Journey to Self-Discovery

Session 2_ Week 1: Validity

Weekly Course Objectives:

• Understand the concept of validation through scriptures.

• Reflect on the importance of being validated by God.

READ

Jeremiah 1:5

DO

Essential questions; Reflection

Essential Questions:

What does validation mean?

Why is validation important?

Everything in life, including ourselves, comes with requirements for validation to emphasize its importance. According to dictionary.com, validity is defined as 'the action of checking or proving the validity or accuracy of something' and 'the action of making or declaring something legally or officially acceptable.' The latter definition aligns closely with the focus of today's lecture on Jeremiah 1:5.

Today's Lecture: Jeremiah 1:5

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

This verse underscores the validation of our origin: “Before I formed you, I knew you.” It affirms your identity and uniqueness. Despite our differences, which do not make us any less valuable, each person has unique abilities, gifts, talents, and capacities. These differences are essential; they validate our gifts and talents, as explained by the phrase “before you were born, I set you apart.” Notice the pattern here?

People, countries, and systems are awaiting your ideas and interventions because you have a designated role: “I appointed you…” as the verse concludes. It's crucial to envision your destined path as laid out in this powerful scripture.

Session 2 Week 2: Security

Weekly Course Objectives:

• Explore the concept of security through God’s promises.

• Understand how to create a secure environment for yourself and others.

READ

John 3:16; John 14:27; John 10: 27

DO

Essential questions; Reflection

Essential Questions

Why is feeling secure important?

How can you create an environment that promotes security for yourself and others?

The sense of safety and security is crucial for well-being. Feeling secure allows us to be more effective and productive. Security often stems from those who prioritize protecting their assets, such as governments that strive to safeguard their citizens—a fact many of us don't appreciate until something goes awry. From the beginning, our ultimate source, our Father, recognized the necessity of a security blanket for our daily lives.

Today's Source:

"You are loved."

Today’s Lecture: John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

These verses describe an unparalleled security system. If you've ever doubted your current level of security, these scriptures should offer comfort, assuring you that you are in "good hands"—a concept familiar from TV insurance ads. Unlike these commercials, however, He does not need to convince us of His protection; it is in His interest to secure what belongs to Him. You are His. He loves you and counts on you to fulfill His will on Earth.

Session 2 Week: 3 Stability

Weekly Course Objectives:

Define and interpret stability from a biblical perspective.

Examine how trusting in God establishes a stable foundation.

READ

Jeremiah 17:7-8; Proverbs 12:3; John 14:27; Jeremiah 17:7-8;

DO

Essential questions; Reflection

Essential Questions

• What does stability mean to you?

• When did you last feel truly stable?

• How would you describe that feeling?

Your Source says: You are like a tree.

Today’s Lecture: John 14:27; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Proverbs 12:3

Understanding Stability:

Stability, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is "the strength to stand or endure." These two action verbs, "to stand" and "to endure," suggest the need for support or reinforcements. Consider the foundation of a house designed to withstand severe storms or hurricanes. The stability of such a house must be meticulously planned in the blueprint before construction begins. Similarly, Housing Code Enforcement ensures a house's stability throughout its construction before it is deemed habitable.

This analogy extends to human beings as well. Our Creator has provided ample resources to ensure our stability. Trusting in the Creator instills stability and blessing, as described in Jeremiah 17:7-8: "But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Proverbs 12:3 reinforces the importance of a righteous foundation: "No one can be established through wickedness, but the righteous cannot be uprooted." Despite challenges, a strong foundation ensures that problems will not displace you, and you will continue to thrive.

This principle is our spiritual 'Code Enforcement,' stabilizing our purpose, plans, and vision for our community and the world. It's affirmed in John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Furthermore, John 10:27-30 emphasizes the security provided by this divine relationship: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

This lecture highlights how our faith in the divine assures us of unshakeable stability and enduring peace.

Chapter 10

PLANNING

“Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail."

“The answer is right inside of us. It’s our attitudes that make the difference.”

Dr. Myles Munroe

Planning is the last thing people think about, yet it is extremely important in order to monitor the progress of any purposeful decision. The planning phase involves the thinking process required to make your purpose a reality, the vision that you have in your head. Vision is the solution to the problems you have been trying to avoid for so long. Now you can begin the planning process on how you will develop a system to diminish the scarcity of basic human needs: water, food, water, and shelter.

