitter!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Optimism and the Body: Why a Good Attitude is Good for You
Do you know an Optimist? You know, that person that reminds you of Pollyanna, and some days you just want to punch him or her in the face? Well, you might be interested to know that while an overly optimistic attitude can be quite annoying sometimes, it is also very good for your body. Happier people live longer, and have fewer health problems.
Have you noticed that person that always seems to have something wrong? The person that no matter what you ask him or her, he always seems to have negative answer?
You: "How is the weather today?"
NP: "well, my joints are acting up and because of all this pollen my allergies are going crazy and I can barely breathe."
Does this make you want to be around that person? Not likely. No one wants to spend much time with a Negative Nancy all the time. Small bits are ok, if you are willing to risk the negativity spreading. That's right folks, negativity is contagious. But GOOD NEWS! So is a positive attitude.
I am usually a very positive person, and can find the good in just about anything. Like most people, I do have days where nothing seems to go right, but as long as I focus on the fact that it's not forever, and that day will pass, it helps me keep my positive attitude. The upside to always focusing on the positive aspects of things, is that what you think about increases. What you say brings power into your life. I believe strongly in the power of our words, and that what we say matters. What we think turns into what we say, and what we say brings about change in circumstances.
So the question becomes, do you want positive things in your life, or do you want to live a life full of cynicism, negativity and bad circumstances? Of course not! I can't think of a single person that actually WANTS these things!! So what do we do about it? Try something for me, then leave a comment below about what happened.
Over the course of a week, whenever something negative comes into your life, whether it be a bad circumstance, or a coworker who can't ever say anything nice, whenever this happens, get a pen and paper and list 3 good things in your life. WRITE THEM DOWN. At the end of the week, read over them, and think about any changes in your life that maybe came about because of this change in perspective. It could be as simple as just a change in your attitude toward those negative people, or something more profound. Either way, I would love to hear about it! Let me know below, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter!
Have you noticed that person that always seems to have something wrong? The person that no matter what you ask him or her, he always seems to have negative answer?
You: "How is the weather today?"
NP: "well, my joints are acting up and because of all this pollen my allergies are going crazy and I can barely breathe."
Does this make you want to be around that person? Not likely. No one wants to spend much time with a Negative Nancy all the time. Small bits are ok, if you are willing to risk the negativity spreading. That's right folks, negativity is contagious. But GOOD NEWS! So is a positive attitude.
I am usually a very positive person, and can find the good in just about anything. Like most people, I do have days where nothing seems to go right, but as long as I focus on the fact that it's not forever, and that day will pass, it helps me keep my positive attitude. The upside to always focusing on the positive aspects of things, is that what you think about increases. What you say brings power into your life. I believe strongly in the power of our words, and that what we say matters. What we think turns into what we say, and what we say brings about change in circumstances.
So the question becomes, do you want positive things in your life, or do you want to live a life full of cynicism, negativity and bad circumstances? Of course not! I can't think of a single person that actually WANTS these things!! So what do we do about it? Try something for me, then leave a comment below about what happened.
Over the course of a week, whenever something negative comes into your life, whether it be a bad circumstance, or a coworker who can't ever say anything nice, whenever this happens, get a pen and paper and list 3 good things in your life. WRITE THEM DOWN. At the end of the week, read over them, and think about any changes in your life that maybe came about because of this change in perspective. It could be as simple as just a change in your attitude toward those negative people, or something more profound. Either way, I would love to hear about it! Let me know below, and don't forget to follow me on Twitter!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Fulfill Your Purpose
As humans, we have to have a purpose. We have to have goals or we tend to get very depressed. Having something to work toward gives us motivation, and a purpose for being on this earth. I was reading in the Bible the other day on the subject of purpose, and I found several scriptures about what God has created us for. My favorite one is Isaiah 43:7.
"Every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my Glory, I have formed him; yea I have made him."
I loved this verse when I found it, because it says clearly that we are created for God's glory. That gives us purpose. The question is, what do we do with that purpose?
