You may have heard the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results… But do people actually believe that doing the same activities and maintaining the same beliefs will produce different results? That would be… Insane!

Our headlines are full of stories of good people gone astray. When that person was a baby, they didn’t set the goal to become a failure. They didn’t intend their life to be less than successful. We hear about them on the evening news, on the front page of newspapers, and splashed across the weekly tabloids. But the truth is they didn’t become this “failure” person overnight. It was a process of neglect, bad habits, bad company, bad decisions and bad beliefs and often low self esteem. In many ways, these sad stories have become a national obsession. We can’t wait to turn on the evening news to hear of all the bad stuff! We can be so busy judging these people and we may think, “I can’t believe they could be so stupid!” She’s lost her mind,” or “What an idiot,” or “Why would someone risk everything?” We think we are judging these people based on their “disgraceful behaviour” but in reality we may be just seeing ourselves and our own short comings. Countless acts of self-destructive behaviour and sabotage take place in our own dysfunctional families, in our communities, in our circle of friends.
None of us ever want to admit to doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, because we always have a GOOD REASON why THIS TIME the results will be different…

Your business, your clients, your relationships and even your world are in a constant state of movement and change. To survive in today’s world we have to “live” in the world of change, learning new thought processes, and becoming more than we were as a person yesterday. This can be terrifying for some of us.

The above quote from Eric Hoffer does a brilliant job of explaining the importance of embracing change. If you have the philosophy “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!”, or you have resisted learning in our world of change, or stopped advancing in new technology, or keep doing it the way you have always done it; then your competition may pass you by. The needs of your clients may change, the needs and wants of your family may change, and relationships may alter.

It’s been said that people don’t like change. However the facts reveal to us that in the process of change is when you are usually the happiest, most productive and the most creative. Studies show that people actually really do like change, they just don’t like being forced to change, especially by others. We want the decision to change to be our own and we need to understand the benefit of the proposed changes.

The definition of sabotage is “a treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavour…” You may now be thinking I’m talking about some sort of negative self-image or lack of self-esteem holding you back when I talk of the ‘secret saboteur’. In reality it’s much more and even simpler than that!

All the self-help information out there contains valuable material. Essentially however, the common message is that you must eliminate negativity and self-criticism and believe in getting what you want. It all really boils down to these fundamental truths.

It doesn’t seem right – why would anyone ever sabotage their own success? That would be…  Insane!  BUT, the Secret Saboteur has been undermining your efforts. All that valuable learning wasted! And ‘mysteriously’, your efforts fail.

Your wealthcoach, Yvonne

We both know that the pain of regret hurts much more than the pain of discipline. So, how do you create and maintain good habits? How do you eliminate negative habits that aren’t taking you where you want to go?

One thing I have done, as you probably have as well, was to make a decision to change everything in my life all at the same time. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and so I decided for massive change. We decide that we are going to improve our health, finances, relationships, job, and daily routine all at once. This often can be far too overwhelming. This type of massive change can lead to overwhelm and then failure. I believe this is where most people make a huge mistake. Don’t try to change everything all at once. Pick one or two things at the most to work on now and create a system that will help you create these new habits in your life.

The first thing is to identify the one priority habit you want to change and ask yourself why you want to change this one habit.  When it is important enough for you to change, then the change is easier. I think the easiest way to eliminate an old habit is to create a new habit.  The Reticular Activating Device in the brain… the synapse that is connected to the adjoining synapse… the path that we automatically take (habit) must be broken.  We do this by creating a new habit… a new neurological pathway that is followed automatically.

Just like when you learned to drive… everything was awkward in the beginning and you had to mentally focus on each thing that needed to be done. But then with practice, you can probably drive, listen to the radio, be in a conversation on the mobile phone, take your correct turn off the freeway and drink a coffee at the same time as you scratch your head!  The brain learns the neural pathway of driving and being observant of the traffic and the speedo all at the same time.

If you work on just 2 things every quarter of the year, you will have created 8 positive habits in just one year. NOT BAD!! This brings about permanent change.

