Are you Dead or Alive?

Are you Dead or Alive? by Nicole Cleveland

Happy Monday!

Someone once said, "If you stop dreaming - you stop living." To know me is to instantly be in connection with a dream, a vision. Many dreams, and many visions. My life as an adolescent included many fantasies. Daily I would see myself in a big house, envisioning my children growing up with a mom and dad in the home, dogs, a few cars, even a phone. My fantasies were the complete opposite of my reality.

In my little mind I created the life I wanted to live as a child. Things we went without were in abundance in my fantasy.

Standing on the bus stop waiting for the bus or walking home from the local supermarket with our monthly groceries was something I promised that my kids would not have to endure. Why didn't we have a car? Why did we have to walk? In my fantasy we had several cars.
Growing up I was determined to keep dreaming. "All things are possible if you believe."
One of my problems was too many dreams, too many ventures. I was all over the place, going nowhere, getting nothing done, busy just being busy!

Every time I turned around it seemed like I had another business idea. Nothing worked. Years later I realized the reason nothing ever worked or there was never any fruit being produced was due to my motives.

What is your motive? What drives your passion for your dream, for your vision? Initially the motives for those other ventures were self- satisfying. To please myself and nobody else. I wanted to live better. I wanted to have a nice car. I wanted to change zip codes. I, I, I. Too many of those I's. God doesn't work like that.

When the Lord gave me the vision to birth Breathe Again Magazine it was for the right reason. Out of my pain the Lord showed me my purpose. To encourage, inspire and motivate hurting women. The bible says we are overcome by the power of our testimony. But I found that not many people were willing to share their real testimony in order to help empower others. Thus came Breathe Again Magazine

You see, the magazine was not to get rich quick, not to change zip codes or have a better car. It was for others. Women hurting in secret, like I was. The reason I birthed the magazine is here in "From Pain To Purpose".

Do not self-sabotage your dream. Stop thinking you need four Phd's, two Master degrees and a boatload of startup money in order to get started.

God does not call the Qualified-- He Qualifies the Called. I am a living witness. Not because I read it ,but because I am walking in it. Take that pain and turn it into purpose. Not for yourself but for others.

They need what you have. They are waiting on you to get started. God is waiting on you to get started. Who are you waiting on?