Pursuing Your Destiny (Part Two)

God has placed a desire within all of us to pursue an extraordinary destiny (e.g., start a business, buy a house, go back to school, invent something, run for public office, write a book, etc.) What stops us from pursuing it? Lack of resources or education? Failures and setbacks?

When I was 17, God gave me the idea to start a non-profit that would provide leadership development programming for high school students and award college scholarships. However, executing the vision proved more challenging than anticipated. While planning my first leadership conference for the students, I had difficulty finding serious donors willing to invest in a new program; I could not afford a venue to host the conference; and I had trouble recruiting high school students to attend without the benefit of an interactive website, professional marketing materials, celebrity speaker, or major publicity. As a result, the day of my first leadership retreat, I found myself alone at the small community venue without any registered students and very few contributions toward our scholarship fund other than my own earnings from my summer internship which I had donated.

God already knows that the vision He has given you is bigger than your resources, education, and experience. The process, or journey to success, is intended to equip you with the skills you will need to maintain your success once you have achieved it. Meaning, the obstacles you overcome will test your character and your commitment to the vision. They will also encourage you to expand your knowledge (e.g., learn more about business, financial management, marketing, leadership, etc.) If you persevere, you will develop an inner strength (that you never knew you had) and discover solutions that you can use to help yourself and others as you continue to grow and excel. Lastly, the process is also intended to give you a sense of humility and thankfulness to God for your blessings – which should encourage you to reach back and help others in the same way.

Therefore, instead of leaving, I stayed and resolved that I would give my presentation to the empty chairs if necessary. That’s when I witnessed a miracle right before my eyes. I saw a minivan pull up with a group of 12 students. Thus, marked my first ever “Revolution Leadership® Retreat”

Eleven (11) years later, Revolution Leadership®, Inc. is now a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization that provides educational leadership programming and awards college scholarships for high school students. We have served over 1,300 high school students nationwide and have been recognized by the Orlando Magic® NBA team, featured in Black Enterprise® Magazine, recognized by Chick-Fil-A®, featured in several televised interviews and received major corporate funding. Students that have attended our leadership programming have become business owners, financial investors, motivational speakers, published authors, and more!

So, don’t give up on your destiny – pursue it!

8 Principles to Pursuing Your Destiny (Part One)

Here are 8 essential principles to pursuing your destiny:

1.    Be Organized- When God inspires you with a vision, write it down. You can use the initial blueprint to remind you of your destiny and encourage you along the journey.

2.    Be Willing to Work/Research – Getting the idea is just the first step. Next comes praying and asking God to lead you the people to talk to in order to find the resources that you need. Be willing to research, read books, and ask questions.

3.    Be Willing to Start Small – My non-profit started off small with very little support. Celebrate small accomplishments and be proud of them! Everything that is big was once small.

4.    Be A Good Steward – Learn to manage the resources that you have – no matter how small they may seem. Don’t complain about what you don’t have. Think creatively and educate yourself. Once God sees you doing something with a little, He will open up doors for you to receive more.

5.    Be Willing to Endure Opposition – Nothing comes without a fight. Be willing to endure criticism from those closest to you. Expect for doors to be closed, for people to doubt your abilities, and for plans to fail. Just because it doesn’t work the first time – doesn’t mean it’s not destined to work at another time.

6.    Be Willing to Give Thanks - Always remember to give thanks for your successes and failures (because they help you grow). You can demonstrate your thankfulness by helping others get where you are. Don’t wait until you have “arrived” to help someone else. Make it a habit of giving back to others, even on a small scale (e.g., mentoring, charitable donations, volunteering) throughout your journey.

7.  Be Willing to Build A Team -  Involve others in your vision. Share responsibilities (make sure you follow up) and share the credit for successes. To grow, you need to be able to multiply your efforts as well as receive the input of others. 

8.    Don’t Doubt God’s Plan for Your Life - Despite how bad things look, trust the dreams God has placed in your heart and keep pursuing your destiny!