How Faith Can Make Dreams a Reality

What dream do you want to see become reality in your life? Find the love of your life? Buy that hot sports car? Travel to that foreign country or become an ex-pat?

Folks, dreams have a place in our lives, no matter what our age. They motivate us. They keep us going, when the going gets tough. I believe it is important to always have a dream in front of us but just how do they become a reality?

The Secret Ingredient

We can put all kinds of effort into trying to make things happen on our own, but there is one key ingredient we must have if we want to see our dreams come true.

Some say it is will power. Ha. I know my will power only goes so far - just show me a a container of caramel popcorn. We can try to use will power but sooner or later our will power will run out. We cannot succeed through brute strength, intelligence, knowledge, or great wealth. All of these things are helpful but without this one key ingredient we will not be successful.

The one key ingredient to seeing your dreams come true is the power of Faith. We must BELIEVE it is possible to lose that 20 pounds, run that marathon, write that book, or take that trip of a lifetime. We must believe God is at work in our lives even though we may not see changes right now.

Personal Story 
Ever since I toured the Argentine Tall Ship that docked in the Baltimore Harbor one summer, I promised myself "Someday, I am going to go to Argentina." It had been 10 years. Now traveling to South America as a single woman is not exactly an easy thing to do. There are safety issues, language issues, and travel issues. Yet, I had faith. I was going to go to Argentina.

I decided it was time. After a few months of planning, lots of research, and applying for a Brazilian visa, I was off to South America on American Airlines. I wound up visiting not only Argentina, but Brazil as well. It was a dream come true and all because the seed of Faith was planted 10 years earlier.

What is Faith?
To put it simply, Faith is the positive belief of things not yet seen. It is the belief that our dreams can come true. It is the fuel that fires up our engines.

Without faith, we idle through life, never really achieving anything great and watching our dreams pass by. A life without faith is not the abundant life we were intended to live.

Faith begins with a belief in God because God is the ultimate source of all good things and he gives us the power and the resources to achieve them. If we exclude God from the equation, we set ourselves up for a lot of hard work and eventual failure and disappointment. What does the Bible say? It says "Build your house on solid ground, not sinking sand", (Matt 7:24-27) meaning it is God who gives us the grace and the power to withstand adversity when it eventually comes. 

Faith is a Muscle
I like to think of Faith as a muscle we all possess. In the same way we need to develop our physical muscles to lift stronger weights, if we want to achieve greater things in life, it is necessary to strengthen our spiritual muscle. Each goal we achieve builds our faith and our confidence. We can stand on our victories and our failures like stepping stones that help us step up to the next level.

Failure is Part of the Process
We all fall at times. The key is to pick ourselves up and get back in the race. Proverbs 24:16 says "Though the righteous may fall 7 times, but the Lord will always raise him back up." There is no shame in failing or falling. In fact, failure is one of the best ways to strengthen our spiritual muscle.

Look how many times Thomas Edison and Abraham Lincoln failed. Failure builds character and strengthens our spiritual muscle. If you have failed or fallen recently, I encourage you to get back in the game. If you're still on this earth, God still has a plan and a purpose for your life, but it is up to us to do our part to make our dreams come true and make a difference in this world.

Whatever trial you're going through, use it as an opportunity to strengthen your spiritual muscle and to grow your faith. When you look back at your life and see what God has brought you through and how many of your dreams really have come true, you will be amazed and filled with gratitude.

For Reflection

What dream do you want to see come true? Ask yourself this question "Do I truly believe this can happen in my life?" Stretch yourself. Start saying things like "I believe I can break this habit." "I believe I can lose this weight." "I believe God will heal me" Even when we don't see a way, God can make a way. He promises to make our crooked paths straight when we turn our lives over to him. Remember, we walk by Faith and not by sight. 

If this post was uplifting, join our community by entering your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free eguide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" for you or to pass along to a friend who might need some encouragement. 

