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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How to Use Mindfulness to Transform Your Life

Ever notice there is always construction going on someplace? Just like the roads around here, we are all a work in progress.  Seems like there is always something to repair, reconstruct, or rebuild. The same goes for us. You'll know when a change is needed when you hit a rough patch - a relationship goes on the rocks, communication gets muddied, you feel down, depressed or lose your joy.

The good news is that tough times are actually opportunities for change, growth and renewal and this week I am sharing three ways being more mindful can help us transform our lives.  

            

1. Make time to self-reflect 

When we go through a tough time, the tendency is to want to move through it quickly, to distract ourselves, to distance from loved ones or to keep ourselves too busy to think. But this is the wrong approach. Tough times come to teach us something, to grow us up, to refine our character. The question to ask ourselves is "What do I need to learn from this?" and "How can I be better?"

2. Be More Mindful

Awareness is the first step to change. When we slow down our busy lives, we are able to be more mindful during our day. It will all get done, sooner or later but better to do it in peace than in a hurry. You know how when you take a nice leisurely stroll you notice the flowers, the sounds of the birds, the colors of the trees,  provided, of course, you are not talking on your phone. Ahem. 

Versus when you go for a run, all you can think about is your legs, your breathing and your feet. You don't really notice your surroundings. This too is being mindful in a different way. When we run, we focus on our body instead of the scenery, just watch out for traffic and deer. 

Life is not a race. We should not be rushing through it. We should be enjoying it and paying attention: to our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions. This is what wholeness is all about. Making all of these work together in harmony. 

3. It's a Skill 

Practicing mindfulness is a skill we all can benefit from. It helps us to pay more attention to ourselves by shining the laser beam of attention on our thoughts and behaviors. 

When we shine the light on ourselves rather than focusing on what the other person said or did, we are able to see things more clearly. It is only then we are able to make positive changes because we can only change ourselves.  For more on mindfulness and meditation, check out my posts on this important topic. 

An Example
Let's look at over-eating for example or eating when we are not really hungry. I know I still struggle with these myself. Ask yourself these questions before you get something to eat. 

- Am I really hungry?

- When did I eat last?

- What am I feeling?

- What am I thinking about? 

Keep a diary of these thoughts and when you eat and you will see patterns in your eating that you can adjust to lose the weight. Often we go on auto-pilot and eat not out of true hunger but something else usually something emotionally stressful and we are trying to self-soothe ourselves with food or drink or a smoke. 

4. Take off the Pressure 

Personal story

I hate pressure. I don't do well under pressure. After retiring, I still felt the pressure. But where was it coming from? Me! Finally, I put up a sticky note on my kitchen cabinet that said "Stop the pressure." There was no need. Many of us pressure ourselves needlessly and this steals our peace and our joy. 

Change and transformation take time. Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Be gentle with yourself. Keep at it and keep the faith. Don't try and lean on your own will-power which is limited. Instead, lean on God. It is by his grace and through his power that we are able to overcome the obstacles in our path to growth and transformation. 2 Corinthians 12:19 says "My grace is sufficient for you". Hang on to that promise and you will be victorious no matter what you are trying to change because God is faithful. 

For Reflection 
What are you struggling with today? What can you do to be more gentle and compassionate with yourself? What is one step you can take to make the change a reality today? 

If this post resonated with you, join our community by entering your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly newsletter plus a copy of my free eguide entitled "How to Develop a Spiritual Practice". 

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

Until next time,  keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

How to Make This Year Count

Happy New Year everybody! Can you believe it is 2025? What are your hopes and dreams for the new year? Lose those 10 extra pounds? Get your financial house in order? Finish that degree? 

I've found that the best way to see my hopes and dreams come true is to set smart goals and I've been setting and accomplishing goals since I was a child, believe it or not. Goals help us form a vision for our future. They help us to get clear on what we want. Nothing is more powerful than a goal that energizes us and spurs us to action. 