The first thing I think of when I think of finding my purpose in life is, "what do I enjoy doing? What would I do for free if money was not an issue?" That is usually a pretty good first step in finding your purpose. The second thing I ask myself is, "how can I support myself doing this thing that I enjoy?" For example, I love helping people. I love talking them through their problems, or helping them find solutions they wouldn't normally see. This is something that if I were RICH, I would still do, because it makes me feel valuable, and makes me feel like I'm making a difference. The second thing I would do if money weren't an issue is help abused kids. In fact, I hope to start a non-profit center for children of abuse, to help break that cycle, and help them become functioning, well-adjusted adults.
These are not overly confident goals. You might be reading these goals of mine, and think, "well that's great for you, but what about me? What's my purpose?" Start by listing EVERYTHING you enjoy doing. Is it playing pool? is it bowling? knitting? crochet? listening to music? list everything you enjoy doing. Then look down the list and something inevitably will jump out at you.
If nothing jumps at you, then look into finding a coach. I help clients find their purpose by asking them questions designed to find that exact thing they want to do. These personalized sessions are designed specifically for you. A coach helps you set goals for your life and helps you decide exactly what those goals should be.
Did this post help you? Leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!
"Every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my Glory, I have formed him; yea I have made him."
I loved this verse when I found it, because it says clearly that we are created for God's glory. That gives us purpose. The question is, what do we do with that purpose?
The first thing I think of when I think of finding my purpose in life is, "what do I enjoy doing? What would I do for free if money was not an issue?" That is usually a pretty good first step in finding your purpose. The second thing I ask myself is, "how can I support myself doing this thing that I enjoy?" For example, I love helping people. I love talking them through their problems, or helping them find solutions they wouldn't normally see. This is something that if I were RICH, I would still do, because it makes me feel valuable, and makes me feel like I'm making a difference. The second thing I would do if money weren't an issue is help abused kids. In fact, I hope to start a non-profit center for children of abuse, to help break that cycle, and help them become functioning, well-adjusted adults.
These are not overly confident goals. You might be reading these goals of mine, and think, "well that's great for you, but what about me? What's my purpose?" Start by listing EVERYTHING you enjoy doing. Is it playing pool? is it bowling? knitting? crochet? listening to music? list everything you enjoy doing. Then look down the list and something inevitably will jump out at you.
If nothing jumps at you, then look into finding a coach. I help clients find their purpose by asking them questions designed to find that exact thing they want to do. These personalized sessions are designed specifically for you. A coach helps you set goals for your life and helps you decide exactly what those goals should be.
Did this post help you? Leave a comment below! I would love to hear from you!
How to Forgive Even When You Don't Want To
Judy is 29 years old. She has a boyfriend, a best friend, and an awesome life. Her one problem, though, is that she doesn't have a good relationship with her family. When she was younger, her father abused her and her mother wasn't able to make it stop. She has lived with the shame of this abuse for years, and blames her father for it all. This makes it hard for her to move on and forgive him. He is her father. She is half him. She worries that she will abuse her own children the way she was abused. She has started to seek therapy to help her move on from this abusive situation, so that she can forgive her father, but it is going very slowly. She is starting to wonder if anything will ever work.
From the story above, you might be wondering, "why does Judy have to forgive her father? He was the one being abusive!" Which is exactly what I would have thought a couple years ago had I read about the same situation. The problem with letting unforgiveness fester is that it causes physical manifestations. When you can't or don't forgive, you are stuck in the past and can't really move on to the future until that past is dealt with. This causes anxiety, depression and anger. These issues show up in your life in ways that are unrelated to the original trauma.
In Judy's case, she didn't really want to forgive her father. She felt justified in her unforgiveness because he was so horrible to her. After years in therapy, she finally admitted to her therapist that she struggled with her feelings about forgiveness. As a result of this honesty, her therapist was able to come up with some steps for Judy to take to finally find the road to complete forgiveness.
1. Allow yourself to grieve. Grieve for the loss of the ideal parent-child relationship. This is similar to grieving a death in the family, but allows the wronged person to move on in life without the complete closure of an actual death. This also means that the child can then start living with the actual relationship with his or her parent, instead of constantly wishing for the idealistic relationship that will probably never happen.
2. Allow yourself to celebrate the small things. When a parent-child relationship is strained, like in the one above, it can be really difficult not to look at everything in a negative light. Seeing all the strings attached, instead of the gift. Your life is a gift, so look at everything in that light, even the small positive interactions with a parent.