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom to help us all find healing, wholeness, and harmony so you can ignite the power within and discover your destiny!

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

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Ignite the Power Within Step 4: 3 Keys to Getting What You Want From Life

Are you getting what you want from life? Seeing your goals and dreams come true? Or do you feel like it's never going to happen for you and time is just going by not seeing much progress? Well, today I am sharing 3 key principles I've used many times so I know they will work for you. I've traveled to dream places like Mexico, Paris, Portugal, Argentina, and Africa. I've ridden a camel. Created this blog. Written two books and created a cookbook. Gone to college and obtained my master's degree. Learned multiple languages. I'm not trying to brag here. I'm just sharing examples of dreams and goals of mine that have come true following these three principles so you can see that they truly do work. So now let's talk about the fourth step to igniting the power within so you can fulfill YOUR destiny and see your dreams come true. 

                    

  

Realize You are in Charge

No matter where you are in life, you are in charge.Your daily decisions determine your future. As my youngest son said to me a few years back, 

    "Mom, you are driving the bus." 

    "Wow," I thought. "He is absolutely right. I am driving the bus." 

When we realize this truth, it empowers us to take action, instead of letting things ride, having a defeatist attitude, or settling for less than our best life.  

Only You know what is best for you

For much of my younger life, I let other people drive my bus. Big mistake. I let my mother dictate who I married. I let my spouse dictate what type of career to pursue. After the divorce, I let the boyfriends influence my activities and time.

Yes, I was a people-pleaser. Not any more. I have learned to listen to myself, my feelings, my desires and pursue what brings me joy and fulfillment. It took a tremendous amount of courage to leave a stable job and a good salary, but I took a leap of faith and am I ever glad I did. This is our destiny - to dream BIG and to follow our dreams, to pursue a better life for ourselves and our families no matter where we are in life. It is never too late to start on a new journey. 

The Effort is Worth it
That being said, we have to put forth effort to fashion a life we will be happy with, and to change what needs to be changed in order to see our goals and dreams come true. I studied hard in high school so I could get scholarships to go to college. I sold my car so I could go to France to study. I faced an ugly divorce so I would have more peace in my life. I worked hard at a demanding career so I could support my two sons as a single mom. I got up at 5 am every morning to get my run in before work to stay in shape. Effort is required if we want to see progress. This goes for every area of our lives: our health, our relationships, our finances, and our futures.

Each day presents us with opportunities to move forward and it is up to us to take advantage of them. If we want to see progress, we need to work dutifully and diligently towards our goals and dreams. You know the old saying "Slow and steady wins the race." We need to be clear about what we want our life to look like down the road. If we don't have a clear vision, five - ten years from now we will still be where we are today and that is not progress. 

The fourth step to igniting the power within is a 3-pronged approach which involves the biblical principle of learning to ask, seek, and knock.

1. Overcome the fear of asking 
Some of us have a bit of trouble asking for what we want, be it from God or some human being. The first part of this process is to overcome the fear of asking. For many years, it was hard for me to ask for what I wanted. I was afraid to speak up. Then I realized timidity was not working for me. I needed to be more assertive and ask for what I wanted and needed both from people and from God.

Singles, in particular, struggle with this. How many times does a guy pass up an opportunity to go out on a date with a pretty girl simply because he's afraid to ask her out? Or a relationship breaks up because one person doesn't speak up for their needs? If we are unhappy in a relationship, we expect the other person to be a mind-reader. If we are unfulfilled in our job, we expect our boss to promote us. We have to learn to ask.

Our spouse is not a mind-reader nor is our boss. The pretty girl is not a mind-reader either. If we are unhappy with our lives, it us up to us to take the first step and ask ourselves what we need and then ask others and God for what we want.

2. Make the effort to seek.
We all have problems. Some of them are hard to resolve, but this step encourages us to put the effort to try to resolve things. We need to be really deliberate in finding the correct solution. I have found that difficult problems require a lot of research to find the root cause. We can't just ask the doctor, pop the pill, or expect things to resolve on their own or worse, sweep them under the rug and pretend there is no problem. 

