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Joel Osteen, has
definitely got his critics, but who doesn’t? My seminary professors ripped him for being
light, not digging within the Biblical context and of being a motivational
speaker rather than a preacher. So, it is surprising that I would even think to
grab a free review copy from Net Galley and walk away with lessons from his new book, You Can You Will: 8 Undeniable Qualities of a Winner [affiliate link].
But, I have challenged myself to relax my
intellect and let my intuition get some time to play in the sun. That’s why I
looked pass Osteen’s glowing smile, perfectly packaged mantras and read his
newest book. And oh honey child am I glad I did.
Have you ever encountered words that leaped
from the page to your heart because it painted a picture that reflected your
life’s canvas?
That’s
what happened as I read. I ate it up quickly flowing from page to page, which
is important because fitting in reading time in the middle of to-do lists
usually doesn’t happen. Thankfully, it’s a quick read!
Core
Topic
Developing
a winning mindset is the greatest part of the battle to building your dream. If
you think you can have your DREAM LIFE, then you will commit to the steps
to make your dream a reality.
This
book is not about hardcore information gathering, but what it lacks in
information it makes up for in thought provoking outlooks, while confirming what
you probably are experiencing as you pursue your dreams.
It
also offers key tweaks to your outlook that are necessary to ensure you
accomplish your goals. Having what you want is not easy, so positive jolts to
remind you are as necessary as a piece of chocolate cake on a bad day.
Best
Moments
The
book opens with a bang that is one of the keys to successfully fulfilling a
dream. Keep Your Vision in Front of You is a reminder of the power of
visualization to the dreamer. It’s that extra push even when the dream seems
impossible of what you’re working toward. The one that keeps you from packing
up all your stuff and saying forget it because those days will happen.
Personally,
I have used journaling as a means of visualization. Detailing what I want it to
look like describing the scene in detail, the feelings, the emotions that I
would feel. The journal was my written exploration of the dream to help me know
what I was working towards. It was what made my impetus to take a risk and leave
my job easier because I knew the emotion of waking up happy was important to
me.
Last
year, I took it a step further and created several vision boards. I created a
digital one on Pinterest for my long term goals and a personal and professional
one that I have hanging on the wall in my bedroom in front of my bed. It ends
up being one of the first things I see waking up and one of the last things I
going to bed. It keeps me cognizant of what I’m working toward daily.
I
loved his idea of a tangible item that you see daily and will be incorporating
that into my dream journey. In the book, Joel mentions several people and what
they used as their visualization and how it actualized. Including the different
objects people used gave me plenty of inspiration on just how big or small I
could go with my tangible reminder.
He
then ushers the reader from visualization into the reminder that you have to do it
your way. It doesn’t matter how many coaches, trainers, bloggers, books,
teachers and any other source you read or listen to—you still have to find your
way. You can learn from those sources, but you have to know what you want your
dream to look like and how you’ll get it done. There is no one perfect plan to
accomplishing your dream.
In
the book, Joel shares a story of taking over Lakewood Church after his father’s
death and the pressure to preach the way his father did. The pressure was both
external and internal, but finally he had to realize he had to do it his way.
You can’t copy someone
else’s road to success. You have to forge your path based on who you are.
Although
the temptation is there it doesn’t work because you are different people. The
person you are trying to emulate has adjusted for their strengths and
weaknesses. You will have different strengths and weaknesses that you need to
account for just as they did, so trying to carbon copy their work won’t be as
effective. That’s personally why I never read just one person’s tutorial on any
given subject and I recommend you do the same. It allows you to filter the
advice through different experiences to find the one that resonates with how
you work.
Blah
Moments
The
book started off stronger than it finished. I wanted to be grabbed from start
to finish, but the ending felt like finals week when you start cramming
information for word count rather than content. But persevere to the very end of
the last chapter, although it’s not as hard hitting as the first couple of
chapters it still has nuggets worth reading.
I
also was disappointed that at times it felt more like a speech than a book. The
art of speaking emphasizes repetition so the listener catches your point, but
the nature of reading is to offer new ideas continually because one can always
reread a concept. Perhaps, since Osteen’s primary career is spent speaking it
was hard for him to make the switch.
To get
it or not to get it that is the question…
Get
the book! Even with the blah moments it is SO WORTH IT!
What
books are you reading now to motivate your dream?
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