3. Don't fall back on past trauma. When you choose to forgive, and move past trauma, you are choosing not to fall back on old routines. If it is routine to ignore an estranged parent on a special holiday, make a point to reach out and wish them a happy holiday. This isn't to allow that person in your life again to make the same mistakes, but it is a way to tell yourself that you have moved on from the original trauma, and you are allowing yourself a new life with new experiences.
Judy is a fictional person, but she could be any of us. How many of us have held a grudge against someone for a smaller slight, or even fought with feelings toward an abusive parent? I know I have. But I have also followed the steps above and have found a way to move on from bad situations, and have found ways to forgive misdeeds by others. I have learned to respond to them in a way that may not diminish what was done to me, but helps me rise above them so that they don't define me.
Forgiveness is an active emotion. Some people forgive easily, and others not so easily. But when you choose to forgive someone for something, you are performing an action. This choice affects you, not the other person. When someone does something bad to you, and you tell them, "I forgive you," they may not even care. That person may not even realize they had hurt you in any way. This doesn't absolve you of your responsibility to forgive. This responsibility isn't to the other person. Your responsibility to forgive is for you. When you forgive, you are opening your life up to all the positive things you might not have seen otherwise. When you are not focused on what wrongs have happened to you, you can open up to all the right. By doing this you allow yourself to live a life full of love and endless possibilities.
Did this post help you? Please let me know below! I would love to hear from you!
From the story above, you might be wondering, "why does Judy have to forgive her father? He was the one being abusive!" Which is exactly what I would have thought a couple years ago had I read about the same situation. The problem with letting unforgiveness fester is that it causes physical manifestations. When you can't or don't forgive, you are stuck in the past and can't really move on to the future until that past is dealt with. This causes anxiety, depression and anger. These issues show up in your life in ways that are unrelated to the original trauma.
In Judy's case, she didn't really want to forgive her father. She felt justified in her unforgiveness because he was so horrible to her. After years in therapy, she finally admitted to her therapist that she struggled with her feelings about forgiveness. As a result of this honesty, her therapist was able to come up with some steps for Judy to take to finally find the road to complete forgiveness.
1. Allow yourself to grieve. Grieve for the loss of the ideal parent-child relationship. This is similar to grieving a death in the family, but allows the wronged person to move on in life without the complete closure of an actual death. This also means that the child can then start living with the actual relationship with his or her parent, instead of constantly wishing for the idealistic relationship that will probably never happen.
2. Allow yourself to celebrate the small things. When a parent-child relationship is strained, like in the one above, it can be really difficult not to look at everything in a negative light. Seeing all the strings attached, instead of the gift. Your life is a gift, so look at everything in that light, even the small positive interactions with a parent.
3. Don't fall back on past trauma. When you choose to forgive, and move past trauma, you are choosing not to fall back on old routines. If it is routine to ignore an estranged parent on a special holiday, make a point to reach out and wish them a happy holiday. This isn't to allow that person in your life again to make the same mistakes, but it is a way to tell yourself that you have moved on from the original trauma, and you are allowing yourself a new life with new experiences.
Judy is a fictional person, but she could be any of us. How many of us have held a grudge against someone for a smaller slight, or even fought with feelings toward an abusive parent? I know I have. But I have also followed the steps above and have found a way to move on from bad situations, and have found ways to forgive misdeeds by others. I have learned to respond to them in a way that may not diminish what was done to me, but helps me rise above them so that they don't define me.
Forgiveness is an active emotion. Some people forgive easily, and others not so easily. But when you choose to forgive someone for something, you are performing an action. This choice affects you, not the other person. When someone does something bad to you, and you tell them, "I forgive you," they may not even care. That person may not even realize they had hurt you in any way. This doesn't absolve you of your responsibility to forgive. This responsibility isn't to the other person. Your responsibility to forgive is for you. When you forgive, you are opening your life up to all the positive things you might not have seen otherwise. When you are not focused on what wrongs have happened to you, you can open up to all the right. By doing this you allow yourself to live a life full of love and endless possibilities.
Did this post help you? Please let me know below! I would love to hear from you!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
What is Greatness?
