Today I have the honor of interviewing author and speaker Dixie Gillaspie. She wasn’t always a successful coach, author and speaker, in this interview she actually talks about attempting suicide twice.

She has since come back from that dark place and really helped inspired people to take action. In this interview we hear her story, her dreams and the journey to them. We also hear about her book that releases today and the over $400 and $5000 in prizes/bonuses she is giving away.

She gives some great practical advice that will definitely help you chase your dreams and change your life. Enjoy the video:

Again, check out Dixie’s book and all the free stuff here.

You can get through them

If you have been reading this blog for a while, then you’ve seen that I’ve shared with you many of my own difficult situations and how I overcame them.

Let’s face it, we all go through difficult situations, life is full of them. The difference between the amazing and successful people like Dixie and the one’s who haven’t made it is their response.

How will you respond to a difficult situation? Will you give up or fight? Fight for your dream, fight for what’s important to your life.

When you read books like Dixie’s or so many other good books and great content, you have to learn the lesson but more importantly, you have to apply it.

Whatever it is you’re going through, know that you can get through it and if you do, you can accomplish amazing and inspiring things. If you do maybe one day I’ll be interviewing you

Have you ever had a difficult situation that lead to success? 

Three years ago I said enough was enough, I’m leaving a job that I hate and changing my life. After two weeks, that excitement fizzled out and I was back to making excuses.

A year after that was when I was really ready to take action and make those changes. So what could I do…….

I thought my calling was to be an event planner and if you’ve heard my story before then you know that experience was a complete disaster.

I hadn’t taken any time to figure out what my dream was, I just wanted out and when I thought I knew, I realized I hadn’t given it enough thought.

That brings us to today’s interview with my friend and podcastor Jared Latigo. When I first discovered Jared it seemed like he came out of nowhere. He had a blog and was guest posting everywhere, literally!

Since then he has refined his message and figured out his dream a little more. Sometimes it just takes a little more time and now that Jared has figured it out (we all continue to work on it), he continues to push forward with his dream.

I had the honor to sit down and interview him about his journey, there are many good takeaways that you can apply to your dream. Enjoy:

Be sure to check out more about Jared and his book at his website, Jaredlatigo.com, you can also follow him on Twitter here.

Have you changed any part or all of your dream? How long did it take you to figure out what your dream is?

When I talk to people about chasing their dreams or making big changes in their life, there’s one phrase that I hear more than anything: “I can’t chase my dreams because…………………” After this phrase there are many, many reasons why it’s now possible.

Look, I get it, I have been there and said that. However, I think we under-estimate the power of research, a good plan and taking small steps. You can make these big changes in your life, they just won’t happen overnight like we want them to.

I have proof for you today! I had the privilege to interview an amazing man who is chasing his dreams even though he is already RETIRED! Yep, you heard me right, he’s already going through the “rat race” and instead of playing golf all day, he’s chasing his dream of writing.

He has taken a huge step and published his first book, but you’ll hear about it in this interview:

First, you can find author Ernie Wenk at his website . He has a great blog and is a wonderful writer. Next, check out his first book, which you can find on Smashwords here. Ernie was kind enough to send me a copy and I’m really enjoying reading the book, it’s right up my alley! It’s very well written.

You can also connect with Ernie on Facebook here.

How about you?

I know life can be rough sometimes or feel like it all the time, right? I get that but life is short, really short if you think about it. We only get one life and before you can even look up it’s gone.

Now I’m not trying to scare you but after having my father die last year unexpectedly I WAS scared. I would rather die knowing I tried to chase my dream then die knowing I didn’t try because I was too busy watching TV.

I hope and pray that you have started chasing a dream or making a major life change this year, that’s my goal in writing, to help inspire that change. Just keep your eye on the prize and take it one step at a time.

Before you know it, you’ll look up and you’ll be living out your dream, just like Ernie!

So be honest: Have you ever made an excuse to not change something you know or wanted to change?

This week started with the potential to ruin the entire week! I woke up and decided to stay away from emails and social media, I decided to have quiet morning, that was a good start.

After a refreshingly peaceful morning that involved hanging out with my family, it was time to get to “work.” I fired up my MacBook Pro and went to the mail app. There were the  blogs I’m subscribed to, there were the emails from people asking specific questions about self-publishing and speaking advice.

There were some offers for advertising on my website and offers to “help me boost traffic” from people, all of this was pretty ordinary. The emails that got my attention right away were from conferences that I sent proposals to speak at, I see these emails and get nervous and excited. Where in the world will I be going to next….

Well, on Monday it was pretty obvious that I would be going nowhere! I had four emails from conferences rejecting me. Now they were nicely phrased, saying they liked my proposal but had to “go in another direction” but it still stung!

I have experienced rejection before and I have written about it several times, I should be an expert. When others have emailed me or called me to tell me about their rejections and have asked me for advice, I have always said to pick your head up and keep pushing forward.

I’d like to tell you that I followed that advice but inside I really didn’t. Right away I was:

• Mad- This is my dream, I should get every conference I propose to, right?
• Proud- How could they not choose an international speaker?
• Depressed- I have made so much progress and now I’m  hitting a wall. (more…)

So I’m officially back from my trip to Israel and my emotions are all over the place. As far as the speaking went everything went extremely well. The room was packed and the talk was well received, I also gave away a copy of my book to an audience member.

As far as everything else…… To be perfectly honest, I cried a lot this trip, it was completely overwhelming! To walk where Jesus walked, to see the places I’ve always read about in the Bible was…… WOW! I’ve shared a couple of videos already but I wanted to share one more that I made at the Dead Sea:

So now that I’m back I want to hit the ground running. I’ve talked to you a lot on this blog, with my videos and books about living and not just existing, after this trip I feel like I understand this principle a lot better. This was an incredible opportunity and experience and I want my life filled with these experiences.