If you're having relationship problems, go to a counselor or two or three, till you find one that helps. If you want to buy a house, go house hunting on your free time and save money for a down payment. Get out of debt. Same thing goes for finding a spouse. We might have to kiss quite a few frogs before we find Prince or Princess Charming. If you need income, go look for a job. We in America live in the land of opportunity. If you want to write a book, start writing. If we have a health issue, we need to do our own research. We know our bodies better than anyone else. Don't make the mistake of trusting doctors who are only trained in certain areas and don't have the time to go into much depth with their patients. 

3. Keep knocking. 
This step is related to step two and means exploring different options till we find the right one. This applies to relationships, jobs, and our health. People in sales know this. Job-seekers know this. Successful people know this.  If one approach does not work, try something new. We learn that each closed door brings us one step closer but eventually a door will open to new opportunities, new ways of thinking, and answers to prayer. 

This 3-pronged approach is a fundamental process to igniting the power we each have to move forward in life. When we master this process, we will move past obstacles that have kept us stuck often for years. 

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of implementing this principle on a daily basis. Too many people try for while and then give up. No! We have to keep at it. This practice  develops perseverance and determination. It strengthens our character as well as well as our backbone. If we want to see changes in our lives, we must be willing to persevere, even when we don't see anything happening. 

For Reflection:

What goal have you been trying to achieve? Which of these principles can you apply to move forward? What goal have you given up on that you would like to see become a reality?

If you enjoyed this post, please share with a friend.  If you'd like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email address in the box provided.  You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

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Stay tuned to learn more on how to ignite the power within and discover your DESTINY!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

5 Reasons to Reflect on the Past Year

2020 is in the history books. It was a tough year to be sure, but tough times are usually full of important life lessons but only if we take the time to reflect and recognize them.  My question for you today is "Have you jumped feet first into the New Year without making time to reflect on last year?"  Life, especially 2020, has many lessons to teach us, but if we are to grow we must make time to recognize what those lessons are. Reflection is an important skill to master if we want to glean the lessons of our day, our week, and our year. Today I'm sharing some important reasons why we should make time for reflection and some thought-provoking questions to help us all have more joy, more peace, and be more fruitful in the New Year.

1. Learn our lessons 
So much happens in the course of a day, a month, and a year, yet often, we don't take the necessary time to reflect and process the events we have experienced and the emotions we have felt. We bury them without processing them or learning from them and we miss the opportunity to grow personally, emotionally,  and spiritually. We set ourselves us to repeat the lesson and the pain when we do this. 

2. Heal our Hurting Soul
Reflection offers us an opportunity to heal our souls.  Our souls are here to learn, to grow, and to heal. If we don't learn the lessons, we are doomed to repeat the same scenarios over and over. We won't move forward in life and we won't have the joy of seeing our dreams come true. We must learn the lessons at hand before we can move forward. Every hurt, every challenge, every difficulty is an opportunity for us to grow and heal our souls.

3. Take Personal Responsibility 
I've come to realize that no one else is holding me back except me. It is my failure to learn the spiritual and emotional lessons before me that keeps me stuck. We can blame our parents, our bosses, the Democrats, or God but the truth is, we alone are responsible for where we are in life. When we keep ourselves too busy, we don't leave time to process our days or reflect on our behaviors and emotions. Our choices determine our destiny. When we make time to be still and reflect, the answers will come. The truth reveals itself. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:32). 

4. Gain Clarity. 
Decisions become more and more important the older we get. They also get harder. Each decision moves us either forward or keeps us stuck. It is important to reevaluate our beliefs and our values every so often and the new year is a perfect time to do so. We change. What we once may have considered important may not be so important today. The people we associated with yesterday might not be who we want to hang with today. Reflection is like a GPS that shows us the route ahead. I've heard it said "If you don't know where you're going, any path will get you there."