If you've ever been to a soccer game or a football game, you've seen how motivating scoring a goal is for the players. In the same way, achieving worthwhile goals builds our confidence and gives us a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment and also brings more joy into our lives and who doesn't want that? So here is how to set great goals you can achieve.

The first step is to define SMART goals. You’ve probably seen this criteria before, but in case you haven’t, here are the five keys to making SMART goals. A SMART goal must be:

S - specific - detailed and clearly stated 

M - measurable - must be quantifiable

A - achievable - must be realistic 

R - relevant - must be important to you, know the why

T- time bound - set a date/deadline to accomplish it by

The second major component to achieving our goals is we need to have a PLAN. It's not enough to state our goals out loud, publish them on Facebook, or note them in a journal. Without a plan to implement our goals we will fail miserably. I've heard it said "Failing to plan is planning to fail." 

I organize my life into 5 major areas and create a goal for each of those areas. Let's say, in the area of health & fitness, I want to lose 10 pounds(specific and measurable) by pool opening day(realistic & time-bound). The next thing I need to do is list 3 - 5 action steps I am going to start immediately to accomplish each goal. Action steps for losing the 10 pounds might be:

1. Take a brisk walk for 30 minutes every day. 
2. Ask myself if I am really feeling hunger before I eat something.
3. Reduce the amount of fats, sweets, and salt I consume by half. 
4. Keep a food diary and track how I feel when I eat something. 
5. Manage my stress levels better. 

Third, we need to understand the WHY of each of our goals. This is sometimes obvious, but as our goals get bigger and harder, it is important to be very clear on WHY we want to achieve a certain goal, or we may lose momentum and give up mid-way through. The why is our motivation. This takes some soul-searching but when we understand the why we gain clarity about our values. 

The last component of achieving goals is the most important. Without this component, we will surely fail. We must learn to develop the power of FAITH.  We must BELIEVE we can accomplish what we set out to do and that God is going to give us the grace to do it. Faith is KEY to accomplishing anything good in life but it must be backed up with action steps and of course, prayer. 

So, write and share one of your goals with me. If you need help defining your goals, write me and I'll help you out. Here’s to a fruitful and fun 2025.

If you'd like to join our community and receive my bi-weekly posts by email, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll also receive a copy of my free e-guide entitled "How to Develop a Spiritual Practice".  If you struggle with balance in your life, check out my book "Take Back Your Life: 5 Keys to Reclaiming Your Personal Power",  available at your favorite online bookseller. 

Stay tuned for more practical and positive wisdom to help you ignite the power within and discover YOUR DESTINY in the New Year ! ©

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz
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Transform Your Life - Part 1

What is it you would like to see transformed in your life today? Do you want to lose weight? Be more assertive?  Get a handle on your finances? No matter what our circumstances we can transform our lives. We each have a secret power within us - I like to call it our spiritual muscle - that when exercised properly - can bring about miracles you never thought possible. 

What kind of change would you like to make? You have the power to do or be anything you desire even if you've tried and failed many times before. We've all been there and done that, I can assure you. But this time can be different. 

If you want to renew your zest for life, it's time to transform it! We were meant to move forward in life, not stay at the boring status quo. When we stop learning and growing and changing, we become stagnant, bored, lethargic, joyless. Since this blog is about personal and spiritual growth, today I want to inspire you to take the first step towards transforming YOUR life!

Get Really Clear
First, we have to get really clear on what we want our life to look like, not just for the here and now, but for the long haul. Really take some time to decide what your most important values are because our values drive our decisions and our decisions determine our actions. For example, when I was growing up, in a single family home, I decided I wanted to be able to support myself and not have to depend on a man to support me. That meant I had to study hard, get good grades and go to college so I could get a decent paying job. That one decision structured the path of my entire life. 

What would you like to change in your life? A job? A relationship? Start a new endeavor like learning a new language or perhaps taking a course to get a better job? What would really light your fire?

