Are You Free to Realize Your Dreams?

This post written by Seth Busetti.

At the crossroads of every major life decision we check our personal compass and whether external and deliberate, or internalized but no less felt, we ask “is this going to take me closer to my dream?” Maybe that dream is specific like starting a family or buying that dream house. It could be progressive like wanting to provide a better life for my children compared to my childhood or my parents’ childhood. Maybe it is spiritually motivated, like realizing a biblical promise or answering a personal call from God to go somewhere or do something or grow in a specific way.

We talk to so many people who have big dreams for their lives, but struggle to find the freedom to make progress towards realization. For example, a couple believes God has called them to adopt a child, or sponsor a missionary in full, or build an orphanage overseas, but they are discouraged because at their current pace that dream seems so far off. Maybe they’ll be paying off student loans and consolidated credit card debts for the next ten years or more. Maybe they’re stuck in dead-end jobs and not using their creativity or God-given gifts and don’t know how to get ahead or get out.

The dreams and impediments could be more day to day. A husband wants to spend more quality time with his family and be a better husband and father, but his work is so demanding and stressful.  He believes he’ll never get that promotion if he doesn’t push so hard. A mom might want to be at home after school to love on her kids, but the family needs her second income to make ends meet. How many families want to be a faithful givers, but are struggling each month to cover their expenses.  In that case, it feels almost impossible to tithe regularly, give to charity, support missions, or build an inheritance to pass on.

I want to encourage you not to lose hope. Do dream big and dream with passion! Don’t lose sight of the big and little dreams. What makes you get up every morning and feel confident, strong, brave, faithful, optimistic, joyful, motivated? Hold on to these things securely. Everything else is just details and process.

Start taking note of which things add to your freedom, and which things detract from it. Is your job or your lifestyle or are your friends and extended family making you more free to realize your dreams for you and your family? A big salary, dream home, multiple cars, a prestigious college degree, or family business could be part of the dream. But those things could also be impediments and stumbling blocks to living in freedom and realizing your actual life dreams. Ask yourself tough questions: How will getting this prestigious job title make me a better husband? How will obtaining an ivy league degree make me a better humanitarian? How will having the best name-brand clothes for my kids set them on a path to be influential moral leaders when they are grown? How will having nice things now set us on a path to leaving an inheritance to our grandchildren?

I can’t answer the question of how these things line up with your dreams,  but I do know that Alexis and I have had to take inventory of our own lives, and not just once – it is a continual process! What are your priorities? Are you making progress towards realizing your dreams? You and your family are worth it. Don’t let anything or anyone stand in the way of your dreams!