Planning gives meaning to your vision. It will help you to stay organized. With proper planning, you can achieve your purpose. Establishing and learning how to prioritize through planning is the key component to drive your transformational journey successfully. Any other elements that do not belong to the purpose of your plan must be put aside or completely eliminated regardless of whether or not it is a good plan. Unless it aligns with your purpose it must be rejected. A good plan can hinder the purpose when it does not fit part of your journey.

I remember when I went back to college while raising two girls as a single mother. I had to do a lot of planning. I had to plan my schedule around their schedules so I could be around to take care of them, most importantly to protect them. I had to plan my work schedule. I couldn’t stop working and just go to school. I had to continue running my beauty salon and taking classes. As you can see, I had to do major planning in order to effectively utilize the 24 hours I had available to me.

I did it. I was able to graduate Summa Cum Laude on time. I managed to keep my daughters very busy in school. They played clarinet in the band, they ran cross country and track and field, they were on the swim team, they made it to the dance team, they played tennis, they did theater in school and within the community, just to name a few activities. As you can see I did not deprive my girls the opportunity to do extracurricular activities while I was trying to improve my skills. I learned that planning was the only way I could prioritize my life and their lives. A well thought plan was the only effective force of defense that was able to securely guide my transitional journey. It can also help your journey. A well-balanced plan will help you learn how to prioritize your time and how to remain focused in order to achieve your purpose successfully. A plan is a very important document to have since we change our minds all the time. We need to learn how to make a contract (pledge) with ourselves.

We make contracts in every aspect in our lives. We sign contracts when we purchase a car, when we take classes, when we get a credit card, and when we rent a house. We pledge to obey other people’s demands or standards. Do you ever wonder why we have such a hard time following through or making good with these “contracts?” Because we don’t plan, we just do. According to Dr. Munroe when you don’t have a plan for your life “you will be confused, disoriented, misguided, and frustrated.” If you want to make progress you must have a plan. The plan will help you understand how to organize your time during the day. It will help you to define and set standards for your purpose. The standard will not be based on just going with the flow; rather it will be about how well you can achieve your purpose based on your potential, your abilities, your gifts, and your talents. God says, “You make the plan and I will give you the answer to how it will be accomplished.”

A plan will set you apart from mediocrity to superiority. The greatest impact of your transformational journey is not having a clear plan structured enough to protect your purpose. Your purpose is important. Therefore, you have to protect it with Divine laws and principles. According to Dr. Munroe "God didn’t want success in life to be haphazard but predictable. So He built in life laws & principles. Operate life in principle, not effort." The right principles are essential for you to guide your purpose. You have to nurture it.

You need to both nurture and mentor your plan. It is critically important for you to understand the purpose of your journey so you can be successful. Your purpose can be impacted by the many choices and options available. You must remain focused to make it a reality and to achieve success. Kragh stated in her book Figure it Out that:

“God did not create life to be complicated or a mystery. He created everything in life to succeed. That is the reason for us having His principles to guide us in life; we are guaranteed success. These principles are also known as the Laws of God, keys or principles. God’s Laws are built into creation.”

It is predictable if we can achieve our purpose and make it a vision based on the choices we make. It is predictable if we can have all our basic needs met based on decisions we make. What you think, what you see, what your friends think and see are not what God sees. He sees potential, purpose, vision, and world changers. A seed of a mango tree carries the fruits (more mangoes) which means you are the solution to world hunger, you are the solution to clean water, you are the solution for clothing and shelter for third world nations and people with third world mentality.

