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Inspiration

Don't Wait to Get Started
By Joel Osteen - Dec 04, 2015

A while back, I was reading about a successful, 42-year-old executive. He was on the cover of Newsweek magazine years ago and the headline read, "The Wiz Kid of Wall Street." This man had a brilliant mind. He helped start several major companies. The reporter who was writing the story on him traveled to his hometown and interviewed people from his past. He found out that there was an alcoholic who lived in the city park with this man's same name. Toward the end of the interview, the reporter kind of laughed and said, "I found out something you may not know. There was a homeless man who lived in your city at the same time you did. He had your same name, your same age, your same race. What a coincidence." This executive said, "That wasn't a different man. That was me. I was an alcoholic. I was homeless, doing nothing with my life." The reporter was shocked and said, "Tell me more."

The man said, "When I was living in the city park using newspapers to cover me up, I always knew that one day I would be successful. I knew one day I would be sitting here, but I was just waiting to get started."

I've found that many people are like this man. They may not be homeless or have an addiction, but they're waiting to get started. They have amazing gifts, talents, businesses, ideas, movies, books and inventions, but they keep putting them off thinking, "One day, I'll take a step of faith. One day, I'll be more disciplined. One day, I'll get my life straightened out. One day, I'll go back to school." No, don't live waiting for one day. Start doing what you know to do today! Life is short. Time is flying by. You can't afford to put off what God has placed in your heart. You don't have time to let things hold you back. You have seeds of greatness on the inside. Today can be your new beginning. Today could be the start of something amazing! Be a "now" person when it comes to the things God has placed in your heart.  Don't wait to get started!

"Make the most of every opportunity…" (Ephesians 5:16, NLT)
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