“Listening to your heart is not simple. Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want.” Sue Bender

Ah, this chapter resonates with me today. I have been finding it so difficult lately. Difficult to be still and go within. Difficult to be quiet enough to read or write. Difficult to get in my studio and be creative. Difficult to be me!

“Personal growth also comes in spasms: three steps forward, two steps back, and then a long plateau, when it seems as though nothing is happening.” Sarah Ban Breathnach

I have been a step beneath a plateau! Not only has nothing been happening with my spiritual growth these last few weeks, but I lost the foothold I had gained in this inner journey we have been on. I let go of the lessons I’d learned. I can attribute the setback partially to how busy I have been with my business and having difficulty finding balance, but I think there is more to it than that.

“When you’re about to step into a new level of your destiny, don’t be surprised if you hit a setback. That’s a sure sign you’re about to give birth to what God has placed in your heart … The enemy would leave you alone if you weren’t a major threat. He wouldn’t bother you if you didn’t have something amazing in your future.” Joel Osteen

Indeed, the closer we get to our purpose, the harder the enemy will work to keep us from it. When we are on the brink of reaching our highest potential, he works harder to hold us back.

“It’s important to realize that this dormant period always seems to precede a growth spurt.” SBB

The great thing about staying the course and never giving up is that you will prevail. There is nothing and no one who can stand in the way of God’s plan for you except for you. If you keep your eye on the prize and remain steadfast in your faith even through the plateaus that will inevitably show up, you will reach your highest potential, which is God’s plan for you.

I am ready to shed this dormant period and step up to the next riser. How about you?