5. Choose Faith over Fear
I have found that fear keeps me stuck and faith moves me forward. It is easy to stay in our comfort zones, doing the same thing and being miserable. Fear keeps us from changing. Faith is the fuel that moves us forward in life. It motivates us to take action and to step out of our comfort zones. We must have faith not only in God, but in ourselves and others. We are each equipped with everything we need to be successful and happy in this life. It is up to us to take action to get there. "Faith without works is dead". (James 2:26).

As the years go by, I want to have more joy, more peace, more fulfillment and more fun  - don't you? But first we have to clean up the messes we all have in our lives. 

For Reflection
Get a journal. A spiral notebook will do the job just fine. Journaling our thoughts and emotions helps us to get in touch with our thoughts, feelings, fears, dreams and desires. It is a private process we don't have to share with anyone else. It is healthy to get our emotions - especially the negative ones -out on paper otherwise they get stuck in our minds and bodies. Emotions are energy and we only want positive energy in both. 

Here are a few questions to get you started in your quiet time:

What did I do that made me feel happy this year?

What brought me joy?

What happened that made me sad, stressed, or anxious?

Who did I enjoy spending time with?

Who would I rather spend less time with?

What activities brought forth fruit?

What activities are no longer bearing fruit?

What did I learn this year?

What new skills or habits did I develop?

What goals did I achieve that made me feel good about myself?

What projects would I like to be involved in next year?

What one goal would I like to see become reality in the New Year?

The answers to these questions will determine our destiny for the next year and possibly longer. Give careful time and thought to answering them. Don't overthink. Simply write down whatever pops into your head. If an answer doesn't come readily, move on to the next question. Some need time to percolate.

You'll notice that most of these questions are "I" related. Often we tend to do things to please other people - our parents, our boss, our spouse - but neglect what makes us truly happy. It is great to be of service to others, which is one of the reasons I write this blog, but it also makes me happy. It's a win-win.What about you?

Lastly, I want to thank you for being a member of this community and for reading my blog posts. I hope they have encouraged, inspired, and motivated you to be the best you can be. I wish you a spectacular 2021 and may this be the year you catapult into your DESTINY!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community and receive my weekly posts, enter your email in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom to help you ignite the power within!

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

What to Do When You Don't Know What to Do - 8 Keys to Making Wise Decisions

Ever feel like you don't know what to do next? Either you're overwhelmed with too much to do or you're lost with not enough. Or perhaps you don't know what direction to go in. Sometimes life gets like this. We all face times of overwhelm and uncertainty. Where should we focus our time? What is the most important priority? I have an important decision to make soon so today I'm going to share with you the process I use to make these decisions so you can move forward in your life with confidence and joy, instead of regret and disappointment in your decision-making.

1. Don't make the decision in the heat of the moment.
It seems things can snowball out of control almost instantly. I am an emotional person, so I have to be extra careful not to let my emotions take control. I have learned it's okay to feel the impact and express my feelings, however I give myself time to settle down and let the rational part of my brain kick back in so I can weigh all the factors. Did you know when emotions take over, the logic part of the brain is overruled? Here's an interesting article on this phenomenon.

2. Use your head and your heart.
It is important to be guided by both our feelings and reality i.e. logic in equal balance. Sometimes people let their emotions rule without thought to reality or the consequences.. Maybe this is why it is good to have both a male and female opinion on an issue. Different perspectives help determine the best choice.

Wise decisions are also those that are in accord with our values. I can't stress this enough. Our decisions should feel comfortable to us. If we are not at peace with a decision, it is not the right one or it is not time to make it.

In many situations, there is no right or wrong answer. The right decision is ultimately what is BEST for us in the long run, not what someone else wants or thinks. We can listen to other people's opinion, but ultimately, we are the ones who will live with the consequences - good or bad. When our choices are in sync with our beliefs and values, we can then enjoy a life of wholeness and harmony.

