Nugget Wisdom

Note: The following is excerpted from the March/April 2008 RELEVANT Magazine. It is by Cameron Strang, founder of the Relevant Media Group. I highly recommend this magazine. I am going to make a valiant effort to not merely live by these, but inspire others as well.

Nugget 1: If your dream is to start something like a company, non-profit, etc., take time and do your research. I get emails all the time from college students looking for shortcuts. There aren't any. RELEVANT's first issue rolled off the press when I was 27. Do that math-that's eight years after I actively started pursuing it. In hindsight, every one of those years played a pivotal role in what RELEVANT ultimately became. Bottom line, don't be impatient.

Nugget 2: Surround yourself with people who will challenge you. If you're surrounded by small thinkers, pessimists and people who just float through life, guess what, you will too. Likewise, if you surround yourself with people who live outwardly, are passionate about God, dream big and want to make a difference, guess what, you will too. Are the people you surround yourself with going the direction in life you want to go? If not, as hard as it may be, you might need to make some changes.

Nugget 3: If God puts a dream in you, by all means go for it--but on the journey, don't lose sight of Him. It's easy to get so busy doing things for God that we sometimes lose our relationship with Him. If that happens, drop everything and get your life focused back on the only thing that matters.

Nugget 4: Seek wise counsel, but don't just do what people think you should. Listen to advice with one ear, and then evaluate it against what God called you to do. You'll quickly learn that everyone has an opinion, but it's only you who has your unique vision. At the same time, be teachable. You don't know everything.

Nugget 5: Whenever possible, write in nugget form.

Nugget 6: Always keep tomorrow in mind, but never lose sight of the season God has you in today. If things aren't going as planned, could God be trying to get your attention about something? (That's usually the case with me.) Never be so focused on tomorrow that you don't fully appreciate and take advantage of the season you're in.

Nugget 8 [sic]: You're either moving toward something or away from it. If you have a dream you'd like to see happen one day, what are you tangibly doing today to pursue it? It won't happen on it's own.

Nugget 9 Be OK with failing. When you remove that fear, it gets a lot easier to take risks on God. If you're not worried about the landing, would you be more willing to make the jump?

Nugget 10 Marry up. It helps.

So you see, these are some great things to keep in mind as you and I dream. Never forget to keep your eyes on God and your head out of the clouds.

To all my fellow dreamers. Never give up.