(uplifting music)
- Hey, it's Terri, your Cheerleader of Dreams.
I want to tell you today three things
that help me get my life together.
In fact, I want you to be like a sponge
and just absorb everything you hear
as if God is speaking right to you.
Why?
Because he is.
In fact, the Bible says that God speaks
in a still small voice.
I'm the voice of God today, okay?
I'm just kidding.
But this is for you.
So let me just say, what does a sponge do?
Well, it absorbs, it takes it in,
and it soaks it up, right?
Now, before I share it,
I want you to do something real quick.
It might seem a little strange,
but I want you to just cross your arms right now.
Did you know that you have crossed your arms like this
thousands of times,
and every time you do it, you do the exact same way?
And it's familiar, right?
Now, let me just ask you to cross them the other way.
It feels strange, doesn't it?
It feels weird, it feels awkward.
Why?
Because it's a change, it's unfamiliar.
Well, I found out that the big separator
from the successful and the unsuccessful,
those who live their dreams and those who just dream,
is that they embrace new unfamiliar things.
In fact, there was a phrase I heard in my spirit,
and it was just three words,
"Leave the familiar."
In fact, I would love for you to write that in the comments,
"Leave the familiar."
Well, familiar means just an everyday occurrence.
It's normal, everyday experiences, common, ordinary
not strange, right?
So it could be familiar habits, mindsets, behaviors,
familiar relationships, routines, and dreams.
See, you've gotta leave the land of the familiar
to embrace a completely unfamiliar life of your dreams.
Let me explain.
Not too long ago, I was at my dad's conference
in Fort Worth, Texas,
and he was sharing something that he heard in prayer.
He kept referring to the scripture in Joshua 3:4 that says,
"You have not passed this way before."
Think about those words,
"You have not passed this way before."
He said God is about to take you to a new place
you've never been before.
He said, "Get ready for a many new first in your life."
See, Luke 5:26 says,
"We've never seen anything like this before.
He said, "Get used to that phrase."
In other words, it's unfamiliar.
You have not passed this way before.
See, God wants to do a new thing in your life.
You got a new story to write,
but it's gonna demand leaving some old familiar habits.
So three areas to leave the familiar,
and these are three things that help me
get my life together.
You ready?
Number one is voices.
You're gonna have to leave familiar voices
that are dragging you back.
Here's the way I like to say it.
Whoever has your ear, has your life.
And yes, I have an ear here.
But T.D Jakes said,
"Show me your friends and I'll show you your future."
He said, "Get around nine losers,
and you'll soon be the 10th."
I know, that's a pretty harsh thing.
And I'm not trying to say your friends are losers,
but I'm just saying that there may be people around you
who are dragging you back from the life God has for you,
the life of your dreams.
You know, I heard it illustrated like this.
They were talking about crabs,
which I just happen to have one.
This is a cute one.
But when a crab tries to get out of the bucket,
the other crabs automatically try to pull him down.
Why?
Because they don't want anyone leaving their group,
their little tribe, their mindset.
Well, it's the same in life.
People will try to drag you back and discourage you
when you decide to go after unfamiliar dreams.
So you gotta get around some unfamiliar voices
who encourage you.
You know, that's why this week,
I decided to give you a list of my favorite podcast
and YouTube channels that I listen to to build my faith
and to just keep me going in the direction of my dreams.
So you can just click the link in the description
and download that free list right now.
And I'm telling you, you're gonna love it.
And that's why I ask you too, every week,
to subscribe to this channel,
because you're gonna build your faith
every time you watch one of my videos.
Faith comes by hearing, right?
So if you haven't subscribed yet,
would you do that right now?
Just push the little play button
and start a new unfamiliar routine.
Here's the thing.
People can stretch you or shrink you.
It depends on who you're listening to the most.
You know, Grant Cardone said, "Look around."
He said, "If the people you see aren't screaming success,
they're validating average."
And he said, "Remember, people who try to persuade you
to slow down, to calm down, to even give up on your dream,
they're not trying to help you.
They're trying to make sense of why they gave up."
See, your input shapes your outlook,
and your outlook shapes your behavior.
So 2002 is when I decided to permanently
leave the land of the familiar.
And the change started by listening to unfamiliar voices
in my life consistently.
Like, truly.
Going online, ordering CDs and audio programs
that I could just push play on my way to work
and on my way home,
loading the dishwasher and folding laundry.
If you want to get fit,
they say listen to people more fit than you.
You want to get wealthy,
listen to people with more money than you.
You want to achieve big dreams,
listen to people who are doing bigger things than you.
Add voices to your life who live in the areas
that you want to grow in.
That's how you leave the familiar
to the new things God has for you.
Got it?
Okay, number two,
the second area you embrace the unfamiliar is vision.
Now, let me tell you why it's so important
that you have a vision.
Obviously, Proverbs 29:18 says without it, you die.
You know, in fact,
I heard a story about astronauts who visit space.
Now, listen to this.
They returned from space and had deep psychological issues
and were battling depression.
Astronauts!
Why?
Because after you've been to the moon,
now where do you go, right?
Well, that was their end goal.
They finished it and had no other vision.
Well, now, they require astronauts to have major projects
lined up after they return.
Why?
Because without a vision, you perish.
So see, you've gotta get your eyes
on something unfamiliar to you.
A dream, a goal, a desire, and then clearly write it down.
You know by now that writing your dreams and goals
is a clear key to success.