3. Don't succumb to guilt.
Guilt is an insidious enermy of peace. It's that voice in your head that says "You should do this". "You should do it now." Should is a word that implies obligation and pressure. Wise decisions are not made under pressure. Sometimes it takes me a while to realize I am feeling pressured and then I take action to alleviate it. Pressure is a warning sign that the timing is not right. Recent example, I was helping my Mom make a decision over whether to sign a lease on a new place before her house was sold. I realized I was feeling pressure and so was she so we decided not to sign. We were both at peace after we made this decision.

4. Make time to be still.
With all the frenetic activity of life, it's important to make time to get alone with yourself and God to listen to that still small voice within. Tune out what everyone else thinks or says. Ask God for wisdom and direction. All wisdom comes from God anyway so wouldn't it be a good idea to check in with him before making decisions? I think so. When we get quiet, we let the thoughts and emotions slow down in our minds so when the waters settle we can clearly see what truly matters to us.

5. Do What's Best for You.
Many times women have a tendency to overextend themselves. Often we have learned to be care-takers of others, but not of ourselves. Is this choice going to stress me out? Is it putting too much on my plate? Yes, I know we can do all things thru Christ, but wisdom comes in knowing our limits. We cannot do it all and things usually take more time and energy than we anticipate. When in doubt, the answer is "No".

6. Wait for peace.
Peace is the most critical factor in making a decision. Now, we have to be careful about this peace thing. The peace I am talking about is inner peace. It doesn't mean everything in the situation is going smoothly, but it does mean we have an inner peace about moving forward in a certain direction even if all the pieces are not in place. When we move ahead without peace, the inner struggle will steal our energy and slow us down. When we wait for peace, we will feel a positive energy that propels us forward into our goals and dreams.

7. Evaluate the joy factor.
This is the part we sometimes miss. I ask myself this question: "Will this decision bring me joy?" If the answer is no, well there you go. God wants us to be joyful and he wants us to do things with a whole-heart. If we don't have joy, something is amiss. There are many worthy endeavors in this world of opportunities, but the key is which ones are right for you. Joy is a key indicator to pay attention to.

8. Make the decision in a timely manner.
Unmade decisions cause stress because they weigh on us. They keep our minds divided and steal our peace. Set a reasonable amount of time for making a decision and then make it. Unmade decisions can make us lose sleep and productivity. When we make decisions in a timely manner we take control of the situation, rather than allowing it to take control of us. We don't have to have all the facts but we do need to consider the most important ones.

I had a freind who agonized over making decisions. She was trying to decide whether to move closer to her work and I encouraged her to evaluate all the factors. After she moved, she says "I've realized I don't like this area." Now, when you are going to move someplace, evaluating the area is, in my humble opinion, the first thing to consider. This is an example of overlooking the most important factors in making a decision.

So, these are 8 ideas I have learned over the years on how to remove the stress from decision-making. What tips do you use? Please leave a comment and share with us. If you'd like to receive my bi-weekly email posts and a copy of my free e-guide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path", enter your email in the box provided.

Until next time, share this with a friend and as always - keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

5 Keys to Living a Fulfilled Life

Are you content with your life? Are you accomplishing your goals and dreams? Do you look forward to starting each new day? If so, then you are living a life of wholeness but there is always something new to learn to move forward, have more joy and to be more of a blessing to others which is what it is all about anyway, right?

Or when the alarm goes off, do you just want to pull the covers over your head?  No joy? No motivation?  Well, this is the year to make a change! In today's post, we'll talk about the 5 keys to living a fulfilled and joyful life.

1. Focus.
In order to live a fulfilled life we must have focus. Focus is a critical discipline we need to master if we want to make progress in life. When we don't have focus, we drift from one thing to the next, never really accomplishing much or feeling fulfilled. When we are focused, we have well-defined goals in front of us as well as a strong belief that we can achieve them. It means having our eyes and our minds set on the direction we want to head in and wearing blinders to everything else. It means saying "NO" to people and activities that don't align with our goals and values.

