I Quit Waiting for Tomorrow!

Yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never be ours.

Today is all we got.

Live it wisely.

Live it fully.

How long have you been waiting to start that business, go back to school, move to that town, buy that house, close that shop, or join that wellness program?

Most of us, if not all of us, have things we put on hold. Sometimes we call it procrastination, other times we call it fear, but for whatever reason, we tell ourselves, “it’s not time yet”. That was me, all the time.

As a type-A personality, I wanted things to be perfect before I could pursue a goal. I would plan everything and have multiple contingency plans, yet never implemented most of them. Why? Because there was always something that I needed to take care of first, something that needed to happen beforehand.

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. In fourth grade, I won a poetry award. Instead of seeing it as an accomplishment, I thought nothing of it. Now I wonder what life would have been like if I had seen that award as the launch of my writing career. As I got older, I kept on writing in my journals. I mostly wrote poems and songs in my teenage years. I remember being at a wedding and instead of enjoying the party; I was sitting in a corner, with my notebook, writing. Writing always came so naturally for me but I didn’t write as much as I became an adult. I had more problems to take care of. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Although I still enjoyed writing, I didn’t make time for it. I had to go to work first. I had to do the laundry, cook, and clean first. I had to get that graduate degree first. I slowly put my passion aside. The more I put it off, the harder it was to pick it up again.

When I turned twenty-five, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life, being a published author was one of them. I also had other dreams such as being a business owner, being a public speaker, and much more. What do you think happened after I wrote that list?…

Well, nothing! Absolutely, nothing!

I told myself I had to work so hard and have enough money set aside before I could live that dream of being a published author. I also told myself I couldn’t be a public speaker until I perfected my English since it’s not my first language. Another thing I told myself was that I didn’t have enough credibility to be a business owner. And the list of lies went on and on.

I spent the next nine years “getting things in order”. However, every time I worked on one thing, something else would go wrong. I would save some money and then a crisis would happen that would require me to use those funds. I would get one degree and add a few certifications, just to find out that something more was needed. I couldn’t and would never save enough money to “just” write. I would never earn enough credibility to “feel” ready to be a business owner. My English will never be “perfect” enough to be a public speaker.

I also had children during those years. So now, I couldn’t have time, energy, nor childcare to allow me to be the author, speaker, and business owner I wanted to be. As I kept trying to get my ducks in a row, frustration grew and it wasn’t long until I stopped believing that I could do those things. My dreams felt like illusions. I was heartbroken. Frustration turned to disappointment. Disappointment turned into despair. Despair turned to depression.

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Proverbs 13:12, New International Version

After waiting for what felt like forever, living a life I didn’t want, and becoming who I wasn’t, I decided something had to change. The pain of remaining the same was greater than the pain of changing. I knew change would be hard, but I also knew that it would be beneficial. I needed it. I was tired of surviving; I wanted to live. And not just live but live out loud, live a life I wanted, live a life I was proud of, live a life I fully enjoyed.

Did I have everything figured out? Nope! After a life-threatening health crisis, I realized I could have died at age thirty-three, and my life would be just what it’s been, unfulfilled dreams and hope deferred. I didn’t want to be on my deathbed and wonder what legacy have I left? What could have my life been like?

I refuse to live a mediocre life because things are not in order. I refuse to put my dreams aside until I have enough money, enough credibility, enough help, enough time, enough energy, enough resources. I refuse to put my life on hold until things get better. I finally stopped waiting for the perfect day and made every moment perfect.

I started writing. I started telling myself and others that I’m a public speaker. I started that business with zero dollars. Is my life perfect? Not at all! But it’s definitely far from mediocre or miserable. I have more peace and joy in my life. I work around my kids’ schedule and I often take them on business trips. I have written and published multiple books. I have spoken on countless stages and often get requested at the same conferences year after year. . Through my business and everything else I do, lives are being changed. I would have not made any impact in this world if I kept waiting for things to get better.

How about you? What are you putting on hold?

What dreams and goals are on pause? What are you waiting for?