How do you make the right choice regarding your purpose? Is there a problem in particular that gets you out of bed, or keeps you up all night? What issues propel your thought process each day? What individual or world problem is consuming your thoughts? These questions can be overwhelming for you. These are difficult questions for you to answer, but seeking the answers is the vehicle to navigating your journey successfully. Mathias Pierre, Presidential candidate of Haiti for 2016, just like the other candidates, is consumed with the thought that Haitian children don’t have equal educational access, don’t have enough food to eat, and most Haitians don’t have access to equal rights as it is in other countries. Most people who know Mathias Pierre can’t understand why a self-made Haitian millionaire would be stressing about other Haitian people’s problems. His answer would simply be, “A change needs to come forth for my Haitian people.” Candidate Mathias Pierre explains that he is no different than those children, he chose to have a plan for his life and he says:

“The person I am today is a product of the trials and the adversity that molded me. I grew up in the midst of the abject poverty that is prevalent in many parts of Haiti. I know what it means to be hungry, to be unable to pay for school, and to live in decrepit conditions. In spite of the darkness that surrounded me in my youth, I always remained focused on a single light, the dream of rising out of the pervasive misery that surrounded me. I knew education was my primary gateway to a better life. I thus devoted myself academically so as to graduate from high school, and earned a coveted spot among the few to be admitted to the Faculty of Sciences at the State University of Haiti.”

Nonetheless, he understands now he has a responsibility toward his nation. The problem that he went through as a child helps him to define his purpose that he turns into a vision. He presented his vision to transform Haiti Socio-Economic status with three pillars:

1. Quality education for all Haitians: No Haitian should be condemned by his or her social background, skin color, or place of birth (OrijinMwen pa kaKondane'm, My Origins Cannot Condemn Me).

2. Economic decentralization: The delegation of power to minimize the control of the few over the economy, and to give true power to both the people and to the local communities.

3. A strong institutional framework: The establishment of necessary institutions to uphold the rule of law and pave the way for political stability.

These are great ideas, but our Creator’s plan is the most reliable one because He is the source. If your source is right your fruit will also be right, but if your source has problems then you will have problems as well. Presidential candidates, regardless of the country in which they are running, always frame their political agenda on basic human needs because they know we are relying on these items. They use our basic human needs as a platform - a need that should have never been a need, according to the Creator’s plan.

You now understand that basic human needs such as food, water, clothes, and shelter should not be your worries. You have now rediscovered that you have access to everything that you need to become yourself. You have now been taught that you should seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and everything else will come along including your purpose.

The final step is to create a plan based on the information received from the self-discovery questionnaire you have created. This planning is the blueprint of your future. In this planning, you need to write down all the steps you will need to take in order to achieve your goal, because success is the product of many well-planned little steps. For example, what are the resources that you need to achieve your goal? Where can you get these resources? How long would it take to achieve the first step? You need to take the time to write the necessary steps needed to achieve the goals that you listed in your plan.

It can be a tedious process, yet extremely beneficial for the end result. For example, if one of the goals is to go back to school, then you have to research the school’s requirements, the tuition, and the time frame. These are the kinds of thinking that can lead you to achieve all the goals that you have listed in your plan.

Remember, the plan is a starting point. It is simply a design container to hold your ideas and the steps to attend to your purpose; therefore as your purpose begins to develop, to shape, and define, it may require some alteration in the plan. It is similar to building a house; the ultimate goal of the architect is to design the house, which requires a blueprint to guide the process. Many times the engineers have to modify the blueprint in order to meet the standard codes of housing. The ultimate goal is like building the house, the process of modification does not deviate. Rather it improves the security of completing the house safely.

Your plan is a bridge to help you cross over successfully. It can be revised and refined as you see fit. Again, identifying the purpose of your journey can be beneficial. With proper planning you can achieve your purpose. With proper planning we can change the world, we can end hunger, we can design a water plant, and we can develop all the materials and fabrics to design clothes, and to build houses for the world.

Our Creator gave us all the tools we need to be successful. He created us to become world changers. He created a plan for our life that allows us to share His mighty work of creation, remember, He gave us His image, His character, and His abilities to do great work and He also gave us free will, but He tells us: if we plan, He will provide the resources for our vision.

You will proceed with the self-discovery process which will identify the reasons to plan and how to write a vision for your discovery (Purpose).

I strongly encourage you to commit your plan to your Creator. He knew about this plan way before you. He had already identified and had put aside all the necessary resources that are necessary to accomplish your plan just as described in Proverbs 16:3 - "Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.” Jeremiah 29:11 concluded “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Dedicate your actions and your plans to your Creator. Embrace His guidance and His blessing into your endeavors. This verse reassures you that when you align your will with God's will, He will provide you with stability and direction to protect your efforts and your dedication to your purpose and for your purpose.