Here is a suggestion for a new habit: Develop a unique focus on the current moment, and drawing from it all of the substance and wealth of experience and emotions that it has to offer. Create a Lifestyle habit to take the time to watch a sunset. Relax for that moment and take it in! Lifestyle can be listening to silence. Relax for that moment and take it in. It can be noticing the innocence of the baby. Relax for that moment and appreciate our creator! It is giving a smile to someone who has done. Relax for a moment and have empathy! Lifestyle is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of who we are and of who we are in the process of becoming. Lifestyle is not something we do; it is something we experience. Lifestyle is laughing at myself! And until we learn to be ”there – fully present in the moment”, we will never master the art of living well and finding happiness and contentment. Happiness knows that this day, this moment is the only one I have and I choose to live it – stop and smell the roses… have a coffee and savour the aroma of the coffee. Let go of resentment and bitterness and past failures and really live every moment in gratitude and appreciation, in joy and fullness.

Take it in, and the energy from the moment gives us the ability to get so much more done in a day, and we have enjoyed our day!
Action Step: Right now, go get a pen and a piece of paper.

1. Write down only 2 positive habits that you want to create in the next 90 days.
2. Write down what will be the benefits of creating these new habits.
3. Focus on the benefits (not the discipline) required for the new habit to be formed.

Your Wealthcoach,  Yvonne

These became second nature to me and I have practiced them all my life. It became a habit.

I went from a customer service career in the phone company, to being a PA for the GM of a paint company to working as a secretary at IBM to being a missionary. All of these careers were where I could be safe in my comfort zone.

Then after being married and returning to Australia with 3 kids life took on a different role. Because stuff can happen to knock you around, my self confidence was destroyed and I had to rebuild. By having a mentor and a system to teach me that I could be who I chose to be and what I chose to believe was my decision. As I result of this mentoring I became involved in Human Resources and Management, became a cancer survivor, an Author, Motivational Speaker and Life Coach.

Almost every day, someone who I meet or have dealt with, will comment on my ready smile, friendly greeting, positive attitude and outgoing personality. Apparently the habit of being friendly that I took for granted left a pleasant and lasting impression on the people I met and dealt with over the years. Add to that the habit of being positive and finding the good in any situation has made me a much happier person and one that most people like to be around.

We all have the ability to do this if we want to. Instead of letting the little annoyances in life, bad news from radio, TV, or newspapers get to us, we can remain positive, friendly and pleasant.

By using this type of approach to life, we not only benefit the people we deal with, but also ourselves. We will always be healthier if we are grateful, find the good and believe in the good and share the good around!

A few tips you can use to adopt and maintain a happy/grateful disposition:

1. Smile – not only will people wonder what you’ve been up to; but more than likely they will smile back at you. This might be the only positive in a person’s day – your smile.

2. Show an interest and appreciation in the people you meet and deal with. In the book “How to win friends and influence people” the author talks about being more interested in the other person. After all that is the topic they like to talk about most. Ask them questions about them.

3. Listen! When others are talking you give yourself a break and quite often you gain some knowledge and information that you might have missed otherwise. Listening is different than hearing. Listening is “feeling” with the other person.

4. Share some personal life experiences with others. It is amazing how more quickly you connect with people when you do this. Never share an experience that is to “top” the other persons and make you look superior.

5. Inject some humour into your conversation. Share a laugh! Humour is good for the soul and the body and a laugh shared is a laugh multiplied – and be willing to laugh at yourself.

Les Brown says “If you lose your zest for laughter – you lose your zest for life”!

2.   At formal occasions Dress smartly:

Guys—Shirt, pants, tie, jacket/coat
Ladies—Trouser suit or skirt suit

For Casual occasions:

Men—Dress smart casual = open collar or polo shirt. Always be sure your shoes are clean.
Ladies—Don’t wear a skirt that’s too short or a top that’s too plunging. It gives the wrong impression and is definitely distracting. If wearing open toe shoes, check that your nails are trimmed and freshly polished.

3.   Prepare your file, forms, stationery, catalogues and papers. Remember, less is best. Be organized and neat in all aspects.

4.   Go to the bathroom before every presentation. Check your appearance before meeting the prospect.

5.   Smile and greet the prospect warmly before leading them to the seat. (Be prompt to attend to them and remember their name/names.)

6.   At a rectangular table, always sit across from the prospect. For a round table:

A) Always sit on the prospect’s right, if you are right- handed.
B) Always sit on the prospects left, if you are left- handed.