I don’t need to travel across the world all the time to truly live, neither do you. Truly living is about doing what you love, what you’re passionate about and something that helps others, you can do it from anywhere. Whether it’s something as small as taking your family to the park versus watching TV, life is too short to waste it.

Where are you at in your life right now? Are you living or existing?

I pray you are living, if you need help, you know I’m here for you. So…….. how are you living? What is one thing that you’ve done in the last month that shows you are truly living? 

Just a reminder that I could still use your help with launch my book, details here.

Hello and greetings from Israel! Right now I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Nazareth, Israel. I got into Israel on Sunday and it has been an incredible experience ever since.

I’ve been posting pictures of the amazing things that I’ve seen on my Facebook page. So if we aren’t already friends on Facebook, be sure to send me a friend request to stay up to date. Here is my Facebook profile.

I always knew I wanted to live and not just exist but living has been far beyond anything I could have ever imagined! If you’re existing in life you’re missing out, you’re meant for so much more!

I wanted to share a few videos I made here in Israel, I hope they’re a blessing and encouragement to you:

Is there a BIG dream or goal that you’ve been hesitant to chase? 

This is a guest post from Ngina Otiende, who is a writer and trainer who loves helping others take charge of their lives. She’s passionate about intentional growth and relationships and wants to ignite the same passion in others. You can read her blog Intentional Today, follow her on Twitter and find her on Facebook.

A few years ago, I thought I needed a lot of money to start a business.

My mentor told me that I needed an idea. He said money followed ideas.

To illustrate the point, he picked up a plastic water bottle and waved it in front of my face.

“To one person, this used water bottle is nothing but trash, fit for the dustbin. To another person, this is an idea. An idea which will bring money”

I didn’t have money then. But I had a tiny idea. I didn’t think the idea merited a ‘business’ tag. Maybe a hobby. Something to do before I hit it big someplace else.

Eventually my desperation (I  was so broke) won over fear, hesitation and ego.

I began my ‘business’.

With less than five dollars (four hundred Kenya Shillings).

To move ahead in your dream, you must begin to see what your physical eyes cannot see.

You must refuse to be tied by ‘current reality’.

Tolulope Llesanmi says  

“Warriorship has nothing to do with your title or your physical or intellectual stamina or appearance but everything to do with your spirit. ” (more…)

For years and years I wanted more but never did anything about it? Sound familiar?

Bread Man

Everyday as I went to a job that I hated I dreamed of doing so many cool and exciting things. Since I started work at midnight everyday, I had plenty of time to think. I thought about all the things I could and wanted to be, those were some happy moments.

Then last year I took a chance and followed my dream of being a writer. The only problem was the book completely flopped, that was a rough time. I had some friends that encouraged me to figure things out and they were right.

Fast forward to today. My books have sold a few copies and I started speaking. As a matter of fact I was just booked to speak at a conference in Jerusalem, which is very special to me as a Christian.

This has been an incredible journey that has been filled with fear, doubt, happiness, joy and everything in between. Is there anything I would change? Yes, I wish I had taken action on my dream sooner.

The one thing that I want you to take away from this post is that you can do it too. We are surrounded by opportunity that we NEED to take advantage of! (more…)

This is a guest post from Dave Arnold who is a writer and speaker living in Michigan. He has worked in a variety of church and ministry roles for the last fifteen years. Dave also works with new immigrants in the Detroit-area, helping them to adjust to their new life. Dave is passionate about helping people belong and discover God’s best for their lives. His first book, Pilgrims of the Alley: Living out Faith in Displacement, comes out Feb. 18, 2013.

Have you ever felt frustrated in your job? As if you were spinning your wheels or tirelessly attempting to please your boss?

I think we’ve all be there, right?

For years, I attempted to fit into a mold others wanted me to fit in, namely, my supervisor or superior. And although I was engaged in work that mattered (working as a pastor in churches) something was missing.

Seth Godin in his groundbreaking book, Linchpin, says it this way:

“Some artists think they need a boss. Someone who will not only pay them, but also tell them what to do. The moment this happens, the artist is no longer an artist. But the moment you treat that person like a boss, like someone in charge of your movements and your output, you are a cog, not an artist.”

That was me: a cog, wanting someone to tell me what to do and attempting to measure up to their standards.

Godin defines artists not necessarily as painters or sculptures; but someone who engages in something meaningful that touches another human being.

With that said, we are all artists! And as such, we need to engage in meaningful work. How? (more…)

Hello and I hope the start of this year has been amazing for you, it has for me! I wanted to let you know that I’ll be needing your help soon. On Monday February 4th I’ll be opening a call to form a launch team for my very first published book. I’m so excited not only to have this dream come true but spread a message of hope. This will be a fun experience for all involved and I’ll be giving away some free goodies that I think will help you as you chase your dreams.I hope you will help!

I went to work out today, working on knocking out one of my goals for 2013. The gym was packed again today and because it’s the beginning of the year we expect that, right? A phrase that I’ve read/heard a lot lately was rolling around in my head: “they’ll be there until March and then they’ll stop coming, they’ll quit their resolutions”.

Something really hit me: What if they didn’t stop coming in March? What if they kept coming for the whole year, every week getting closer to their goals and dreams?

It’s pretty easy to get irritated when you go to the gym and you can’t even find a towel. You get tempted to jump on the bandwagon of putting people down but what about a different approach? What if you encouraged them? What if you cheered them on week after week? You know what would happen? REAL CHANGE!

What I’m doing about it. (more…)