Clear Goals, Clearer Purpose

March 11, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Movies. They entertain and inspire, right? Tom and I enjoy watching movies to relax. We like Hallmark movies because they are predictable. I am not ashamed! You always know there will be a happy ending and that there will be no jarring surprises in the process of getting there. We enjoy classic adventures like Star Wars, but we also enjoy inspiring true-life stories. One of our favorites is Chariots of Fire.

Chariots of Fire is set against the backdrop of the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. It follows the development of Great Britain’s running team and focuses the story on two young men in particular, Harold Abrams, a Cambridge student who became a journalist, and Eric Lidell, a Scottish preacher who became a missionary to China. They are both runners and contenders for the gold medal in their event. Spoiler Alert: They both achieve gold medals, but their motivations for getting there and their responses to their challenges along the way differ. However, there is a similarity I want to emphasize for your benefit: They kept their goal in focus. They both had a clear vision of what they wanted to accomplish and devoted tremendous efforts to reaching that end.

Harold Abrams and Eric Liddell kept their goal in focus. That enabled them to go further, achieve more, and developed their character. What about you? How clear are your goals? Do they help you go further, achieve more and develop your character?

A clear goal helps you to focus your energy.

What is Your Goal?

March 4, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Are your New Year’s resolutions already forgotten? Tell those failure thoughts to be quiet! It’s not too late to regroup and reset. But a resolution won’t help you get where you want to go. What you need is an actual goal. Do you have a goal?

What’s the difference between a resolution and a goal? A resolution is a decision, a desired outcome, but it isn’t a real target. A goal is a specific target to aim at. I’ve heard it said that a goal without a target date is a dream. It won’t happen. So, setting goals is different than making a resolution. A resolution declares, “This is what I want.” A goal says, “This is what I am going to do and this is when I am going to do it.” It requires prayerful consideration and intentionality.

What are some things you want to accomplish before this year is over? Why not set some goals? Think about what completing those goals will do for you —for your character, for your growth as a person.

So, my friend, what kind of goals do you want to set? Here are some things you need to know about goals to get you started.

Obstacle or Opportunity?

February 25, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

Are you a Sound of Music fan? While our kids were growing up, we had a double-video-cassette version of it and they loved it. When they were toddlers, they asked to watch “Doh-doh” (because of the song that goes “Doh, a dear…🎵”) It was very cute! If you aren’t familiar with the story, young nun-to-be, Maria, struggles to fit in with life at the abbey and Mother Abbess decides she needs a change of pace to determine if being a nun is truly Maria’s calling. So, she sends Maria to serve as governess to a widowed captain’s seven children. The rest, as they say, is history as Maria and Captain Von Trapp fall in love and she discovers that God’s will for her is to be a wife and mother, not a nun.

Maria faces many obstacles along her journey of discovery, but her primary goal is “to find out what is the will of God and do it whole-heartedly.” That’s a worthy goal for anyone!

One famous song from the musical is Climb Every Mountain. I remember singing it with my high school choir in my freshman year back in 19… never mind! In the context of the story Mother Abbess sings it to Maria to encourage her to persevere through the challenges she was facing with the Von Trapps and “find your dream.” This inspires Maria to continue on her discovery journey and not long after she finds herself married to Captain Von Trapp.

So, what does all this have to do with you? Like Maria, you are facing obstacles and challenges that seem to hold you back from finding your dream and fulfilling your destiny. There are struggles that may indicate where you are right now is not where you were meant to be. Do you know what they are? Are you ready to face them and “climb every mountain” till you find your dream, the dream that God has for your life?

Obstacles are opportunities to discover God’s will for your life. If you face them with the determination to discover His will and do it wholeheartedly, what you now see as a challenge will turn out to be a gift.

What obstacles are you facing? How can you embrace your obstacle as an opportunity? Here are some perspective-shifting tips.

How to Start Getting Where You Want to Go

February 18, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12

I’ve always dreamed of traveling. One of my first adult jobs was working in a travel agency because I loved the idea of travel.

Let me start off by saying that this particular business wasn’t a great place to work. The employees were not valued and cared for. On the first day, I was told I would be referred to by my middle name because they already had several employees who had a similar first name. Great start, huh? I never did more than help people book flights. “Why didn’t they just book them online?” you ask. Because at the time most people did not have computers and nobody had a smartphone. In fact, only a few of the agents working in this office even had a computer. The rest of us made phone calls to the airlines to book flights and hand-wrote tickets for customers who would come in and pick them up.

I didn’t work there long, but I did get an office “fam” (familiarization) trip to Puerto Rico out of it and fed my desire to travel to Alaska by fulfilling my responsibility to file brochures to places starting with the letter “A.” (Remember, no internet research. Beautifully printed brochures!)

Why am I talking to you about travel? Because going somewhere always starts with a dream. When was the last time you dreamed about where you would like to be in your life? What do you envision yourself doing that would satisfy your hunger to fulfill the potential you were born with? What do you dream of doing that would set you on the path to discovering the more you know you were meant for?

Where do you want to go in life and how do you get there? Here’s how to get started.

How to Determine Where You Are On the Path Toward Divine Potential

February 11, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

GPS is a wonderful thing. You open your phone and go to your navigation app and the little blue dot tells you exactly where you are. If you are home, maybe that is not such a big deal. But if you are traveling and feel like you might be lost, that information is key. Once you know where you are you can determine if you really are lost and then you can plot a course for continuing your journey. You can make a course correction if necessary or you can just keep going because you are on the right track after all. Ah, GPS! If only a GPS was available to determine where you are regarding fulfilling your divine potential!

