The Dare Dreamer Movement by Julene Fleurmond

Most everyone has dreams, and I’ve been thinking lately about how there are different kinds of aspirations people may have – those that may depend on outside circumstances and people to ultimately bring about (like winning an award, becoming a renown singer, etc.). You present your best work into the world hoping for more and to reach many, but it’s not always in our power to orchestrate what happens next or who responds and how.

Then there are those dreams you are responsible for bringing to fruition in a sense; things you want to create, experience and learn how to do. “I want to (insert activity here)… someday.” Why not now, why not today? Time goes by and we never make time to do the things we really have a passion for, or we do have the time and we spend it on other routine activities (and sometimes time-wasting ones – Facebook anyone?;), all while being inspired by others living out their own dreams. It’s one thing to wait on God to move forward, but what happens when He’s given the go ahead and we are still sitting on our hands waiting for another sign to appear in the clouds? Nothing.

It’s almost as if we don’t really know if we have the permission to do what we like – it might not seem “practical,” or we have so many other important things to do or people relying on us to support and help them that we push our inner yearnings aside. It may be that the thought that we are actions away from being able to delve into a dream we’ve considered for so long seems too good to be true that we’re internally paralyzed from moving forward…

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On my site Dream in Soul I had the honor to interview Dianna Hobbs, who is a writer, journalist, speaker, entrepreneur and now recording artist. She shared her heart and journey of pursuing her buried passion and gives advice to others who may need direction in bringing their God-given dreams into fruition. I am so very inspired by her wisdom and the many facets of her ministry, especially her publication for women, EEW Magazine and her new music. I had her first single “Do What He Said” on repeat recently while working on a project I had been struggling with. You will definitely be inspired by her words of encouragement:

When you have a divine urging inside of your heart it can be hard to ignore it, but can sometimes become difficult to press forward to what God has called you to do. Purpose often doesn’t come without its detours especially when obstacles and disappointments blur the vision God placed in our heart.

Dianna Hobbs can attest to facing obstacles when pursuing music, her buried passion. As the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of EEW Magazine, the premiere Christian publication for African American women, she has paved a path of influence in media throughout the years, along with pouring out daily encouragement on her blog.

Behind the scenes though she felt God drawing her to begin her music ministry. It was only recently that she got the courage to do what He said, and thankfully she did. Now Dianna is inspiring many hearts through her music, which blends CCM, pop, R&B, and sometimes, soft rock along with encouraging messages. In this interview Dianna talks about her journey and gives advice to others who may need direction in bringing their God-given dreams into fruition…

It’s easy to get distracted if you’re not sure where you’re going or are not passionate enough to keep going. It’s when we take the time to find out what our purpose is that life becomes more meaningful…

We tend to look at celebrities and those who are in the limelight as those who are significant in society, but in reality everyone on Earth was born with equal worth and the potential to do something amazing. The aim though is not to be amazing to merely impress but to enrich the lives of those around you.

When you’ve found that passion that makes your heart beat faster or that cause that makes you come alive, life becomes more then simply absorbing each experience as it comes along. Focusing on the questions “what moves me in life?” and “how can my talents make a difference?” is a better investment of time then asking “how I can get more, be helped or be entertained.”

When you know and are focused on your purpose you are more able to appreciate, help and encourage others living out theirs. When you’re just doing enough to get by or confused about your calling you’re more likely to compare, judge, envy, copy, compete for attention, or worry about others’ opinions. It can be easy to get distracted – so focused on finding out what others are doing that you are wasting time, or or “overly inspired” – paralyzed into in-action or reasoning to yourself that what you are to do is insignificant.

The important thing to remember is that we’re all unique, and there’s enough success for everyone. What you have to offer is also unique and important, so if you keep it bottled up inside we all suffer. Get rooted in your purpose and give yourself the time to get grounded in what you were made to do that has the potential to help others. While your living out your purpose, you’re in a better position to be of benefit and inspire those who may be hesitant of doing what they were meant to do, and both you and the world will benefit.

Have you ever felt the pressure of molding your actions – yourself – to the expectations of others?

When you’re not in your purpose, you might feel that squeezing, gnawing discomfort inside. The wrangling tension in you may be a signal that you’re not doing what you are meant to.

I’ve been feeling that way lately – the effects of kneading some of my actions to please others, or acting the way I think they expect me to. I’ve reasoned to myself that helping others is the right thing to do, but at the same time am abandoning the tasks God has given me.

One of the things I’ve been learning to do is live above the expectations of others, or the temptation to please and impress. When my actions are motivated by service in love and a desire to please God, not simply catering to man, then living becomes more purposeful:

“…do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
Colossians 3:22-24 (New International Version)

There are times when we have to leave our comfort zones to reach higher heights, or months of painful pruning, and these may cause feelings of helplessness or ill feeling that are good and inevitable for our growth. There will be periods when we must become servants to others before our own dreams come to fruition, (as Joseph experienced). Other times when we check with others for approval in our every move, feel down when our work isn’t acknowledged, or measure our efforts against those of others, we are doing nothing but suffocating our own purpose.

There is a reason you and I were made the way we were, and have dreams that may not exactly “fit in.” When God created you, you were made to bring something unique to this world, to live out your purpose. As long as we stay within the realm of His standards, we are worshipping Him when we exercise our unique talents the way He meant for us to.

When we surrender our hearts to God, His dreams for us become the ones we begin to feel passionately about. Follow the God-given beat of your heart, the natural rhythm of personality, ideas, passions and quirks that flowed from within, the rhythm only God could orchestrate. Dream not in self-ambition but for His way which is good and pure. Imagine if your actions only flowed from what God is conducting, the unique purposes and hopes that He shares with us in love, undefiled by expectations and stereotypes – it will be music to His ears.

Don’t to worry about being “normal” or fitting in. Don’t snuff out the nuances that make you unique, but embrace them; the world is waiting for your gift. They may not understand it at first but He does; trust His opinion – it’s the only one that matters. It might be a lonely road, but the times when we’re playing out our purpose only for Him might be the most special of all.

Let’s strive today to start living our lives for an audience of One. There’s a joy in being “different” if you are being you, the way God intended.

The dreams you dream, the ones deeply rooted in you, were placed in you for a reason. Don’t give up rising toward them, don’t let discouragement keep you on the ground. Continue to dream brightly and soar boldly, and the momentum of your efforts will take you airborne…

Dare to live your life with resilience and boldness. For who can live the dreams you’ve dreamed more brilliantly than you?

– Dreamfleur