Now is the time 

Often we procrastinate and put off taking action on things that could change our life. We make excuses like "I'm too busy" or "Maybe next month" or "I don't know how to proceed." These, my friend, are all excuses. There is no better day than today to take action on your goals. 

Contrary to what some say about old dogs and new tricks, I believe most people can change anything if they really want to. To stay young at heart, vibrant, and alive we must keep growing and improving our lives. I believe this is you which is why you joined our community and I am your personal cheerleader!

The Very First Step 
Perhaps you've tried before and failed. Or you just don't know where or how to start. As with any journey, the first step is always the most important. Now you may be thinking the first step involves some sort of action. But I want to challenge that perception. What you may or may not realize is this: the first step in any journey, change, or forward movement in life begins with a decision.

That's right. A decision. What really determines whether you are going to succeed or fail in your endeavor, is the commitment to your decision. In other words, it is the strength of your resolve to your decision that energizes you to take action.

The key is commitment. So what do you have to have to do in order to commit to something? What is the one thing you absolutely have to have in order to follow through? I think you may know the answer to this question. The answer is this:

FAITH. 

You need to activate the power of faith. Faith propels us into action and keeps us going.  We must believe in ourselves, in others, and in the power of God to transform our lives. Nothing, and I do mean absolutely nothing happens without faith. Faith is the foundation to any successful undertaking.

If you've tried before and failed, don't sit on the sidelines. We've all failed at some point in life so join the club, but don't throw in the towel. Check out this video on famous people who have failed miserably in life and see how it makes you feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Y6hz_s2XIAU

For reflection 
What is it that you would like to accomplish in your life? What change would you like to see? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone?  Have you made a strong commitment to your goal? Do comment below. I love hearing from you. 

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

Stay tuned for part two on this mini-series to learn more about how you can transform your life, ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

How to Discover Your Destiny - Part 1

Do you ever wonder why you were put on this earth? What your purpose in life is? Perhaps you are stuck in a nowhere job like I was for years, working to pay the bills and support the family, but inside empty and unfulfilled. We each have a destiny and a purpose, but sometimes it takes years for us to figure out what it is. Today's post is about helping you find your destiny and living the fulfilling life you deserve. So let's dig in...

What makes you happy? Going on a nice trip or vacation? Engaging in your favorite hobby, pastime, or sport? Being recognized at work? Sure these all might be enjoyable for the moment, but what I'm asking is what really makes you happy down deep inside? Something that has ETERNAL value. Ever think about that?

Sadly, many never stop to think about such things until disaster strikes and gets their attention. When we realize that everything we have worked so hard for could be wiped out in a matter of minutes, the light bulb goes on and we stop and think. Is what I am doing really worthwhile?

Life is tenuous. It can be snuffed out in an instant. If your life is not making you happy, change it. You have the power and the ability to change whatever you wish. Life is too short to be miserable. Don't settle for the victim woe-is-me mentality.

Here in Maryland we had two tornedo threats this past week. Now tornedos are not something we usually see in Maryland, so it was "an event". As I watched the ominous dark clouds move like the pestilence over my house, I contemplated my life. Life as I know it could be taken out just like that except for the grace and mercy of God.

We all have gifts and talents to offer the world.
I came to the conclusion that what really makes me happy  is what I'm doing now - writing to encourage others. It is my way of giving back and contributing to the world. I hope many people are reading these posts and that I am impacting their lives, but if only one person is encouraged, inspired, or touched then it is worth all my time and effort. It is my offering, so to speak. We all have something we can offer to the world.

Sometimes, our destiny does not unroll like a tapestry before us. We have to be prepared to walk in our purpose. In other words, we have to be healed so we can then focus on being of service.

I think there is a progression to our lives. As I've said before, life is a school and we each have our lessons to learn. This lesson learning often causes our lives veer in another direction before circling back. Not to fret. Everything is for our good and for our growth. Our gifts, like my writing, may lie dormant for years, and then, suddenly appear. We develop a passion for something and it drives us forward. It is our time.