I've been thinking a lot lately about the title of this blog, and my coaching business. "Created for Greatness." But what is greatness, exactly? Some people think of it as being rich and famous. Angelina Jolie-Pitt and Brad are "Great," right? Well, yes, but being rich and famous isn't all that is required to be great. For example, my sister is great. She has taken her talents and become an entrepreneur and a mom. She helps people on a regular basis find wellness and freedom through her Young Living essential oil business. My best friend Stace has found her greatness through being the best family therapist she can be.
Neither one of these ladies is what society would call rich and famous, but they have both found their greatness. Why? Because they took what God gave them and did something with it.
I have also started looking in one of my favorite references for greatness lately. My bible (and yours too, I assume) has so many stories of people who found the greatness that they were created for. These people were normal people like you and me, but God was able to use them to do great things. One of my favorite examples is Esther. She was born a Jew, an orphan, and was raised by her single uncle. Mordecai did the best he could, but I'm willing to bet they weren't rollin' in the dough. So imagine their surprise when Esther gets a letter saying, "the king demands your presence at the palace. You might be the next queen!"
If that were me, I'd be wondering who was smoking what. I'm not royalty. Neither was Esther. She was a poor Jewish girl living with her single uncle who adopted her. So what was the deal? Well, one: she was a virgin. How the king's people knew this about her was a mystery, except it was assumed in those days that if you weren't married and weren't obviously a harlot, then you were a virgin. Two: She was apparently beautiful. The king specified that only beautiful virgins be brought to the palace. Those things were things she was born with. She wasn't born into a lot of money, but God was able to use those things about her to bring her to a place of greatness. She was obedient to God's word about staying pure, which was one of the things God used about her.
Being great is NOT about being rich, or famous, or talkative, or quiet, or any of those things. Being great is saying, "Ok, I've been given these talents. What will I do with them?"
Another example of God using someone "small" to do something BIG was Joseph. I love love LOVE the story of Joseph. He was the next to youngest son of a Shepherd. I doubt very much that, like Esther, he was very wealthy. Granted, his father was able to give him a coat of many colors as a gift, but if you read the story this doesn't seem to be a regular occurrence. His brothers were pissed that he got one and they didn't. But God was able to use this son of a shepherd to save His people when the famine hit Egypt. Joseph was smart, and God had great plans for him. God knew way in advance what would be needed in order to save His people, so he figured, "why not? No one will expect salvation to come from over here." This tells me that God has more than a few chuckles when He plans things out. He knows it won't make sense to us humans, so He jokes around with us by bringing surprises from unlikely situations.
When you decide to find the greatness you were created for, be ready for an adventure. Life will be full of ups and downs, as God moves things around for you. But don't be disappointed when life hands you a "down." It just means an even bigger UP is coming. Be ready! Be great!
Neither one of these ladies is what society would call rich and famous, but they have both found their greatness. Why? Because they took what God gave them and did something with it.
I have also started looking in one of my favorite references for greatness lately. My bible (and yours too, I assume) has so many stories of people who found the greatness that they were created for. These people were normal people like you and me, but God was able to use them to do great things. One of my favorite examples is Esther. She was born a Jew, an orphan, and was raised by her single uncle. Mordecai did the best he could, but I'm willing to bet they weren't rollin' in the dough. So imagine their surprise when Esther gets a letter saying, "the king demands your presence at the palace. You might be the next queen!"
If that were me, I'd be wondering who was smoking what. I'm not royalty. Neither was Esther. She was a poor Jewish girl living with her single uncle who adopted her. So what was the deal? Well, one: she was a virgin. How the king's people knew this about her was a mystery, except it was assumed in those days that if you weren't married and weren't obviously a harlot, then you were a virgin. Two: She was apparently beautiful. The king specified that only beautiful virgins be brought to the palace. Those things were things she was born with. She wasn't born into a lot of money, but God was able to use those things about her to bring her to a place of greatness. She was obedient to God's word about staying pure, which was one of the things God used about her.
Being great is NOT about being rich, or famous, or talkative, or quiet, or any of those things. Being great is saying, "Ok, I've been given these talents. What will I do with them?"