2. Values are the things that are most precious to us in a given season. 
Here are some examples of goals and focused action that supports them.

If it really matters to me to look good in a size 6 jeans, then I will exercise and eat right. If I want to enjoy my home,  then I will make time to clean, organize and decorate it. If I care about my health, then I will watch my weight,  monitor my cholesterol and blood pressure, and watch my stress levels. Like-wise, if I want to enjoy financial freedom, I will ditch my debt and curb my spending habits.

Values can change over time. For example, being a mother was a high priority when I was a single parent raising two sons. My sons are now grown independent adults who have their own lives so now I am free to pursue my own interests.  Good health and keeping in shape are still of high importance. I don't want to let myself drift into being overweight and out of shape as I age. Other values are peace of mind, security, fun, and growth, to name a few. We each get to choose our own values.

Our values determine  how we spend our time. When our activities and choices align with our values we feel at peace and content because we are living a life of integrity and wholeness. When our lives are full of activities that do not align with our values, we will feel unfulfilled, frustrated, and discontent.

3. Awareness is being conscious of the choices I am making in the present moment.
It means being conscious of my actions, my behaviors, and my thoughts. When I am fully present, my mind and my thoughts are focused on what I am doing. I make choices based on my values and goals. I am listening to that still small inner voice and not the voice of my flesh or other people.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." In other words, it is very easy to be distracted and it is the aware and conscious person who makes good use of his/her time. Time is one commodity we cannot get back. 

4. Decisions.
Indecision holds us back. We waffle back and forth and this keeps us stuck. We make excuses. Decisions are powerful because they move us forward in life and into our destinies. A decision is like a stake in the ground. "I will .....". Of course, we should always consult with God on our decisions. It is all too easy to let the flesh and our egos dictate our decisions. We have to ask ourselves "Where will this decision take me? Where will I be in the next five years as a result of this decision?" "Will I regret this?"

5. Action.
After we have made a decision, the next step is to take action to follow through. If we decide we want to lose 5 pounds, we will cut back on our food intake. We will get more exercise. We will stop the snacking. Failure to act is just as bad as indecision. We cannot allow procrastination and laziness to keep us from moving forward in life. If we do we will end up living a life of regret and disappointment and who wants to feel like that? Action goes hand in hand with faith, which is why we need to develop our spiritual muscle so we will have the courage to take the actions necessary to move us into our destinies. Faith without works is dead as it says in the Bible.

So there you have them - 5 keys to moving forward in life. What matters most to you today, friend? Are your goals in line with your current values? Do you want to lose weight? Get out of debt? Declutter your home? Or achieve some other worthy goal? Whatever it is, stay focused, believe you can achieve your goal, and just take the next step in front of you. 

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community and receive my bi-weekly posts, enter your email in the box provided. I'll also send you a copy of my free guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".  Connect with me on Pinterest for exciting ideas on a variety of topics such as cooking, beauty, health, exercise and much more. 

Stay tuned for more on igniting the power within and moving into YOUR destiny!

 Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

The One Thing You Need to Achieve Your Goals

Can't seem to lose the weight? Make time to exercise? Find yourself snacking on junk food and watching television instead of doing something of value? You're not alone. Although we know these things are good for us and important in the big scheme of things, somehow we find an excuse and manage to avoid doing the very things that matter. Why is that?

It comes down to the issue of self-mastery. Self-mastery means being able to regulate one's choices, behaviors, words, thoughts, and feelings. Another word for self-mastery is self-discipline. Although the word discipline somehow has gotten a bad rap and often conjures up images of Catholic nuns smacking you with a ruler, self-discipline is critical to our moving forward in life.

We need a change of perspective on the word discipline. How about we replace the word "discipline" with the word "mastery". Self-mastery. Doesn't that have a better ring to it? Think of it as a tool in your arsenal to help you achieve your goals in life: get in shape, get your financial house in order, enjoy an exercise routine, develop a spiritual practice.