Key Principles:

1. Planning should be the first thing you think about;

2. Planning makes vision possible;

3. A well-balanced plan will help you to prioritize your life;

4. A plan will set you apart from mediocrity to superiority;

5. It is important to understand your purpose in order to have a successful vision; and

Session 3_Week 1

Self-discovery and Vision

Weekly Course Objectives:

At the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the self-discovery process.

• Clarify your understanding of purpose.

• Learn how to write an effective vision statement.

  
  

READ

7 Principles to Achieve Educational Success Chapter : Purpose

DO

Essential questions; Reflection

SELF-DISCOVERY: PURPOSE

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

Harriet Tubman

Essential Questions:

• What does "purpose" mean?

• Why is it important to have a purpose?

• What do you believe is your purpose?

• What are the potential consequences of not knowing your purpose?

Purpose as Defined by Dr. Myles Munroe: Dr. Myles Munroe described purpose as "The original intent in the mind of the Creator for creating something." This definition highlights that an invention's effectiveness begins even before its creation, starting with a thought that evolves into an idea and finally becomes a creation.

The Impact of Not Knowing Your Purpose: The lack of understanding one's purpose can be more devastating than experiencing failures. This concept is often illustrated through the struggles seen in education. High dropout rates or frequent changes in college majors can lead to low self-esteem, significant debt, and depression. Some students may even graduate without a clear direction for their future.

7 Principles To Achieve Educational Success by Dr. Etienne: Dr. Etienne elaborates in her book, 7 Principles To Achieve Educational Success, that avoiding the pitfalls of unclear purpose is possible through self-discovery. However, self-discovery is challenging; it demands sound thinking, self-responsibility, self-control, and self-discipline. Dr. Etienne emphasizes that even when we think we're not thinking, we are — but it might not be productive.

Self-Discovery Process: During self-discovery, it's crucial to assess your self-perception, such as your confidence in your abilities, because these beliefs profoundly influence your decisions and actions. Understanding your purpose is vital, but believing in the abilities outlined in your "manufacturer's manual" is equally important to take action toward achieving your goals.

Initiating Self-Discovery: The journey begins by addressing two critical questions

1. How can you apply your newly learned knowledge to your life?

You have the power to transform your life now that you have access to your "manufacturer's manual." You know your source and have access to your creator. You understand that there is a divine plan for you. The key step is to identify the fundamental reason you want to change. You might be asking yourself, "What is this essential reason?"

This essential reason is to identify and define your PURPOSE. Once you pinpoint this purpose, commit to it. Ask yourself: Why am I choosing this path over another? Why am I pursuing these studies? Will I continue this exploration until I fully understand the ultimate purpose that guides my decisions and actions?

1. How can you identify the PURPOSE of your life's journey?

If you've never considered what your life’s purpose might be, you're not alone—it's a common oversight. Identifying this purpose is a crucial step many people overlook.

These questions are designed to kickstart the process of self-discovery and help pave a path towards understanding and fulfilling one's purpose.

Dr. Etienne explains, "The first step to determining your life purpose is to answer the following twelve self-discovery questions," which are listed below.

You will then write a reflection on what you discover about yourself. Dr. Etienne refers to this as "an opportunity for self-talk."

Self-discovering inquiries: from 7 Principles To Achieve Your Educational Success

1. What is My Deepest Desire? Not what I have a general or passing “interest” in, but rather a deep yearning or aspiration to do.

2. What Am I Truly Passionate About? What do I really care about? What gifts and abilities do I especially enjoy using?

3. What Makes Me Angry? Not destructive anger which is selfishly motivated, but constructive anger that is based on compassion for others and a desire for people to be treated right; anger that is grieved by injustices and that leads to positive action to remedy problems.

4. What Ideas Are Persistent In My Heart, Mind, and Thoughts? What recurring dreams do I have for my life? What idea(s) never leaves me?

5. What Do I Constantly Imagine Myself Doing? What do I dream about becoming? What gifts or skills would I use and develop in order to become this?

6. What Do I Want to Do for Humanity? What kind of impact would I like to have on my community? What do I want to pass along to the next generation? What would I like to be remembered for?

7. What Brings Me the Greatest Fulfillment? What three endeavors or achievements have given me the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in life so far, and why? What motivates and gratifies me the most, and how can I incorporate it into my life as my vocation or life focus?

