We all have dreams and aspirations. God has given each of us gifts and talents. However, sometimes, due to negativity the enemy sends our way, it’s hard to have faith and believe in the gifts and dreams God has given us. This blog post serves as encouragement to be all the God has called you to be.

There’s a saying that says, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Due to the countless times my life has gone the complete opposite of my plans, I’m sure that God has doubled over in laughter. In analyzing my various failed life plans, I discovered that I battle with the spirit of control. I learned that God has already set our course for us, but it’s up to us to follow it. Life is a lot easier when God leads and we follow.

Oftentimes, we beat ourselves up for mistakes or wrong decisions we made, which leads us going down a rabbit hole of questions of “what ifs?” These questions can cause depression, hopelessness, sadness and a slew of other negative emotions. I’m here to encourage you that God already included your mistakes into His plan. You are exactly where God wants you to be. Just keep trusting and leaning on Him.

Have you ever prayed and prayed for a blessing and it seemed like it would never happen? As I reflected over my life, I realized that some of the biggest blessings I received didn't come until my circle changed. Who you’re around matters and sometimes, it is what is keeping you from your blessing.

The world is always telling us to go, go, go. It says we aren’t grinding enough and we aren’t hustling enough. The world says we should be farther along than we are. Therefore, we push and push until we are so tired that we feel guilty or don’t feel justified to rest. I’m here to tell you that even God rested; therefore, we should too.

In college, I wanted a relationship so bad that I hated seeing or being around other couples. One of God’s Ten Commandments is to not covet what your neighbors have. Covetousness steals the joy God wants you to have and can evoke negative emotions. As the scripture says, God wants to bless you abundantly, but your abundance may not look like someone else’s abundance.

I’ve always believed that at least some parts of stories from books and television could become reality. I would daydream and fantasize about how my life would be similar to the stories I read and watched. However, as my storybook life derailed to a mundane one, I became sad, depressed and wistful. I had to realize that there is beauty and inspiration in unconventional stories.

Through therapy, I discovered that I battle with the issue of wanting to controlling others. I want the best for them; therefore, I try to imprint my version of what their best life is. However, my therapist ultimately asked me, “What does that have to do with you?” I had no other rebuttal than “Nothing,” and since it had nothing to do with me, I decided not to let my loved one’s actions continue to negatively impact me. I gave them over to Lord and mentally said, “Do you Boo Boo.”

We often tell people that we have faith, but do we live by faith? Earlier this year, I became sick and nothing I did helped or worked. I decided to declare and decree that I was healed and a few days later, I felt better. This situation taught me that not only should we have faith, but we should live by faith.