This past weekend, I had the extreme pleasure of sitting front row and recording this video of my great friend, Traci Reuter, as she shared her incredible story…and it’s not all rosy…her journey in building her own business has been fraught with pain, struggle, failure, and defeat.

But throughout her time on stage, with a confident presence, she shared a message of hope…hope that if you just keep going toward your dreams, you WILL get there. You CAN live the life of your dreams, just as her and her husband are getting ready to do in the next few weeks as they move to Colorado to become ski bums for the winter!

Has life ever had you backed into a corner? If so, what did you do to fight back, to get out of that situation?

Listen to Traci in this video to hear what she did to get out of her lowest point in life, to fight through debt, unbelievable health challenges with her husband, and failed business ventures in the network marketing industry.

Know that no matter how bad the situation you’re in may seem, there is light at the end of the tunnel. God only lets you go through challenges and trials that He knows you have the strength and ability to get out of. If financial burdens, past failures, negative people around you, unforeseen life circumstances, or anything else weigh you down, hold you back from your dreams…it’s time to break free from all of that and move forward to the success and dreams you deserve.

But how?!

It begins by realizing that you have at your disposal EVERY resource you need to succeed and to live your dreams. The circumstances we go through, no matter what you may think, are NOT what actually hold us back! It’s almost always the mental head trash and games our mind plays on us.

I really want you to get that…YOU alone determine your life outcome, not the circumstances you go through. They can slow you down, give you challenges, but they hold no power over you! It’s almost always YOUR OWN MIND causing you trouble!

For Traci, a big part of her breaking through to success was when she realized and conquered her unbelief. Her mind was telling her she didn’t deserve the life she wanted.

But, being a believer like I am in the saving power of the grace of Jesus Christ, she knew the Bible told her that she had to “renew her mind.” So she went to work on renewing her mind – throwing off that mindset that was holding her back. She began reassuring herself that she DID have everything it took to succeed, she did deserve her dreams, and that she would accomplish her goals with His help.

…And she also knew the verse in Proverbs 29:18 that reads, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

You could apply this to many things, but for her – and perhaps for you in the place you’re at right now – it meant she needed to have a strong vision of where she wanted to be, and that vision of an abundant life would help pull her out of the hole she was in, and toward her dream life.

And when you hear her story, wow, you’ll know just how powerful having that vision really is. Start forming your vision for your dream life today, hold it vividly in your mind everyday…and your unconscious mind will magically create the reality you want. There may be speed bumps and road blocks along the way, but they won’t be big enough to hold you back!

Don’t worry or concern yourself with how you’ll get to your dreams, how you’ll accomplish your vision…When you have a vision of living your dreams, whatever they may be (different for everyone), the “how” takes care of itself.

Thanks for your friendship and inspiration, Traci Reuter! Here’s to seeing you continue having more and more success and living everyday according to your purpose!