Optimistic Journey » Goals and Aspirations

When the Rubber Meets the Passion

Jarrod Clark — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:15:09 +0000

Something amazing happens when we seek out to pursue our dreams. Anytime something is new and fresh we go after it with passion, enthusiasm, and desire. But what happens when the fire dies? What happens when the passion that was once there subsides?

For many, a number of things happen. Some abandon their dreams. It gets old and stale. Some get lackadaisical and lose their way.

But let me encourage you to rekindle the flame. Stir up those gifts that you’ve allowed to lye dormant. Relight that fire.

You may be familiar with an idiom that says, “when the rubber meets the road.” It’s defined as the moment of truth. This is the point that determines if you’re in it to win it.

The same principle applies to our dreams. I give it a different twist. It’s when the “rubber meets the passion.” This is the moment when you make a decision that no matter how hard it gets, you’re going to go on to pursue your God-given destiny. It’s the moment when no matter how tough the goin’ gets, you chose to press through the difficulties. Press through the struggles. Press through the setbacks.

If you come into this moment of truth when the rubber meets the passion, that’s when it’s time to up the ante. Kick your passion into the next gear. Don’t lose the love for those dreams that are near and dear. Don’t let your goals and visions get washed down the drain. It’s at this point that you dig your heels in and fight to the finish.

Leap over the obstacles. Embrace and conquer the challenges. When you do so, you’ll come into your full potential as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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April 11, 2012 -- Relight the Fire! (0)
June 27, 2010 -- Don’t Let Anyone Rain on Your Parade (3)
April 5, 2012 -- Set Your Sights High (Keep Stretching Yourself) (0)
March 2, 2012 -- Celebrate the Small Victories! (1)
January 31, 2012 -- If You Want it Bad Enough… (Accept no Excuses) (0)

Now or Later?

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 10 May 2012 05:15:12 +0000

Procrastination is one setback that robs many from reaching their full potential. The longer we wait, the longer we continue to make excuses, then the longer it will be before our plans come into play.

Too often, we’re putting things off until tomorrow. Maybe you wanted to start an exercise program. But your declaration has been, “I’ll do it tomorrow or next week.” Maybe you wanted to break an old habit or bad addiction but you’ve been putting it further and further into the future.

The longer you delay- the longer you continue to buy into the wrong excuses, the slimmer the chances are of even accomplishing the goal.

A question we should ask ourselves is will it be now or later. No, I’m not talking about a pack of candy. I’m talking about giving yourself an ultimatum.

One thing that will help is to examine the priorities. Determine what’s important. And put those things at the forefront of your mind. Commit to performing them. Make a decision to go after the important matters now.

Don’t make an excuse. Don’t continue to put it off until tomorrow. No, let me encourage you today- start now! Be about those dreams that you’ve put along the wayside. Go after your visions with a new found passion and a new persistence.

Procrastinate no further. When you put this principle into play and take action, you’ll lead a more accomplished and more fulfilling life as you charge forth on your journey!

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January 24, 2012 -- Find the Lessons in Your Failures (0)
August 16, 2011 -- Don’t Wait too Long (0)
June 8, 2010 -- What Excuses Are You Making? (0)
April 13, 2010 -- Edison’s Persistence, Can You Use It? (2)
December 22, 2009 -- Stick-to-it-iveness Aint Easy But It’s Critical (0)

Set Your Sights High (Keep Stretching Yourself)

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:15:25 +0000

It’s the will of our heavenly Father for you to live an abundant life. You were destined for greatness not mediocrity. You are made to be extraordinary not ordinary.

Many times we’ll play it safe. We’ll set goals that aren’t challenging. Or we’ll reach a goal and stay there. We won’t push forth to our full potential.

But you’ve got to keep setting your sights high. Don’t get comfortable- stagnant. No, dare to be all that you can be.

Now I’m all for setting small reasonable goals. But these should lead to the ultimate accomplishment. It’s okay to push the line. It’s okay to set high goals and visions for your life.

When you set goals and reach them, you grow. You get stronger, more talented, more equipped- you become better. But the problem comes into play when you grow but your goals don’t. As you make your accomplishments, plan the next bigger and better challenge. Up the ante. See what it would be like to do even better.

Jesus says, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” But the abundance doesn’t just come to you. It doesn’t land on the table on a silver platter. No, you have to stretch forth and go get it. You have to push yourself- set your sights high.

Don’t settle. Don’t become comfortable and stagnant. Raise the ceiling. Dare to challenge yourself. Stretch forth to the mark and God will show you amazing talents and abilities that you did not know as you charge forth on your journey!