7.   Ask questions at the start to get as much information as possible for later.

8.   Speak clearly and concisely. Use expressions or gestures to back up your speech, but always stay polite and professional.

9.   While presenting, maintain eye contact.

10. Write clearly! It will impress your prospects.

11. Always lead your prospect throughout the presentation and only answer queries at the end.

12. Always praise their prior achievements and years of experience from whichever industry they come from.

13. Stay with your prospect until you are ready to let a “mutual associate” take over the “personal discussion.”

14. Help to fill up forms and proceed to payment, if a close is done by you.

15. After closing, teach the newcomer an overview of the 5 Success Steps from the Getting Started Guide.

Definite Presentation “Don’ts”

1.    Don’t come with uncombed, long hair or a dirty or unkempt appearance.

2.   Don’t wear a T-shirt, jeans or have too many accessories (e.g. bangles, nose rings, etc.)

3.   Don’t do preparation in front of your prospects.

4.   Don’t fidget or yawn. If unable to control either of these, turn away from the prospect’s view and cover your mouth when yawning. Don’t EVER keep the prospect waiting.

5.   During a presentation:

A) Never sit beside the prospect’s girlfriend, if you are a man.

B) Never sit beside the prospect’s boyfriend, if you are a woman.

6.   Don’t presume they are whatever your “mutual associate” tells you they are.

7.   Don’t whisper and mumble or fumble. Avoid a monotonous tone, Don’t indulge in smoking or any vulgarities such as swearing while presenting.

8.   Never let go of your prospect’s gaze for more than a split second.

9.   Don’t write with the paper facing you and then turn it to face them.

10. Don’t digress from your presentation. Be in control of your presentation.

11. Don’t belittle their hard work or their intelligence, but rather demonstrate your own strength.

12. Don’t make any personal attacks on the prospect. Don’t use any force to make the sale, and don’t force the prospect’s decision making in any way.

13. Never leave your prospects alone when there are two or more. You do not want negative comments expressed while you are at your car, in another room or talking to someone else. They will have time to discuss later.

In short, be relaxed, but as professional as you possibly can to create an atmosphere of purpose and success.

I wish you every success!

Yvonne

Myfreedom

I challenge you to do this. Find 10 people who are successful and ask them to describe to you their daily activities for an average week.

You will find that the majority of the successful people have a set of success habits that they perform almost every day. But the less successful people are at home with their thoughts still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office. And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home. When we are on holidays we are thinking about paying off the credit card and what needs to get done when we get back. We are concerned with what people have said about us or not said about us. We are concerned with what I should have done or shouldn’t have done. We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us because we are so absorbed with our own thoughts and challenges. We may be hearing the words they say, but we aren’t absorbing the message. We don’t notice or appreciate the little things that make up the big things and they all slip by - another day gone forever.  And because we don’t take time to appreciate and be really thankful for all our blessings and to count them one by one we can fail to notice how really blessed we are.

Then we can often think “nothing good ever happens to me!”  We can wish our lives away. When the kids are at school, then I will…. When the kids leave home, then I will…. when I get the next promotion, then… when I retire then…. and “then” is when I can no longer get around, I will be happy when the family come to see me. We have neglected to “live” our life.

We can find ourselves focusing on past experiences (usually failures) or future what if”s (usually negative) as we go through the day. If these future possibilities aren’t positive then it is called “worry”. We can become so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we never even notice that today is slipping by. Life rushes past us while we fill ourselves with regrets from the past instead of focusing on making the now what I want it to be – for no regrets in the future.

We go through the day rather than getting something from the day or giving something to the day, just having passed through another day. We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.

Have you ever promised yourself, usually a New Years resolution that you were going to get into better shape and live a healthier lifestyle? It usually starts off great and then after about a week you may skip your daily exercise for a day or two. Then you get back into it for a few more days and then skip a few more days. This continues until you just stop altogether.

Successful people are great at doing the things they don’t necessarily enjoy. It is because they understand the future benefits of this task and they do it with a positive attitude which gives them joy. They will usually have an attitude of gratitude that they have so much potential and the ability to utilize it.
They see the payoff, and the payoff is greater than the price of discipline.

Why think this way? Because when you understand that succeeding at anything requires the correct habits which will, in turn, produce successful results.

Your wealthcoach, Yvonne

We have so far looked at our dreams and why we want them. Now lets look at the goal setting process:

Goals need to be: S.M.A.R.T. which means Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive.