Here's the thing,
a person with no vision will always return to their past.
See, if you don't have a vision for your finances,
you'll go right back to spending everything you earn.
I speak from experience.
If you don't have a vision for your body,
you'll return to eating everything you used to eat.
If you don't have a vision for your career,
you'll just go right back to settling where you were.
A person with no vision will always return
to what's familiar.
See, I remember sitting in my room
thinking of what I'm telling you today.
I had never truly given myself permission to dream
or to see my dreams written down in front of me.
And remember our themed scripture,
"You have not passed this way before."
Dreaming was unfamiliar to me.
It was intimidating and even embarrassing.
I remember almost laughing at how stupid my dreams were,
because they were so impossible.
But I just started writing.
And you you've heard the stories, but I wrote down,
I said I have a successful women's conference with a theme.
Now, I didn't even know what the theme was.
But I was listening to expert voices teach me
to act as if you already have what you're believing for.
So you've heard the stories of my coworkers
superimposing a photo of me on Joyce Meyer's head,
and acting like my conference was hers,
with thousands of women at my conference.
This entire dream was so unfamiliar to me.
When God said, "You have not passed this way before,"
he was not kidding.
Now, I'm sharing this because I want you to understand
how normal it is to feel ridiculous when you start dreaming.
That's what God wants.
Well, I looked at this photo every single day
during my prayer time,
causing that dream to not look so funny.
Now, here's my point.
God said, "You have not passed this way before."
Well, you will never pass that way
until you start seeing yourself passing that way.
I'll never forget the day we rented an arena
in Dallas, Texas for my Icing Women's Event,
notice the theme,
where women came from all over the world
just like the vision I had,
with my head on Joyce Meyer, right?
And I might as well tell you,
that my annual Icing Women's Event
is just around the corner.
It's Labor Day weekend, September 2nd and 3rd
here in Dallas, Texas.
You can come in person, or you can watch livestream.
But can I tell you, there's a certain impact
that only happens when you're in the company of other women
who desire God's plan for their lives.
I'm telling you, it's contagious.
You will not leave the way you came.
So you can register in person or livestream.
Get your ticket by going to terri.com/icing,
or click the link in the description.
So let me ask you, what is in your heart to do?
What are some of your goals?
Do you want to write a book?
Do you want to get promoted at the company?
Do you want to save $10,000 or $100,000?
Do you want to move to a nicer house?
It's time to get a vision of you leaving your familiar.
Now, the third area you must embrace the unfamiliar
is your vows.
Let me explain.
Do you know that this is the number one way
you leave the familiar past
and embrace the new, amazing things that God has for you?
It all boils down to you building a reputation
with yourself that you keep the vows you make to you.
You know, years ago, the Lord told my dad, he said,
"If you'll keep your word to yourself,
you'll never question whether or not
God will keep his word to you."
Do you hear that?
See, this is where confidence comes from.
You do the things you say you're gonna do.
I was reading some of the Instagram comments I got recently
where I asked people,
I said, "Where do you struggle the most?"
And I was shocked by the overwhelming response
of people saying they don't believe in themselves.
It was self doubt, insecurity, not feeling good enough.
Well, that's why I've asked my guest speaker,
Christy Wright, to specifically teach us
how to build your confidence at Icing this year.
But believe it or not,
this is where your confidence tanks or it triumphs.
It's when you keep the vows you make to you.
Now, why is this so important?
Because you have to believe in you to be successful.
You have to believe you deserve the dreams
that are in your heart.
And when you keep your vows to yourself,
your confidence soars.
Now, I don't have time to truly teach on this.
I'm gonna let Christy really get into it Icing,
but this is how you become unstoppable.
You just start building this winning streak
of keeping the vows to yourself by starting small.
Remember God said, "You have not passed this way before."
Maybe you've never been a person of discipline
or commitment in certain areas.
You said you were gonna wake up 30 minutes earlier to read,
but it lasted three days.
Or you said you were gonna work out,
and it lasted two weeks.
You said you'd save money, but there was a big sale.
Well, see, when you start keeping your vows to yourself
in the small areas, you are leaving that familiar pattern
and embracing a new you.
So can I give you a big challenge this week?
I want you to download the free list of my favorite podcast
to build your faith and your personal growth,
and just make a vow that you're gonna listen
to one every single day for 30 days.
Can you do this?
I know you can.
It's time to leave the familiar and watch God take you
to a whole new level.
And don't forget,
I'll be cheering you on to live your dreams.
- [Announcer] Something amazing happens when women
from all backgrounds and ages come together at Icing.
This is your time to grow in your relationship with God.
Get free from limitations, discover your dream,
and get the biblical tools you need to walk out
God's plan for your life.
Join Terri Savelle Foy...
- To start thinking bigger,
to stretch myself outta my comfort zone,
to start asking God for bigger things.
- [Announcer] And Christy Wright...
- You can begin to see the path from where you are today
to where you want to be, and then,
oh my gosh, that dream's not so crazy.
- [Announcer] September 2nd and 3rd in Dallas, Texas
for an unforgettable weekend that will inspire
and motivate you to live out your God-given purpose.
We can't wait to see you at Icing 2022,
the premier women's conference
for faith filled dream achievers.
(uplifting music)
- Hey, YouTube, don't forget to subscribe to my channel.
And to get more inspirational content,
click one of these videos right here.
And remember, I'm cheering you on to live your dreams.