Throughout my life, I have worked with various types of people ranging from teenagers to adults to the elderly. They come from all different walks of life and when they first approach me, they all have a dream. Some of them dream of having better health while others dream of building a business to help secure their future. I’ve witnessed many of them succeed tremendously while others fall flat on their face and refuse to get up! What is the difference between the ones who succeed and the ones who give up?
Devotion.
Devotion is defined as the “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.” Devotion is what drives us to be our best because we have a bigger picture in mind. Here are a few keys necessary to live a life of devotion:
- Eye on the Prize: A few years ago, God began speaking to me about becoming a champion. A champion is someone who refuses to give up regardless of set backs and obstacles. The reason they are able to overcome obstacles is because they have a goal in mind. They have a vision and they will stop at nothing to achieve it! A great example of this is the prophet Nehemiah who was given the mandate from God to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. When other’s tried to distract him, he replied, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down!” He knew that the call on his life was greater than anything that would try to present itself to him in the middle of his mission.
- Be Willing to Let Go: Have you ever met someone who still spends most of his or her time reliving the past? Whether they experienced a great victory or tragedy, they just haven’t seemed to move on. While I do believe that it is important that we recognize and value what has happened, we must be willing to release it back to God and be present in the now. Paul says in Philippians 3:13, “Dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” We are to be looking forward to what lies ahead!
- Take Responsibility: You have to be willing to accept the fact that whether you succeed or whether you fail, it was your responsibility. I know that may seem cold to some and I am well aware that there may be some exceptions to this, however overall, this is the truth. Our success is in our own hands! With that said, failure does not have the final say. When we fail, it is just a chance to look back and re-evaluate what we could have done differently. We are then given the chance to dust ourselves off and try again.
I want to encourage you to become a champion in your own life. You may have to deconstruct and reevaluate what your goals and