I never had a clue that I would become a writer, create a blog, and publish my own books. I remember getting a 'C' on an English paper in college and was mortified. Who would have thought I would become a writer years later? 

It really is quite magical how this process evolves. Yet God is still in the healing business. As we learn our lessons, we gain insight into what we would really like to do, what goals we would like to achieve, and who we would like to become. Put your gifts to use in some way and they will lead you to your purpose and your destiny.

We are meant to be of service. 

Becoming aware of our unique gifts is the beginning. The next step is to find a way to use them to help or serve others in some way. We are each put here for a purpose and that is to help heal our hurting world. We find a deep sense of connection, gratitude, and purpose which I believe are the ultimate keys to personal happiness and fulfillment.

For Reflection
So again, I ask you - are you happy now? If not, what would make you truly and deeply happy? What change could you make to be more in love with life? Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you. 

If you would like to join our blog community, enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my weekly posts plus a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".   always welcome your comments and feedback.

Stay tuned for more positive and practical insights to help us all find healing, wholeness, health, and harmony. Until next time, I wish you joy and happiness and as always,

Keep looking up!

Ariel Paz

The Importance of Discovering Your Destiny

Do you feel unfulfilled? Working at a job to make a salary but that doesn't stir your soul? Are you living for the weekends? Are you in a career because it just came along? It's never too late to discover your destiny and today that is what we're going to talk about.

As someone who got side-tracked in life by well-meaning individuals, I know what it is like to be working hard at a job that doesn't fulfill you. As a young college student with a knack for foreign languages, my dream was to become an interpreter and move to New York to work for the United Nations. Then I got married, and detoured into the computer science field. Now I have to say, computer science was not my thing. At all! I kept saying "My brain doesn't work this way", but I forced myself to learn how to program and spent the next 33 years of my life wracking my brain to figure out complex logic problems, a slave to the desk and the computer screen. One of my doctors once asked me what I did for a living and I told him I was a software engineer. He said "Well, you certainly don't look like one. You look like one of those creative types to me".

When we put ourselves into a position that is not right for us, we add more stress to our lives and eventually it takes a toll. I was a single mom of two boys which sure was no picnic either, especially when there was so much dysfunction that had to be resolved. Then when my sons were grown and out of the house, someone suggested I write a book, so I began to write and the rest is history.

Writing is what I feel called to do. I feel like I just have to get this stuff out. In the process, I feel like I am doing my part to help others and also to leave a legacy. I've learned some things along my journey and if these blog posts and my books can help prevent you from making the mistakes I made, I will have made a contribution.

So, I share all this to encourage you to listen to yourself. Not your mother. Not your significant other. Stay true to who YOU are and what you are gifted at and enjoy. It's your life at stake, not theirs. The key, as motivational speaker and author, John Maxwell says, is to focus on your strengths. Put more of your effort into using them and you will be successful. Some talents may lie dormant for years, but eventually they will surface.

I know it's hard to decide what path to take in life, so look at your giftings. What do you enjoy doing? What comes easily to you? What do you envision yourself doing? Can you make a decent income from it? These are all important questions to ask ourselves if we want to discover our destiny and be truly fulfilled. It is not enough to just make a salary.

No matter what age you are, it is never too late to discover your destiny. When you are living a life of purpose and productivity, you will be filled with joy. Time seems to go by as you are immersed in the present moment. You are fully alive. I think it is a cornerstone of being content as an individual when we find what we were meant to do.

Now don't let that ugly word, fear, hold you back. Don't let doubts hold you back. If there is something stirring in your soul that you keep thinking about, God put it there for a reason. You might not know the end result, but He does. Trust that your destiny is ultimately in God's capable hands and he is guiding you. Take action and do what you need to do to move towards your vision. I knew absolutely nothing about writing but began taking classes and going to conferences, and now I can confidently say "I am a writer" and it feels great!

What dream is inside you? What would you love to be doing? What is holding you back? Today is the day to take a step of faith towards that dream.