In my book, I talk a lot about SMART goals. We want to intelligently decide what our goals will be so that we can actually accomplish them. We want to set the goals that our heart conceives, our minds believe and that our bodies will carry out. Let’s take a closer look at each of the components of S.M.A.R.T. goals:

Specific: Goals are no place to generalize or to be vague. Ambiguous goals produce ambiguous results. Half hearted goals produce incomplete futures. Saying I will be a “better” mother is very difficult.  What does better really mean?

Measurable: Always set goals that are measurable. I would say “specifically measurable” to take into account our principle of being specific as well. How do I measure “better”?

Attainable: Set goals that are sensible, achievable.  There is no point in me saying my goal is to be the Queen of England or a world class ballet dancer!  I don’t have the right heritage!  One of the detrimental things that many people do – and they do it with good intentions – is to set goals to impress others. Your goal must impress you and be possible for you.

Realistic: The root word of realistic is “real.” A goal has to be something that we can reasonably make “real” or a “reality” in our lives. There are some goals that simply are not realistic.  If you weigh 100 kilos and decide to go on a diet, don’t set your goal to loose 20kilos in a week.  Not unless you plan to cut off a leg! You have to be able to say, even if it is a tremendously stretching goal, that yes, indeed, it is entirely realistic — that you could make it. You may even have to say that it will take x, y, and z to do it, but if those happen, then it can be done. This is in no way to say it shouldn’t be a big goal, but it must be realistic.

Time: One of the powerful aspects of a great goal is that it has an end, a time frame attached to it. As time goes by you work on it because you don’t want to get behind. As it approaches, you work diligently because you want to meet the deadline. Bigger goals may have to be broken into different parts of measurement and time frames. That is okay. Set smaller goals and work them out in their own time.

Be accountable to yourself and a coach. When someone important to you knows what your goals are, they will be asking you to “give an account” of how you are going in the process of achieving that goal. Accountability puts some character into the process. It means that I learn to live as my word. It means that I prioritize my goals into my life and do something each day towards making them become a reality. When you have done the above SMART goal setting process, begin on the journey with an expectation that you will achieve what you have set out to do.

So: 1) Decide What You Really Want to Achieve in Your Life; 2) Evaluate/Reflect; 3) Be S.M.A.R.T.; 4) Have Accountability. 5) Expectation.

When you put these 5 key components together, you are putting yourself in a position of power that will catapult you toward achieving your goals.

Your Wealthcoach,

Yvonne

A couple of weeks ago we looked at the power of dreams.

You will have written down all of your dream thoughts as you have them. Don’t think of any dream as too outlandish or foolish – remember, you’re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now that you have the precious piece of paper with your dreams listed, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important to you? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Which would give you the greatest joy? Now put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not only dreaming about could be’s.

Now that we have written down what our dreams are let’s take a closer look at the topic of goal-setting and see how we can make it forceful as well as practical. What are the most important aspects to learn and remember when studying and writing our goals?

Evaluation and Reflection. Once we have identified our dream, the only way we can reasonably get there is to first know where we are right now and what our level of satisfaction is for where we are in life. So first take some time to think through and write down your current situation, then ask this question on each key point – is that okay?

The purpose of evaluation is two-fold. First, it gives you a baseline from which to work. It is to show you where you are so you can determine where you need to go. Secondly, it gives you an objective way to look at your accomplishments and your pursuit of the vision you have for your life. What have I achieved so far? I would strongly encourage you to take a couple of hours this week to evaluate and reflect. I found that this can be encouraging as well as discouraging!  However, for me, when I evaluated honestly, I could make the changes necessary to correct the short fall.  If nothing changes, then nothing changes!  Be encouraged at the end of each month to evaluate where you are and write it down in your journal. This allows you to evaluate this month against last months progress. As you continue a regular time of evaluation and reflection at the end of each month, you will see just how much ground you will be gaining – and that will be exciting!

It is often said the major reason for setting a goal is who you become in the pursuit of that goal. The value of what you get from achieving your goal will always be dwarfed by what it makes of you. That is why goals are so powerful – they are part of the fabric that makes up our lives. The pursuit of a goal identifies our character and shows us the areas where we need further development.