8. What Could I Do Forever Even If There Were No Monetary Compensation? From what activities am I currently receiving satisfaction that I’m not being paid for? What am I so dedicated to that I would continue to do it even if I stopped receiving money for it? What would I do for no compensation?

9. What Would I Rather Be Doing? What do I wish I were doing when I am doing other things? What makes me feel most at home when I am doing it?

10. What Would I Do If I Knew I Could Not Fail? What endeavor, enterprise, creative work, project, or plan would I engage in if it were risk-free? If money were no object? If I didn’t worry that I had the wrong background, the wrong looks, the wrong job experiences, or the wrong anything else?

11. What is the Most Important Thing I Could Do With My Life? Above all other things, what is the most significant thing I could do with my life? What do I want to occur in my life? How do I want to live my life based on my values and beliefs?

12. What Endeavor or Activity Would Best Connect Me to My Creator? What draws me closest to God?

Vision and Purpose Blueprint

The answers to these self-discovery questions will draft your life’s purpose blueprint. Your responses will guide you in crafting a vision statement for your life, helping you identify necessary resources, the people who might benefit from your purpose, the ideal location for implementation, and your inherent gifts and talents. This blueprint is a powerful tool, enabling you to make informed decisions that align with your purpose.

Moreover, this clarity allows you to confidently accept or reject tasks without guilt. If an activity does not align with your blueprint, you can decline politely, knowing you are staying true to your path. This creates a robust toolkit that supports your daily routines and decision-making.

Moving Forward with Purpose

Believing in your potential to create meaningful experiences is essential for developing yourself fully. You are now equipped to start writing your reflective piece. Blank pages are provided for this purpose.

Envision how fulfilling your education will be over the next four years or more. Now that you've identified your purpose, you can design an ideal educational setting that aligns with your life plan. Imagine graduating with honors or being part of a research team if that fits your academic goals.

Understanding Your Learning Style

Recognizing how you process information is crucial. If you understand your learning style, you can make education enjoyable by developing tailored resources. For instance, use flashcards if you're a visual learner or audio recordings if you're an auditory learner. Remember, we all have the capability to learn, but understanding our unique learning styles and intelligence is the key.

This process can be summarized simply: understanding your intelligence plus your learning styles, combined with appropriate instruction, leads to a profound self-discovery of how you acquire knowledge.

Session 3:  Vision

Weekly Course Objectives:

At the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the self-discovery process.

• Clarify your understanding of purpose.

• Learn how to write an effective vision statement.

Session 3_Week 2_Vision

Resource from Triumphing Over on Earth by Dr. Juniace Etienne

Chapter 11

HOW TO WRITE YOUR VISION

Proper planning is an essential component to your success. As you may now understand, we are created with a purpose, and we are given a vision of how it will be fulfilled according to our Creator’s expectations for us. Our Creator designated us with potentials, gifts, and talents to accomplish our purpose and to make our vision a reality. Basic human needs are not to be a concern. Instead, we must have big dreams, and we should see farther than our eyes can look for ourselves, our community, and our nations. Below is how you can begin the process of writing your vision and how you can obtain the result that you need to be successful. Proverbs 16:1 tells us “To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.” [1] This verse reiterates the importance of creating a plan in order to see our vision prosper. Also, in Hebrew the words heart and mind are synonymous. So, the above verse tells us that plans come from man’s heart, it is therefore from the mind.

Writing a plan transcribes what is in your mind therefore from your heart. This is also your first action step in getting your plans in motion. Once you write your plans, you make them clear.

In the previous chapter you had the opportunity to answer the eleven-questions to discover yourself. Now you have the 8 steps to write your vision. I encourage you to have fun with it and allow the process to lead your journey to discover your purpose, and transform it into a vision.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR VISION

Writing Your Vision: 8 Steps

Step 1: Eliminate Distractions

Sit down somewhere by yourself, away from any distractions and responsibilities, and allow yourself some uninterrupted time to think. Do this as often as you need as you develop your plan.

Step 2: Find Your True Self

Until you know who you are, why God created you, and why you’re here, life will simply be a confusing experiment. Answering the following questions will help give you clarity and confidence with regard to your personal identity.

· Who am I?

· Who am I in relation to God?