If you enjoyed this post, join our blog community and enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my positive and practical bi-weekly posts and a copy of my free eguide "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path".

Stay tuned for more tips on how to ignite the power within and discover YOUR destiny!

Until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel Paz 

Ignite the Power Within Step 10: Learn the Lesson

Are you moving forward in life? Seeing your goals and dreams become realities? Or are you feeling stuck, joyless and  don't know why? I've felt this way myself at times and have discovered a key factor in moving forward in life. In today's post, I am going to share with you the tenth and last step in the process of igniting your personal power and discovering your destiny. 

Life is a school. We are each here on earth for a purpose and we each have a destiny to fulfill. It is up to us to figure out what that destiny is. Yet sometimes we get sidetracked by mistakes and failures. It happens to all of us but we don't have to allow our mistakes to hold us back.

Look at Donald Trump, who declared bankruptcy several times and is now a presidential candidate. Or Mohammed Ali who was banned from boxing for three years in the prime of his career. Martha Stewart served jail time for lying to federal investigators about a stock sale. All of these people made huge mistakes but then went on to be successful.

In a similar way, we each make mistakes. I married an emotionally abusive and controlling man and went through a devastating divorce. I wound up living my worst nightmare as a single mom in a culture that frowned on divorce and single parents. I learned some hard lessons during this time, but in the end overcame not only the guilt and shame of the breakup and financial ruin, but regained my self-esteem, finances, career and family.

Every mistake or failure carries a lesson with it. After a major ore even a minor failure, it is important to take the time to reflect on:
1. What our part was
2. Why we chose what we did and
3. What we need to change in order to move forward in a better way.

Perhaps you've suffered a heart attack. Now you know to eat better and exercise. Or you've felt the pain of a relationship ending. Now you know to choose more carefully who you get emotionally entangled with. Or you've felt the burden of financial debt, so you readjust your spending habits.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity about our failures, view them as learning opportunities. There is always at least one golden nugget of truth in the trials and tribulations of life.

This completes my 10 step process to igniting your personal power. If you've missed any of the steps, enter  'personal power' in the search box and they will all come up. If you'd like a copy of my free e-guide entitled "7 Steps to Developing Your Spiritual Muscle" enter your email in the box provided. 

Stay tuned and until next time, keep looking up!

Ariel 

Mom's Not So Stupid After All

Parenting is a tough job, no doubt about it. Especially when you are a working parent and even more challenging if you are a working single parent like I was. Sometimes we just want to throw in the towel and quit. Don't do it. Your kids are watching you. Today's post is to encourage parents, especially single parents, to keep doing the right thing, keep being a good role model. No, you won't be perfect and yes, your kids will have to learn some things on their own, but you will have given them a good foundation.

Well, I'll be. This week my son, Jon, asked me to speak to his college class. He is majoring in business and his group needed a speaker.

"We need a successful business person and I thought of you. You've accomplished a lot and been through a lot."

"What do you want me to talk about?" I asked almost dumb-founded.

"You could talk about strength, and beginning with the end in mind" Jon said quoting a chapter from the book he's reading by Steven Covey.

Wow! How did we get from "You don't know anything, Mom" to "Will you speak to my class, Mom?" Amazing.

So I agreed. In fact, I felt honored that Jon would ask me to speak to these young people who will be the business leaders of tomorrow.

It just goes to show you, parents, that our kids are watching us. They are watching the decisions we make, how we stand up under pressure, and how we handle the tough times. We can preach to them all we want, but in the end, actions speak louder than words. We are the best role model our kids can have.

All these years I've worried about my sons. If we are following the Lord, then we can trust that our kids will see that as well. So have faith, parents, you may be doing a better job than you think you are!'

If you enjoyed this post, join our community and enter your email address in the box provided. You'll receive my bi-weekly posts plus a copy of my free eguide entitled "7 Steps to Finding Your Spiritual Path". 

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

Until next time, keep looking up!


Ariel Paz