Now that you have identified your dreams we can begin to set some goals.  That is one of the reasons that Goal-setting is so powerful because it provides us an opportunity to sit down and say “how do I go about getting what I really want? What is my purpose for being on the planet? What do I want to accomplish? What do I want to be remembered for?”  These questions sharpen our dreams and give clarity. It gives us the ability to hone in on the future that we want for ourselves. Once we have that clear, then we can break it down and focus on the actions we need to perform to achieve everything we desire in life. Goals are GREAT because they cause us to break the dream down into bite size chunks. This creates an opportunity for us to stretch and grow in ways that we never have before. In order to reach our goals we must become better.

Next week let’s get specific about how to set goals.

Your Wealthcoach, Yvonne

When life is the toughest for yourself or others here are a few “be’s”. If you want to know how to connect with other people, these are central:

“Be sincere”. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  Genuinely go out of your way to lift someone by finding something constructive that you can say to lift them and encourage them. Be a people builder and you will find that you build yourself.  I like to make it a game to find something I can say to encourage someone who perhaps hasn’t had a lot of positive in their life.

“Be positive” There is enough negativity in life without me being part of the problem. Learn to be part of the solution. Learn to see the good in every circumstance.  Like an inventor said when his lab burned down “well our failures have been eliminated!”  Even in the worst challenges of my life there have been blessings that were only discovered later.

“Be cheerful”. “A joyful spirit doeth good like a medicine” is an old proverb and is still true today. Do you light up a room when you walk in or do you bring storm clouds? Are you the life of the party by making everyone else feel wonderful or do you go to the party to be lifted?

“Be Interesting.” People like to be around interesting people. They like to learn from them. The last thing you want to be if you want to lead is to be boring. People’s eyes rolling back in their heads is a sign that you need to kick it up a notch. Read good books, stay on top of the news, and learn new things. That will help you be interesting and develop your conversational skills. But there is something even more important – the next “Be.”

“Be Interested.” More than wanting to talk about you, talk about the other person. Be interested in who they are, what they do, and what they like. That will endear them to you and attract them to you. People want to know that you care about them and their needs. The next time you are around someone you lead, spend the time focusing on them and see the magic that happens with your personal leadership!

“Be truthful.” Leadership is about being truthful. This doesn’t mean that I spill all my challenges on others or hit them with my “stuff”, but it does mean that as I am transparent with others, they can see me as a human being just like them. It isn’t about superiority, but about humanness.  We are all on a journey to become all that we can be and we all need each other.

“Be grateful” Counting and sharing your blessings is a wonderful way to rehearse the goodness in your life.  The more grateful you are for who, what and where you are, the more you open up new possibilities for yourself and others. Being grateful focuses on the positives in our lives and brings us joy and contentment and is a blessing to others as we talk about the “good stuff”.

“Be gracious” It is always a pleasure to have people around who are willing to give others the credit and acknowledge who and what others have done for them in their lives. When you acknowledge others you bring accolades that one day can be boomeranged to you. When you are appreciative you release the desire in others to do more for you.

“Be brief” – No one likes to talk to someone who does all the talking.  Ask questions… the person doing all the talking is not learning anything new…. They are only telling what they already know. Questions are a wonderful way to keep the conversation going and to make someone feel really important because you want to know what they know.

Action Point: Think of someone that would be uplifted right now if they received a positive affirmation thought from you. Perhaps it could be your boss or your partner, your child or your parent or your neighbour or a friend. Tell them today how much you appreciate them and why. Be specific. Go ahead, right now. Pick up the phone, or email them. Do whatever you need to do to get to them right now. Start the gift of “pass it on” happy life enriching thoughts by finding at least three people by the end of the day. Let’s let some real positive thought power loose – the power of projected happiness!

One of the amazing things we have been given as humans is the unquenchable desire to have dreams of a better life. This ability to dream is what sets us apart from the animal kingdom. We can look deep within our hearts and dream of a better situation for ourselves and our families; dream of better financial lives, better emotional or physical lives; certainly dream of better spiritual lives. This powerful ability is to not only dream, but it is to pursue those dreams and the cognitive ability to actually lay out a plan and strategies (setting goals) to achieve those dreams. Really powerful!