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March 2, 2012 -- Celebrate the Small Victories! (1)
December 10, 2009 -- The Difference Between God’s Will and Your Will For Your Life (0)
July 13, 2011 -- It’s Not Too Late (1)
August 9, 2010 -- Now Is As Good a Time As Any to Start (1)
June 30, 2010 -- Plot Your Course (3)

Pick up Your Bed and Walk

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 05:15:56 +0000

For years, many have allowed handicaps to keep them from their God-given destiny. They’ve let a bad report from the doctor determine their course of life.

Maybe you’ve got a false report from a critic. Maybe someone told you, “you’re out the game of life.” A naysayer has told you, “you don’t have the abilities to achieve that based on your past.”

Maybe you’ve had an infirmity. The doctor said you were sick, you’d never be the same again. In the interim, it’s easy to get soured on life. It’s easy to think that life as you hoped it to be is over. Your hopes are shattered. Your dreams have exited out the back door.

But you’ve got to rise above your setbacks. Don’t crumble. Don’t go to your safe place. No, you’ve got to pick up your bed and walk.

Many have allowed their handicaps to handicap them. In other words, they’ve used what the enemy meant for bad as an excuse to keep them from reaching their full potential.

Maybe you were told you’d never be active again- you’d be bed ridden. The rest of your days are over. That doesn’t mean life is over. No, you can still dream.

Get your faith back up. Don’t lie dormant. Don’t become complacent. No, you’ve got to pick up your bed and walk. In other words, overcome your handicaps. Overcome your obstacles.

Those setbacks that have held you back for years were only a figment of your imagination. The truth is you’ve been given the power by the most high God to overcome any setback. You have the surpassing greatness of the almighty God working in your favor.

Now, if you’re going to come into your full potential, you’re going to have to throw self pity out the door. Shake off the self blame. Shake off the self defeat. Rise above the limiting beliefs. Rise above the “I Can’ts” and change your declaration to the “I Cans.”

Let your handicaps work in your favor. Let your setbacks set you up for the next level in your life. When you do so you’ll come into your full God-given potential as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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March 28, 2012 -- Let it Bounce Off (0)
May 9, 2012 -- The Naysayer Within (2)
March 15, 2012 -- When Life Gives You Rocky Roads… (1)
January 12, 2012 -- You’re Refined Through Opposition! (0)
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Celebrate the Small Victories!

Jarrod Clark — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 06:15:34 +0000

Along the journey, we set big goals and aspirations for ourselves. For example, many want to lose weight and get in shape. Some want to break bad addictions and habits. Others want to go back to school or further their education.

And it’s great to set high goals. It’s good to be ambitious and shoot for higher accomplishments. But don’t forget to celebrate the small victories along the way.

You see, too often we’re looking for an overnight success. We want to go from A to Z in a flash. In the mean time, we’re forgetting about the smaller accomplishments that lead to the big victory.

If you want to lose 20 pounds don’t forget to celebrate the five pound mark. If you want to get a Doctorate be sure to celebrate the Masters Degree. If you want to grow your business don’t forget to celebrate those who helped you in the beginning.

We serve an almighty God who causes us to triumph in everything. But there are different levels of victories.

It’s easy to get over ambitious. It’s easy to neglect the small successes and achievements. But don’t focus so much on the finish line that you forget the halfway mark.

It’s good to have drive, passion and a zeal for the things of life. It’s good to have a vision because without a vision the people perish. But don’t despise the day of small beginnings either.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you haven’t reached level 10. But if you’ll open your eyes and look through a different frame, you’ll realize you’ve just passed level five. Friend, that’s cause for celebration. That’s a cause for rejoicing, thanksgiving and cheer.

Celebrate the small victories along the way. When you do so, you’ll come into the ultimate victory that God has in store for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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April 5, 2012 -- Set Your Sights High (Keep Stretching Yourself) (0)
December 10, 2009 -- The Difference Between God’s Will and Your Will For Your Life (0)
April 23, 2012 -- Vlogisode #3 – Launch Out Into the Deep (Video) (0)
March 28, 2012 -- Let it Bounce Off (0)
March 27, 2012 -- Make It Bigger and Better! (0)

If You Want it Bad Enough… (Accept no Excuses)

Jarrod Clark — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:30:12 +0000

“If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you will find an excuse.” ―E. James Rohn

Every since we were kids we’ve had amazing dreams. For some, being the world’s greatest sports star or big time musician was the ultimate dream. Others wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer. For someone else, a firefighter or a teacher was enough to make their future a success.

Somewhere along the line, we stopped dreaming and started making excuses. We’ve allowed discouragement to set in and deter our focus. At some point, many have listened to the naysayers say things like, “that’s impossible” or “I tried that and it doesn’t work.” They would even go as far as to say, “your chances are slim to none compared to the other contenders.” And what’s worse is we’ve made excuses for ourselves.

