Using Your Dreams to Drive Your Purpose & Lifestyle.
Life has a way of making us pivot and adjust on a daily basis, but how do we know if we’re still on the right path to achieving our goals and plans? For years, wife, mother, and founder of Christian Entrepreneur Organization (CEO), Taneshia Yerby explains how we can use our dreams and turn them into the drive we need to fulfill our goals by trusting God’s plan and embracing the signs we receive.
In her debut book From Dreams to Drive: Trust God’s Plan, Embrace Your Gifts, And Walk In Purpose (on sale as from May 12) Taneshia shares a transitional roadmap for Christian women who are navigating career goals and everyday life and need to find themselves again.
From jewelry making to a thrifted clothing boutique, it took Taneshia time to figure out what her true calling was after years of trying several passion projects. When she finally received her calling, she decided to see it all the way through.
“I started this journey back in 2018 or 2019… I was stuck in figuring out, like, what am I supposed to be doing? Eventually, God was like, "I just want to use your voice,” she says. “That is kind of how this all started… I started figuring out my own path. I was like, "Okay, this is what God wants me to do, to teach other women how to find their own path.”
The book lays out how readers can take their natural gifts and turn them into something that helps others while honoring God. Told through personal anecdotes, Taneshia shares that the writing process for the book was different from her usual writing because it pushed her to be more transparent and share her story.
It can take time to figure out our calling, some people have multiple passions or are simply indecisive. It’s not inherently a bad thing but it can hinder us from locating our purpose. Taneshia says that you can still find joy in them, but it’s best to focus on one thing and give it one hundred percent.
“Take one thing, the one thing that moves you the most, and give it time to flourish. When I say give it time, I don't mean 90 days. I mean, stick with it for a few years… because a lot of times the excitement dies down overtime… sometimes it's not as fun when you get behind the scenes and you are starting to work on the thing that you feel called to do.” She adds, “We don't have to turn everything into a business. Keep something for yourself for fun.”
Overcoming fear and self-doubt is all part of life, and everyone has experienced it to some level, but it’s a matter of how we handle it that allows us to prosper. Oftentimes, we are quick to compare ourselves to others, but Taneshia says that if you can recognize what you’re doing, you can take control. She adds that these are things that won’t stop you from completely reaching the point God wants you to reach.
From Dreams to Drive offers exercises and open ended questions for readers to think about as they navigate life. Taneshia mentioned that she included the questions because she wants readers to reflect, to be present, and to write things down because it can help clarify and lead to our purpose. She wants readers to know that life is a puzzle, and it’s not until you start working inward that things make sense. It can be hard to know where to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed and helpless, but Taneshia reassures that taking time to reflect is the best course of action.
“When you write things out physically, there's a different level of spiritual downloads that come to you. I feel like God speaks to us when we are quiet in his presence and he can just download things to us without the distractions.”
Taneshia shares that women of all ages can take away something from this book. It all depends on what season of life you’re in. Some may be able to take bigger leaps than others, but going at your own pace is most important. Failure is something we all experience as well, but it also teaches us what works and what doesn't.
“Sometimes the thing that you think that you're called to do is completely different from what God actually wants you to do,” she says. “It's not something that someone can just tell you… The goal is really just to find a path that works for you and not necessarily what everyone else has done.”
As a Christian woman with a community of like-minded women, Taneshia shares that this book is for all women who are going through life and need a nudge. She hopes to share more of her writing with her audience but, in the meantime, is looking to continue connecting with her community.
“My mission here is really just to encourage women to show up for their God-given gifts… to show up and live their full purpose,” she says. “I love sharing my words and giving people language to things that they're feeling but don't know how to actually express and connect with other women who are like me, who just refuse to give up and want to do what God called them to do.”
From Dreams To Drive: Trust God’s Plan, Embrace Your Gifts, And Walk In Purpose goes on sale May 12th and is available where books are sold.
Bianca Mestiza is based in New York City and enjoys writing about beauty, arts and culture.