We need discipline in many areas of life: at work, at home, in public, and with ourselves. I hear people say all the time things like: "I am so undisciplined" or "I am so lazy". Stop saying things like that because our words become a self-fulfilling prophesy. I'm willing to bet you are holding down a steady job of some sort. If so, you have already developed discipline. You get up everyday to go to work. You get up, get dressed, and endure a possibly grueling commute to get to work on time. This all takes discipline. Not everybody can manage to do that. Give yourself a pat on the back. Now think about this.

If you have mastery in one area of your life, it means you have already developed the skill to some extent. Now all you need to do is to apply the skill of mastery to another area of your life. For example, I have some friends who are constantly trying to lose weight. Weight loss is no easy feat. I know because I used to be several pounds overweight myself and I still battle the bulge. They tell me they are going to start a diet, an exercise program, join Weight Watchers, etc. They ask me to hold them accountable. Then what happens? Nothing. After a few weeks, I bravely get up the courage to ask how the diet is going and then I hear something to this effect: "I just can't seem to stick to it" or "I don't have time to get to the gym", basically, an excuse.

The real reason they are not able to lose the weight is a matter of not applying the skill of discipline in this area. Weight loss is another opportunity to practice discipline. Or to put it another way, how we spend our time and energy. Motivational speaker and author, Jim Rohn, says this: "Spend most of your time on the 80% of things that matter". The problem is many people spend 80% of their time on things of little value, like Happy Hour, and only 20% of their time on what truly matters.

The same thought processes you use to get yourself to go to work everyday can be applied to any goal. How do you get yourself to work? Do you say "I'm too busy" or "I can't get up in time"? No, we make ourselves do it because we want the paycheck. In the same way, if we really and truly want to be thinner, we will make ourselves do the necessary steps. For example, a goal might be: lose 5 pounds by Easter. The action steps might be 1) walk briskly for 30 minutes 3 - 4 times a week and 2) cut back on portion sizes. These are realistic and achievable for anyone. Any goal can be broken down into simple yet doable steps, IF you're interested.

Today is the day to pick an area of your life where you want to see transformation and change. Establish a realistic and reasonable time-oriented goal and then create a short list of action items. Post this list somewhere you will see it every day. Writing down our goals and having them in front of us keeps us focused. See my post on setting SMART goals.

Now that we have discussed the practical side of discipline, let's talk about the spiritual component.

We need to have faith in ourselves that we CAN achieve our goals and dreams. I think a major reason people fail to change is that they lack the faith in themselves to accomplish their goals. Faith is the fuel that fires up our engines. Without faith, we will achieve nothing. If we say to ourselves "I'll never lose this weight" or "I'll never get out of debt" again we are setting ourselves up for failure. We must believe we have the power and the discipline to make the changes we want to see in our lives. How else are we going to live "the abundant life"?

So, what one area of your life do you want to change? Next, define 3 - 5 action steps you can take to make progress on this goal. Above all, reprogram your thinking. Start telling yourself "I can ......". One of my favorite verses says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13). As a Christian, if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we have the power within us to move mountains, not just lose those 5 pounds.

Until next time, I hope this post has inspired and motivated you to make that change. You CAN do it! Write me and let me know how it's going.

If you'd like to join our community and receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path" enter your email in the box provided. You'll  receive my encouraging bi-weekly posts in your inboxand.

Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom to help you ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

In the meantime,
Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

The Power of Priorities

Do you feel life is controlling you rather than you controlling it? Are you always reacting to "urgent demands"? Tired of being pushed and pulled in fifty directions? Never enough time to exercise? Eat well? Or get enough sleep? Well, friends, then read on!

There is a better way and you have more control than you may realize, and no, you do not have to move to a secluded island or an exotic foreign country. You can stop the rat race and start living in peace and in pace with God. 