Another example of God using someone "small" to do something BIG was Joseph. I love love LOVE the story of Joseph. He was the next to youngest son of a Shepherd. I doubt very much that, like Esther, he was very wealthy. Granted, his father was able to give him a coat of many colors as a gift, but if you read the story this doesn't seem to be a regular occurrence. His brothers were pissed that he got one and they didn't. But God was able to use this son of a shepherd to save His people when the famine hit Egypt. Joseph was smart, and God had great plans for him. God knew way in advance what would be needed in order to save His people, so he figured, "why not? No one will expect salvation to come from over here." This tells me that God has more than a few chuckles when He plans things out. He knows it won't make sense to us humans, so He jokes around with us by bringing surprises from unlikely situations.
When you decide to find the greatness you were created for, be ready for an adventure. Life will be full of ups and downs, as God moves things around for you. But don't be disappointed when life hands you a "down." It just means an even bigger UP is coming. Be ready! Be great!
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Overcoming Burnout
I have been fighting emotional burnout for quite a while now, and it's hard. My job is really emotionally draining, and while I really want to get my coaching business up and running, I know I need to get things in my own life under control too before I can really help others. My dream is to help people find their greatness. We were created by God and given certain gifts. We don't always recognize those gifts for what they are, which is where I come in. I know I was created for Greatness, so I have to find a way to overcome emotional burnout.
One of the ways I have found is to put affirmations on my computer at my current job. Affirmations that help me keep a positive outlook, and help me recognize the greatness inside myself. Two of the ones I have on my desk right now are: "What I'm doing right now is only temporary." This quote was found on Tiny Buddha. Tiny Buddha has been such a huge help to me. You can find the link here.
The other quote that I have is, "I am stronger than I think I am." I don't remember where I found this quote, but it is amazing for reminding me that I have strength inside myself, and that once I find it, I can do anything.
Overcoming burnout can be really difficult. It is extremely important to have a solid support system in place, because these people can help you in ways that you may not see. For example, my friend John is amazing at getting me to laugh. When I'm having a bad day, I can talk to him for 5 minutes on the phone and I feel much better because he is such a cut-up that I can't help but laugh. My friend Jeff is the amazing one at listening to me when I'm having a bad day. He doesn't always know what to tell me to fix things, but he listens, and most of the time it's enough. When I'm looking for a solution, my best friend Stace is amazing. She's a therapist, so can often see solutions that were probably staring me in the face but I was too blind to see.
Besides my friends (who are all amazing in their own right) my family is incredible. They are all incredibly supportive especially when I'm going through burnout. When I don't feel like I can continue on doing what I'm doing, my mom is amazing. She lets me rant and vent and then offers constructive advice on what I can do RIGHT then to help me through it.
If you are in a situation where you don't have the greatest support system, please consider getting a coach. They are different from a therapist, but can help be that support you need. A coach can help you construct a self-care plan, and be that support system. If your emotional burnout is especially bad, please consider getting a therapist. They can help you emotionally, and can give you coping skills to help you through emotional burnout.
If your burnout is job-related, and you are considering a career change, please let me know. I will be happy to help you decide what you want to do, and help you set goals to get you there. I can help you write your resume to help you stand out from the crowd. My coaching skills are in a range of areas, so even if you don't see anything here that applies to you, contact me anyway. I will be happy to discuss options with you.
Don't forget to like me on facebook! www.facebook.com/coaching4greatness
Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PamelaRossAA
Be bright, be beautiful, be GREAT!!
One of the ways I have found is to put affirmations on my computer at my current job. Affirmations that help me keep a positive outlook, and help me recognize the greatness inside myself. Two of the ones I have on my desk right now are: "What I'm doing right now is only temporary." This quote was found on Tiny Buddha. Tiny Buddha has been such a huge help to me. You can find the link here.
The other quote that I have is, "I am stronger than I think I am." I don't remember where I found this quote, but it is amazing for reminding me that I have strength inside myself, and that once I find it, I can do anything.
Overcoming burnout can be really difficult. It is extremely important to have a solid support system in place, because these people can help you in ways that you may not see. For example, my friend John is amazing at getting me to laugh. When I'm having a bad day, I can talk to him for 5 minutes on the phone and I feel much better because he is such a cut-up that I can't help but laugh. My friend Jeff is the amazing one at listening to me when I'm having a bad day. He doesn't always know what to tell me to fix things, but he listens, and most of the time it's enough. When I'm looking for a solution, my best friend Stace is amazing. She's a therapist, so can often see solutions that were probably staring me in the face but I was too blind to see.