But if you want it bad enough, you’ll accept no excuses. You’ll stop at nothing. God has given you all the tools to do any and everything you want to do. Tap into those tools. Take your God-given talent and put it to good use for you.

What dreams and visions have you forfeited? Maybe you wanted to be a big time lawyer, but you allowed room for the voices of defeat. Maybe all your life you wanted to lose weight and get in shape, but you made excuses to not go to the gym or eat right. Maybe your goal was to get back in school, but you’ve looked at all the reasons why you shouldn’t.

In the interim, it’s easy to think that you don’t have what it takes. It’s easy to get a chip on your shoulder and think that you’re at a loss. But let me encourage you today, excuses are lies in disguise.

Don’t allow deception to keep you from your God-given destiny. Don’t buy into the excuses. Don’t settle for defeat. If you want it bad enough, you’ll defy all odds.

When a naysayer comes and speaks against your dreams, simply say “excuse me, I don’t buy into excuses.” If a critic or an enemy comes to plant seeds of doubt, say “I’m a scouter not a doubter. I’m on a mission to fulfill my God-given destiny!”

Friend, if you want it bad enough you’ll make happen. Accept no excuses. Don’t settle for mediocrity. You’re extremely gifted and you were meant to do great things in the Kingdom of God. Don’t buy into excuses. No, make it happen regardless. When you do so, God will turn your broken dreams into fulfilled visions as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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August 16, 2011 -- Don’t Wait too Long (0)
June 8, 2010 -- What Excuses Are You Making? (0)
April 5, 2012 -- Set Your Sights High (Keep Stretching Yourself) (0)
March 2, 2012 -- Celebrate the Small Victories! (1)
July 13, 2011 -- It’s Not Too Late (1)

Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out

Jarrod Clark — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:49:40 +0000

By nature, we all desire to progress forward in life. We all have hopes, visions and dreams. But for many, its the same day in and day out, year in and year out.

For some, traditions are holding them back. Others fall prey to the barely-get-by, lackadaisical mindset. But know today that we serve a God who makes all things new. He doesn’t want you to be stuck in a rut. He wants to bring you into increase, promotion, and a higher dimension.

If you’re going to come into your God-given destiny, you’re going to have to leave the old mindset behind. Don’t fall prey to that toxic mindset that says, “I’ll never achieve that dream” or “I don’t have the talents to be an achiever.”

Don’t say what you can’t do, say what you can do. Don’t be stagnant, make positive declarations that will catapult you into your destiny.

I’ve heard it said that you believe more of what you say, than what anybody else says about you. If you’re going around saying, I’ll never break this bad addiction… I never get the right breaks… I never come into the right relationships, then that’s all you’ll ever acquire. Like the Children of Israel in the Bible, you’ll be stuck in a rut. You’ll be circling that same mountain over and over again, day in and day out.

In order to progress, you’re going to have to break bad traditions. If you’re going to stretch forth to the next level, you’ll have to change some things.

Instead of saying, I don’t have the talents, say I have everything I need to do anything I could imagine. Instead of saying, this relationship will never work, your declaration should be, I serve a God who mends broken relationships.

I’ve heard a great saying, “When you complain, you remain.” If you’re going to progress in life, you must first believe that a change is yet at hand. You’ll have to get rid of the limiting, defeating mindset and believe that you can achieve those dreams. You can get that promotion. You can break through into a higher dimension.

I always say, “change your I can’ts to the I cans.” In other words, let your declaration be, I can recover from a bad break. I can achieve the unachievable. I can break down the walls stagnation. When you do so, you’ll discover that with God, you’ll come into bigger opportunities, better relationships, and fulfilled dreams as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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February 22, 2012 -- Take the Other Route (1)
April 23, 2012 -- Vlogisode #3 – Launch Out Into the Deep (Video) (0)
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Find the Lessons in Your Failures

Jarrod Clark — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:24:35 +0000

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

Thomas Edison was one of the most brilliant inventors of all time. He was an inventor of many things that changed the world. The light-bulb was one which has a significant impact on us today.

I read where it was reported that Edison had nearly nine-thousand failed attempts at inventing the light-bulb. I would imagine that he got discouraged along the way. He probably felt like throwing in the towel.

But yet he had the courage, drive and determination to bring his invention to completion. He gave up at no end.

One day, he finally came into the success of completing the light-bulb. What I find interesting is afterwards, he was asked how it felt to have had nine-thousand failed attempts at creating the light bulb? He responded, “it felt great, for every time, I learned a way NOT to create the light bulb.”

I’m sure Edison lost hope along the way. I’m sure he had critics and naysayers saying, “Edison, it’s no use.” “Why don’t you just give it up? All the odds are in your favor.”

But Edison understood this principle. He understood that with great successes comes many failures. He knew that there were lessons in his failures.