So, Dreams provide long-term vision in our lives.  That dream, the purpose for our life, is what gives us the energy to keep going when we don’t feel like it.  These dreams are then broken down into powerful, long-range goals which help us get past short-term obstacles. Lives have been designed in such a way that we look long-term but live short-term. We dream for the future and live in the present. Unfortunately, the present can produce many difficult obstacles. But fortunately, the more powerful our dreams (because they are inspiring and believable) the more we will be able to act on them in the short-term and guarantee that they will actually come to pass!

What are Your Dreams? These are the desires that are born out of your own heart and mind. This is the purpose that is unique to you and come from who you were created to be and gifted to become. So, I suggest that you make a list of all the things you desire for the future. This isn’t what you already have or what you have done, but what you want. Have you ever really sat down and thought through your life values and decided what you really want? Picture yourself 10 years from now in your mind’s eye. Your dreams may live right on the surface, or they may be buried deep from years of others telling you they were irresponsible or stupid, but they are still there.

So how do we know what our dreams are? This is an interesting process and it relates primarily to the art of listening to you- what is in your heart! If we listen to others, we hear about their plans and dreams which can include their plans for us! If we listen to others and follow their dreams for us, we can never be truly fulfilled. We will only totally chase dreams that we own and are rooted deep within us. It is difficult to be passionate about what someone else dreams for us. For us to be fulfilled, we must listen to our own hearts.

Take time to be quiet. The human heart was meant for times of quiet, to go within. It is when we do this that our hearts are set free to soar and take flight on the wings of our own dreams! This is something that we don’t do enough in this busy world of ours. We rush, rush, rush, and we are constantly listening to noise all around us. Schedule some quiet “dream time” this week. No other people. No cell phone. No computer. Just you with a writing pad and pen and your thoughts. And just write at random what comes into your mind. Think about what gets your adrenaline moving. What would you LOVE to do, either for fun or for a living? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? Who would you like to be personal friends with? What big thoughts move your heart into a state of excitement and joy? What legacy do you want to leave? These questions often can’t be answered in one sitting. As you begin to answer these questions you will feel GREAT. Begin to “feel” what it will be like to be living these dreams! When we get to this point we experience what OUR dreams are!

Write down all of your dream thoughts as you have them. Don’t think of any dream as too outlandish or foolish – remember, you’re dreaming! Let the thoughts fly and take careful record.

Now that you have the precious piece of paper with your dreams listed, prioritize those dreams. Which are most important to you? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Which would give you the greatest joy? Now put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. Remember, we are always moving toward action, not only dreaming about could be’s. Next week we will discuss some practical steps/thoughts on hearing from our hearts on what our dreams are.

Your Wealthcoach, Yvonne

Joseph in the Bible was a dreamer. His brothers said… “Here comes that dreamer… let’s kill him”. That can often be the response you get and the way you feel when you have a purpose… a dream. Everyone is out to steal that dream from you. Others will tell you all the reasons why that is an impossible dream and why you couldn’t possibly achieve it. Often you can even tell yourself all the reasons why your dream is an impossible dream. Here are a few pointers that could be useful….
• Don’t give up on your dream. Joseph didn’t start out well with his dream. At 17 years of age he dreamed that one day his family would bow down to him. But he made the fatal mistake of sharing that information with his brothers. They not only resented it, creating a rift in family relationships, but for him it brought a dream-testing close encounter with death that also included slavery and prison. But that didn’t stop Joseph. He “saw” and clung on tightly to his dream. The beginning of a dream often generates more enthusiasm than wisdom. We can say and do things that are not useful.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though people around you don’t support you. Joseph’s brothers said, “Let’s kill the dreamer”. It’s hard to keep your dream alive when others are trying to kill it and ridicule you. But when you know that your dream is aligned with your purpose, you can hold on even tighter.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though your journey may be full of detours – unplanned events. Your dream will invite attack from others. Events will happen along the way that don’t appear to support you. Don’t let this discourage you. Attack is a sign of respect. It means you haven’t been defeated. Five times you read in the story of Joseph… the Lord was with Joseph….. So hang in there.
• Don’t give up on your dream even though it takes a lifetime to fulfil. Twenty three years went by before Joseph’s dream was fulfilled, but in the end he ruled his family, was reconciled with his brothers and saved the nation. You never know how long you will need to hang on to the dream before it is fulfilled – the important thing to remember is – never give up on your purpose.

Yvonne