Besides my friends (who are all amazing in their own right) my family is incredible. They are all incredibly supportive especially when I'm going through burnout. When I don't feel like I can continue on doing what I'm doing, my mom is amazing. She lets me rant and vent and then offers constructive advice on what I can do RIGHT then to help me through it.
If you are in a situation where you don't have the greatest support system, please consider getting a coach. They are different from a therapist, but can help be that support you need. A coach can help you construct a self-care plan, and be that support system. If your emotional burnout is especially bad, please consider getting a therapist. They can help you emotionally, and can give you coping skills to help you through emotional burnout.
If your burnout is job-related, and you are considering a career change, please let me know. I will be happy to help you decide what you want to do, and help you set goals to get you there. I can help you write your resume to help you stand out from the crowd. My coaching skills are in a range of areas, so even if you don't see anything here that applies to you, contact me anyway. I will be happy to discuss options with you.
Don't forget to like me on facebook! www.facebook.com/coaching4greatness
Follow me on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/PamelaRossAA
Be bright, be beautiful, be GREAT!!
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Do Dreams Really Come True?
I've been thinking about this for a while now. My favorite Bible story is the one about Joseph. Joseph grew up with people who didn't appreciate him, and most times resented him. He and his father, Jacob, were very close, and it's safe to say that Jacob played favorites with him. Joseph and his brother Benjamin were the only children from Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel. While I don't advocate playing favorites, the fact that Jacob did is central to the story. See, Joseph started having dreams. These dreams basically told him that he was going to be very powerful one day, and that his family was going to bow down to him. His brothers didn't like THAT very much. Here Joseph is already their father's favorite, and now he's saying they're going to BOW to him? WOW someone seriously has some ego issues, right? I'm not sure he did. Joseph wasn't telling his brothers to brag. I sincerely believe he was just weirded out by the dreams, and wanted someone to talk to. Whether he was bragging is totally up for debate, because the Bible doesn't actually say for sure.
I think a lot of the point of the story of Joseph is to teach us that God can use ANYTHING, no matter the situation, for His glory. Without telling his brothers his dreams, how can we be sure Joseph's brothers would have been mad enough at him to try to kill him, then sell him as a slave? Without being sold into slavery, would Joseph still have met Potiphar? Without turning down Potiphar's wife, would Joseph still have been put in prison? He then wouldn't have had the chance to interpret dreams for two men who would later have the opportunity to save Joseph's life, and put him in a position to save his family from a famine. So many "circumstances," and yet they all worked together for God to do something wonderful. Who's to say God can't do the same for us? I have had so many bad things happen to me in recent years, but whether God actually caused them to happen, or they were the product of my own free will, God has been able to use my broken heart to draw me closer to Him, and draw me closer to the person HE wants me to be. God always has my best interests at heart, and even though sometimes I get in the way, every once in a while I can step out of the way, and watch God work in a way I haven't seen before.
Dreams really can come true, but it's important to make sure they are the right dreams. Allow God to work through you, and allow him to bring to fruition the dreams He wants for your life. You will be glad you did.
I think a lot of the point of the story of Joseph is to teach us that God can use ANYTHING, no matter the situation, for His glory. Without telling his brothers his dreams, how can we be sure Joseph's brothers would have been mad enough at him to try to kill him, then sell him as a slave? Without being sold into slavery, would Joseph still have met Potiphar? Without turning down Potiphar's wife, would Joseph still have been put in prison? He then wouldn't have had the chance to interpret dreams for two men who would later have the opportunity to save Joseph's life, and put him in a position to save his family from a famine. So many "circumstances," and yet they all worked together for God to do something wonderful. Who's to say God can't do the same for us? I have had so many bad things happen to me in recent years, but whether God actually caused them to happen, or they were the product of my own free will, God has been able to use my broken heart to draw me closer to Him, and draw me closer to the person HE wants me to be. God always has my best interests at heart, and even though sometimes I get in the way, every once in a while I can step out of the way, and watch God work in a way I haven't seen before.
Dreams really can come true, but it's important to make sure they are the right dreams. Allow God to work through you, and allow him to bring to fruition the dreams He wants for your life. You will be glad you did.
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