· Where do I come from as a person?

· How have I been created like my Source? (see Genesis 1:26-28)

· Why am I here?

Write out your personal purpose statement. Ask yourself, “What is my reason for existence as a human being and as an individual?” (You may be able to answer this question only after you have completed the other steps. However, you may also want to write an answer now and then compare it with what you think after you have gone through the rest of the questions.)

Step 3: Find Your True Vision

Answer the following questions, and you’ll be amazed at the way God will begin to open your mind to His purpose and vision for you. You’ll begin to see things that you’ve never seen before. Put them down on paper, read them over, think about them, pray about them, and begin to formulate ideas of what you want out of life. Ask yourself the following:

· What do I want to do with my life?

· What am I inspired to do?

· What would I want to do more than anything else, even if I was never paid for it?

· What do I love to do so much that I forget to eat or sleep?

Allow yourself to think freely. Don’t put any limitations of time or money on your vision. Because many of us are influenced by others’ opinions of us and by our own false expectations for ourselves, it may take you a little time to discover what you really want. Persevere through the process and dig down deep to find your true desires. Below are activities to help you do this.

Step 4: Discover Your True Motivation

A vision from God is never selfish. It will always help or uplift others in some way. It is designed to make the lives of humankind better and to improve society. It inspires and builds up others. Ask yourself the following:

· How does my vision help others?

· What is the motivation for my vision?

· Why do I want to do what I want to do?

· Can I accomplish my vision and still have integrity?

Step 5: Identify Your Principles

Your principles are your philosophy of life. In other words, they are how you intend to conduct yourself during your life. You must clarify what you will and won’t do. These principles are your guides for living, doing business, relating to other people, and relating to life. You must settle them in your heart and mind so that you will have standards to live by. The Ten Commandments are great principles and a good starting point for developing your own principles. For example, you could write, “On my way to my vision, I will not steal, lie, or bear false witness. I won’t worship any god but God the Father. I will not commit adultery. I will not covet and so on.”

· Write down your life principles.

Step 6: Choose Your Goals and Objectives

Goals are the steps necessary to fulfill your vision. What practical things do you need to do to accomplish your dream? Goals are clear markers that will take you where you need to go.

· Write out your goals.

Objectives are the detailed steps of your goals. They determine when you want things to happen. You must clearly delineate what you need to do and when you need to do it in order to get to where you want to go. For example, if you want to open a mechanics shop, and one of your goals is to go to school to learn mechanics, some of your objectives will be to choose a school, fill out an application, and start classes. Objectives should include specific timetables.

· Write down your objectives.

Step 7: Identify Your Resources

You now need to identify all the resources you will need to accomplish your vision.

· Identify your human needs.

What help do you need from others to fulfill your vision? What kind of personal associations do you need to have – and not have?

· Identify your resource needs.

What kinds of resources do you need to fulfill your vision? Don’t worry about how large they may seem. Write them down.

· Write down your strengths.

Who are you? What are your gifts? What do you know you are good at? Write down your answers, and then make plans to refine your strengths. For example, if your vision requires that you have to speak before large groups of people, you have to start stepping out and doing it. You are probably going to be scared at first, yet God will give you opportunities to speak at different stages so you can develop your gift. You don’t even know what you can do until you have to. Some amazing gifts come out of people when they are under pressure.

Write down your weaknesses.

What does your vision need that you aren’t good at? Don’t be ashamed of your weaknesses, because everyone has something they are not good at. You don’t have a monopoly on that. However, you must identify them because God will supply other people to do what you cannot do toward your vision. You need other people in your life because your vision cannot be fulfilled by you alone.

Step 8: Commit to Your Vision

You will never fulfill your vision if you are not committed to it. You will need to make a specific decision that you are going to follow through with what you want to do, acknowledging that God may refine your plans as He leads you through the process. Also, commit your vision to God on a regular basis. Proverbs 16:3 says “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”

· Commit to your vision.

· Commit your vision to God.

Key Principles

1. Planning requires a process;

2. Planning will give meaning to your vision;

3. A well-balanced plan will help you to prioritize your life;

4. If you want progress you must have a plan;

5. Failure is predictable just like success is predictable;

6. Knowledge in any form is power; and

7. Education leads to knowledge