What are those many failed attempts that you’ve thrown along the wayside? What about those unfulfilled dreams and visions that you’ve let go?

Let me encourage you today- there are endless possibilities. Just like Edison, you can come into your season of success if you don’t lose heart. You’ll reap your harvest of blessings if you don’t give up.

God has given you everything you need to accomplish anything you want. Just like Edison, you can learn from your failures. Let them serve as lessons to catapult you to your destiny.

Let your declaration be, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” No matter what your lot, no matter how impossible it might seem, know that with Christ there is a way.

I heard a wise man once say, “Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done.” Maybe you could be one of the ones to prove a naysayer wrong. Maybe you could be one of the ones to do what the masses said can’t be done. Who knows, like Edison, if you’re persistent and you don’t lose heart, you can prosper in ways that will change the world for centuries to come. Find the lessons in your failures.

Rely on the seeds of greatness that are on the inside. God has given you all the tools you need to succeed. He’s given you determination, drive, motivation, perseverance, persistence and favor. When you tap into these God-given ingredients, he’ll cause you to prosper in more ways than you know as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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April 13, 2010 -- Edison’s Persistence, Can You Use It? (2)
May 10, 2012 -- Now or Later? (1)
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September 13, 2011 -- Leave the Past in Your Blind-Spot (1)

What’s Your Bigger Picture?

Jarrod Clark — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:20:55 +0000

Along the journey, it’s easy become distracted and neglect the things that matter the most. Little by little, if we’re not careful, we’ll allow our priorities to get out of order.

Day in and day out, we get so many distractions. We discover new ideas and new concepts. We’re confronted with new issues, we take on bigger challenges and responsibilities. Over a course of time, we’ll ever so gradually take our focus off the big picture: the purpose, goals, and destiny that God has in store for us.

When obstacles come to distract us, our “big picture” shifts. We allow the obstacle to become the big picture instead of the focusing on the finish line.

.Keep first things first. Don’t allow your “big picture” to shift. Keep your priorities in order. Your time and attention should remain on the big picture.

The enemy wants to distract you from God’s plan for your life. His plan for you is the big picture. It’s the thing that drives and motivates you. The big picture is the center of it all, it’s what gives you hope.

When you get a bad break, don’t allow this let down to deter your focus. Keep your focus on the big picture that God has for you. If one door shuts, realize that it’s the almighty God working to draw you closer to His plan for your life.

When you keep the bigger picture in mind, everything else falls into place. Today, I’m asking you, what is your bigger picture? Are you allowing the complications, disappointments, failures, and rejections to become the center of your life? Or are you remaining focused on your ultimate destiny, purpose, and things that God has in store for you?

Instead of focusing your time and attention on the distractions, keep the bigger picture in mind. When you do so, you’ll come into the peace and contentment that God has in store for you as you charge forth on your journey of life!

Photo credit: by Symic

December 19, 2011 -- How the Words “So What” can Change Your Life (4)
November 13, 2011 -- Only Regard the Things that Matter (0)
April 5, 2012 -- Set Your Sights High (Keep Stretching Yourself) (0)
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Your Labor is Not in Vain

Jarrod Clark — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:53:30 +0000

Nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. There will be times when you’re tempted to think that your work is in vain or that you’ll never gather the fruits of your labor. But you never know, your just reward may be closer than you think.

You see, humans can forget the little things you do. They may forget the times you went the extra mile or those times you went above and beyond the call of duty. But not with God, He records every little thing you do. And the good news is, there will be eternal rewards for those who serve Him faithfully.

1 Corinthians 15:58 tells us to “be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

Sometimes, there’s a natural tendency to let the outside circumstances affect the nature of our work. And if it seems like our work is pointless or our labor is in vain, we start to loose faith in our efforts and abilities.

But know today, my friends, that your labor is not in vain. Sooner or later, you’ll gather the fruits of your labor. As the scripture says, you just have to “remain steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” When discouragement comes, shake it off. When doubt sets in, dig your heels in deeper. Don’t allow it to throw you off course. Instead, stand strong, be bold and courageous.

God never forgets the little things you do. There is no such thing as something that goes over His head. The scriptures describes Him as omnipotent and omniscient. That means He’s all-powerful and all-knowing. He makes a record of all your efforts and He will reward you justly.

I love what Galatians 6:9 says. It urges you to “be not weary in well doing, for in due season, you will reap of harvest of blessing if you faint not.” Be encouraged my friends. Continue your work for the Lord. When you do so, you will gather the fruits of your labor as you charge forth on your journey of life!

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July 17, 2011 -- There Is Rest for the Weary (2)
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June 16, 2011 -- Don’t Be Weary In Well Doing! (2)
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Optimistic Journey » Goals and Aspirations

When the Rubber Meets the Passion

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