When I started answering these questions for myself, I realized that I was not just putting my dreams and calling on pause. I was also waiting for the perfect moment to wear that nice dress I bought years ago. I waited for a special occasion to use my china dishes. What a miserable way to live!

Unconsciously, I was depriving myself of all that the Lord had already blessed me with and all that He had in store for me because I created excuses based on my limited beliefs. What a terrible mistake!

“ The only worthwhile thing for a human being is to eat, drink,

and enjoy life’s goodness that he finds in what he accomplishes.

This, I observed, is also from the hand of God himself..”

Ecclesiastes 2:24, International Standard Version

I wasted time and opportunities living this way, then I had my wake-up call. So today, I travel when I can. I enjoy the people and things in my life. I keep writing and publishing more books for myself and others. I am intentional about growing my business and calling. I make no apologies for my happiness. In fact, I quit waiting for tomorrow to be happy. I choose to enjoy the life I have been blessed with every single second of it.

Being happy and living a fulfilling life has also allowed me to serve more and give back in ways I never thought possible. Today, I am a virtual missionary for girls in Kenya, I provide free trauma counseling to them. My company, Grace & Hope Consulting, LLC, sponsors children in partnership with Compassion International. I get to do some amazing things while making a difference, that to me is a life worth living!

I am living my best life ever but it’s not roses all the time. On the contrary, I constantly have some major issues going on in my life. Stroke, racism, discrimination, chronic illnesses, divorce, abuse, betrayal, single parenting, car accidents, etc. There is always something that brings me to my knees and/or to tears. But guess what? I no longer wait for those things to go away in order for me to enjoy all the blessings in my life. No! I choose to enjoy life despite my challenges and crises.

I finally understood that happiness is not the absence of sorrow, just as joy is not the absence of misery. One does not exclude the other. They can all co-exist and that’s the dichotomy of life. The hard times make me appreciate the good days even more. I choose to dance in the rain instead of waiting for it to pass because by then, I would have missed out on the beauty of the moment. While dancing in the rain, I notice things I didn’t before. It allows me to pause and appreciate what is around me. It forces me to put things into perspective and it reminds me that nothing is permanent, yet every second is crucial. So, I quit waiting for the storm to pass. I quit waiting for tomorrow. No more wasted opportunities to enjoy life to the fullest.

“ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that they may have life,

and have it to the full.”

John 10:10, New International Version

For me, this abundant life is joy, peace, and goodness all the days of my life, even during difficult circumstances. You might be wondering how did you go from “what a miserable way to live!” to “I now have abundant life?” It didn’t happen overnight, although I wish it did, and life didn’t get easier. It actually got harder, but yet better in so many ways. Dichotomy!

It all started with a change in mindset. I had to change the way I saw my circumstances, the way I value time. I even started appreciating my own mortality. Yes, I could have died with all the knowledge unshared, now I have books, courses, podcasts, videos, and more that will outlive me. I share my knowledge far and wide, every opportunity I get. I could have died and never have spoken to the thousands of people that I have been able to reach. I would have never counseled nor coached anyone. What a waste of time and space on earth!

One of my mentors, John Maxwell said, “Some people live butt-prints on earth. Those who make an impact are the ones who leave footprints instead.” I refuse to leave butt-prints on this earth. I want to leave it better than I found it. I want to leave footprints that instill hope, courage, and joy in others. What about you?

As I changed my way of thinking, I have been able to grow and stretch myself in every area of my life. What was once impossible, has become common practice. My faith also grew and so did my skills. I started valuing and appreciating myself for the masterpiece that I am In Christ. And today, I get to help others do the same!

“ I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Proverbs 27:13, New International Version

Tomorrow is never guaranteed. Stop putting your life on hold. Stop waiting for things to be perfect. Stop waiting, start living. You only have one life to live, so live it well, live it fully. Leave your mark on this earth. The world is waiting to see your dreams unleashed. You owe it to yourself, live out loud!

To get you started, I have created a course with you in mind, it’s called REINVENT YOURSELF — Need I say more? This online course is completely free and short but impactful. Enroll at https://bit.ly/freereinventyourselfcourse