If there were, this task would be a lot easier, but there isn’t. You and I need to do some hard work in recognizing where we are in relation to fulfilling our deepest desires and designed destiny.

In previous posts, we have been considering what we want out of life and what we value most. You have begun considering where you want to go, but you can’t plan how to get there until you know where you are beginning your journey from.

Where are you right now? Are you on the right track or do you need to make a course correction? Here are some things to consider.

One Key to Discovering Your Destiny

February 4, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

Do you notice tiny distractions? Do you see the small truths that rise to the surface of your regular routines? If you do, what do they reveal about you?

I’ve never been a big fan of the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, but if there was a pea under my mattress I wouldn’t notice it, would you? That little thing wouldn’t bother me. I probably wouldn’t even know it was there. Yet, for the princess in the story, the pea kept her awake. It revealed who she really was.

Underneath all the layers of distraction that this world throws at you is the tiny kernel of who you really are and what you want most. That kernel contains the truth of your deepest desire and dearest hope. How aware are you of that desire? What do you really want out of life?

How to Know What to Do and What Not to Do

January 28, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

Imagine an 8 ½ by 11 sheet of paper filled with words, adjectives that describe values. You read through the list, passing by several words, and then it’s as if a spotlight shines on the next word. Your heart leaps. You circle that word and continue going through the list, but your eyes keep returning to that spotlighted word. Then suddenly another spotlight shines on another word. Yes, your heart agrees with that one, too. You circle it and then continue recognizing other words that spark inside you. You circle ten or so words that resonate with your heart.

Your next challenge: Choose the top four words that describe your values. What is really important to you? Once you’ve made your choices, how do you feel? I’ll bet there is a smile on your face. I’ll bet you have some clarity. You better understand your values. Here’s the question: Are you living according to those values?

How often do you contemplate what is truly important to you? What really matters? Do you know how you will answer if someone asked you that question?

If you want to have a fulfilling and satisfying life – one where you don’t feel constantly pulled in a hundred directions and unable to keep your head above water – the key is to live your values.

What is My Purpose?

January 21, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

‘Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

Ok, so I am a Star Trek fan. The opening credits of every Star Trek episode begin with the voice of the captain stating the crew’s mission: “…to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before!” The crew may not have known where they were going, but they knew what they were seeking to do and why. What an exciting mission!

A mission statement and core values are among the first things anyone launching a business is instructed to develop. Those elements give the business owners focus and help the team to know what they want to accomplish and who they want to reach. A mission statement and core values bring clarity and articulate purpose for the business.

What about you? Have you ever considered crafting a personal mission statement? What are your core values? How might a mission statement give you focus and clarity? How might your life improve if you knew what your values are and lived according to those values? By this time next year, how might your life be different?

Every Challenge is a Gift

January 14, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

'Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

There are some amazing opportunities waiting for you this year! You may see glimpses of them on the horizon or they may just be vague shadows in the back of your imagination, but they are there. New challenges. New relationships. Perhaps a new job. Whatever this year holds for you, it brings opportunity. Above all the opportunity this year offers you and me is the opportunity to grow.

You and I are going to face the unexpected this year. We may welcome some of those unexpected challenges. We may be tempted to run from others. What if you positioned yourself to accept every challenge as a gift? What if you received each challenge as a stepping stone toward fulfilling your divine potential? What perspective would you need to take so that you could meet every twist and turn with peace and strength?

It’s taken a long time and I don’t do it perfectly by any stretch of the imagination, but I am working on these perspectives. Maybe they’ll help you, too.

A Blank Page: What Do You Want to Do With This Year?

January 7, 2023 Cathleen Zahradnik

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12

A new year. A blank page. What do you want to write on it? What is it that you really want this year? Have you thought about that?

The famous quote, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it,” is full of truth. Without a goal, wandering is inevitable. Do you want to wander this year? Or would you like to reach the end of this year feeling satisfied and fulfilled, knowing that you have achieved something meaningful?

I’ll bet your life is crazy. Mine, too! Family responsibilities fill your brain and call for attention. Work fills the daytime hours and sometimes follows you home. All the things you want to do stand off to the side like the little kids who were not chosen to play on the team at recess. You want to get them in the game, but the immediate needs of life just seem to clamor for attention, so you choose them. In the end, you feel scattered and like you aren’t really accomplishing anything important. Right?

What if you were to take just a few moments of reflection now, at the beginning of this year, and choose one or two of those off-to-the-side, some-day things to work toward? What would it feel like at the end of this year to know that you have made progress toward or accomplished something that you have been wanting to do? It would feel good, right?

So, let’s take some steps to make that happen. Ask yourself a few questions.

What really matters to me?

Is life as it is now, the way it will always be.png

October 24, 2026

What To Do in the Dark (Repost)

'I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ' Colossians 2:2-3

It was a dark time, one of the darkest times I have ever lived through. A loved one was struggling through the shadows of depression and every day was a battle. Just getting out of bed and facing the mundane tasks of daily life took every ounce of my strength. The future was a wall of fog. The present was a slog through mud with a backpack full of rocks. It was all I could do to just get through today.

Maybe that is where you are right now, Dear Friend. I am so sorry that you find yourself in such a difficult time. One thing I heard from a conference speaker that helped me through my darkness and gave me perspective was this: Every trial will come to an end. As those words rang in the arena and resounded in my ears my heart knew that they were true. In the course of a time that seemed to last forever, I eventually experienced that truth in my circumstance. You will experience it in yours. You will.

But while you are in it, can I offer you some perspective? Something I learned from walking through my own fog? Jesus really is enough. He is!