It all starts with prioritization: taking a good hard look at what really and truly matters to you down deep inside and aligning your activities to match what are called our "core values". Let's take Jesus for an example. Now there was a guy who had his priorities straight. Remember when his mother couldn't find him for days after the festival, and when she finally found him in the temple, what did he say? "Did you not know I would be about my father's business?" Or how about all the times he stopped to visit the sick, go to a friend's house, or help out a neighbor in distress? He knew how short life is and he made each day count. Can we say the same?

So let's say you want to lose 10 lbs. but can't seem to find the time to exercise. Believe me, there is always a way to carve out 30 minutes to exercise. This is what I call "an excuse". Sorry, but true. Now perhaps you may be the typical hard-working American who comes home exhausted after a long day on the job, eats dinner, and then plops into the Lazy-Boy with a beer or a glass of wine to watch the boob tube. There is a reason those chairs are named "Lazy-Boy" by the way.

Instead, you could put on your walking shoes, grab your favorite tunes and head outdoors for a brisk walk. It's a win-win. You get in your 30 minutes of exercise AND you relax. Your align your activity - going for a walk - with your core values of being healthy, losing weight, and relaxing.

When we make time for what really matters, we will feel less frustrated and more in control of our lives.  If we take the time to get clear about our core values, we won't be side-tracked by every offer that comes along. It will simply be a matter of "Does this activity fit one of my core values?"

One last note, core values do change over time, so what was important 5 or 10 years ago, may not be so important today. Reevaluate every few years to make sure you are still following your heart and your dreams! If this post resonated with you and you'd like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll get my bi-weekly posts plus I'll send you my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path."

Stay tuned for more positive and practical wisdom to help you ignite the power within, be the best you can be and discover YOUR DESTINY!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

All rights reserved. If you'd like to use this material, contact me at arielpaz08@gmail.com.

Ignite the Power Within Step 5: How Faith Helps Your Realize Your Dreams

As the song from Mama Mia goes, "I have a dream, a song to sing." We all have a dream, don't we? Dreams come in all sorts of sizes and shapes. Some dream big dreams like becoming president, CEO, or making it to the Olympic team.

Your dream might be to own your own home, learn to fly a plane, ride a motorcycle, ballroom dance. Or maybe write that book you've always wanted to write or own your own business.

Life is made of dreams. Dreams make life worth living because they give us something to live for and something to get excited about. They put the passion and spice into life.

What is it that you dream of doing, having, becoming? Have you forgotten or given up on it? You're never too old and it's never too late to dream a new dream. Don't let anyone discourage you. It is truly possible to live the life of your dreams at any stage of life.

Begin by taking the first step. Then another and another. You will be amazed at how doors open and your dream will become a reality sooner than you think. Don't make excuses such as "I'm too old," "I'll never get married," or "I'm not smart enough". Faith opens doors and makes the path clear for God to work. Believe in yourself and in the power of God. Together you will go further than you ever imagined.

I speak from personal experience because many of my dreams have come true already and I am in awe of what God has done in and through me.

Who would have thought that a timid, overweight child of an alchoholic father would graduate from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University with a Masters degree? Who would have thought that this same person would survive an abusive marriage, a devastating divorce and financial ruin? Who would have dreamed of being an author and go on to write and publish a book and create her own blog? Who would have thought that I would have visited the many countries I've been to? Who would have thought that a single mom would be able to see her two sons graduate from college and one earn his Masters Degree? Who would have thought a single mom would be able to sponsor a child in a third-world country all the way through college?

These are truly dreams - miracles really- that have come true. All by the grace of God and with the power of Faith. When we believe we give God permission to work in our lives. What's even more exciting is that when we begin to believe and see the smaller dreams come to fruition, we will be even more motivated to dream bigger dreams the next time. As they say "the sky is the limit". Dare to dream big!

If you enjoyed this post and would like to join our community, enter your email address in the box provided and you'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

Until we meet again, follow your dreams, keep the faith and keep looking up!

Ariel