“Have faith and keep working on your dream.  Every level has a new devil,” Brett Portelli.  It’s easy to want to give up when we challenges come our way.  Not that it feels good to give up, but there comes a point of exhaustion when we know that we’ve fought to get where we are and that we don’t have anymore fight in us.  The mind and soul especially can’t take anymore—the hope and the loss, the drive and no follow through.  It’s confusing and painful.  But I heard this and it got me thinking.  I don’t understand why there’s always a test, a temptation to give up right when we’ve gotten close to our goals.  There seems to be one last wall or obstacle.  I’ve personally faced the wall dozens of times, and I know I’ve given up right as I got there.  I can’t say that the outcome I wanted would have come to fruition in the way I envisioned, but I know I’ve played that pattern on repeat where I was close enough to taste it and it didn’t happen. 

I think we need to understand the meat of the opening statement.  Regardless of the reason for these tests, we have to remember that these tests happen.  When we get close to what we want, we need to make the decisions that support that choice.  When we get close, we also need to understand that sometimes the result doesn’t look how we envisioned it.  Just because it looks different doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.  That is where we need to keep the faith.  We need to keep going.  We need to believe that no mater what, as long as we are true to our purpose and as long as we stay the course, what we desire and what we work for will come to us.  In those moments when it gets really dark, it can be tricky to keep the faith.  But that is the time when we need it the most.  We need to remember it and we need to light our way with unwavering belief.  It’s just a test. 

Challenges come no matter what we do in life.  Everyone has a battle they’re fighting.  Everyone has a goal they’re working toward.  Everyone has a dream.  Everyone is trying to get by and survive.  Everyone is trying to adapt to the way things are now—and the world changes so quickly we often don’t know who we are or we need to change it before we’ve even gotten used to the last version.  All of these are a new devil.  All of these things are designed to see what we really want or how serious we are about our dreams.  When those tests come, just remember to keep the faith and keep the focus.  Move forward with belief and trust in your dreams and in your ability to achieve your goals.