Step one: know what you want to be
this may take some soul searching, something I recommend for everyone. take some time to search through your past experiences and desires and find what you truly want to become. (for example: Think of the kind of person you wish you be, the relationship you wish to have with God, the kind of job you wish to have, the kinds of activities you wish to be doing, etc...)
Step two: write it down
an ideal is just an ideal, and an Idealist is just an idealist, if you wish to fulfill your own prophecy and become your best self, write down what you wish to become.
Step three: make realistic goals of how to reach your desires
dreams will always be dreams unless we make a plan to fulfill them, whether it be schooling, a workout regimen, a scripture study schedule, or whatever. write down what you want to become and next to that, write down what you need to do to fulfill that dream.
Step four: pray
important: do not skip this part, it is the key for this growth exercise, it brings hope that cannot be found otherwise.
Address your Creator, tell Him the desires of your Heart and what you wish to become. Tell Him of your list and what goals need to be accomplished, Ask Him for help. He will help you. Have faith that He will.
Step five: Act
move forward, take a personal inventory of what you can do now, and do it. don't let past fears cripple you, take the first step now. I used to believe the first step was the hardest (which may be true) but it is not the most important, the second, third, and every step up until and past your goal are just as important, keep moving forward. A positive mindset will get you far, but continual action will get you the farthest.
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below is a story I found as I was scrolling through some old journal entries, I found it relevant.
Underneath everything, there is a Man who is trying to find his God. He only gets sidetracked by everything he sees and hears. He forgets. He tries to fill the hole within his heart with things that are not filling. with things that seem appealing to the touch. Sometimes in order to accomplish anything within this life we need to fight our way upstream as opposed to floating down the river. When at one time we stood strong against the current, we started to slip, and we actually enjoyed the change of pace. We actually liked seeing our morals slipping away because it was different, It was not what they wanted to see, and though its not expressed orally, doing anything in an act of rebellion shows how strong we are...or how stubborn or needful of attention we are...after awhile I came to the realization that I need to grasp a hold of something. So as i start my path to not only stand still but to move against the river to my destination. I must find a place to plant my feet. I stumble and slip as i start. There are rocks. There is Water. Moss. Algae. Mud. But I fight relentlessly, I scrape at the dirt, I dig my fingernails fruitlessly into rocks, I kick my feet and stub and break my toes. Bleeding I feel something solid beneath my right foot. I'm hoping God has given me a rock. I lean forward against the current, and let it push me again, But this time not down river away from my goal. I allow the water to push me against my foothold to see whether or not it is something that I want to plant my feet against. I can see my blood in the water and I ask myself is this really something that I want to pursue, do i really want to fight against the current? The rock which I stand on doesn't move as it hears my question, and wants me to realize that I can rely on the strength of the rock, but I must rely on myself first. If it is my decision to stand and to fight this river I can use this rock as an instrument to do so, If only I decide. I decide and with one foot set on its hold i step forward with my other, I fear that my rock may lose its hold and will tumble down with the current which seems to be gaining momentum. As I think this the rock decides to test me. It shifts in its location and In doing so I lose its hold. I am about to be swept downstream, if i only allowed myself to do so. I fight to find a hold again with my feet and flail my arms in an effort to gain my balance. As I do so my hand touches something, which I have never noticed before, It felt sturdy so I jumped to grasp a hold of it, but in the place in which the new hold was found I couldn't touch the ground, I was a bit fearful to grab a hold at first, but i made the effort anyways (a bit desperate maybe, but I feel desperate for an appeal to my loneliness). I wasn't going to let go. This rod seemed to be made of something very strong and almost golden to the eye. I didn't let go. As I held on I noticed that this rod led parallel to the river I was in. It only led a few feet further down from where I was yet It stretched as far up the river as my eyes would allow me to see. It took all the strength I had to pull myself just an arms length against the current, but I did so anyways. I feel that God had given me a rock to stand upon, only long enough for me to realize that there was a Rod of iron right next to me the entire time. I will keep pulling myself along this iron rod, Hoping and believing that God will continue to help me as i struggle against the ever growing current of this river.
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