I was really excited in January 2014 when the word given to me for the year turned out to be “greater“.

A lot of persons had that same word and walked in the same light for 2014 too but I quickly realized that greater would not come to me unless I take steps to achieve it and lay aside everything holding me back from achieving that which I desire.

Following closely on the heels of this realization was an article I published on my blog in January, titled “Are you really ready for greater?”

And that article birthed a business from a very good friend of mine.

She studied mass communications as her first degree but she is also very good with making articles like shoes, bags, ties et al with Ankara fabrics.

In fact, working with Ankara was a passion she loved with all of her heart.

She had let the passion for making articles with Ankara fabrics dissipate into mere embers for a while and that article made her take the plunge to turn her passion into a business.

And I of course, have watched her business grow in 2014 with joy in my heart.

She was a Nigerian youth corper at the time she started up her business and on passing out from the Nigerian youth service corps, she got a job that skipped her salary payments for months at a time.

Some days ago she announced to me “Frances, I am quitting my job in 2015, I am taking up my business full time until a better job comes“.

And frankly, I was proud of her.

Shocked… but still, I was proud of her.

And she set the wheels turning in my head…

A lot of us hate our jobs or rather, a lot of us don’t find fulfillment in our current jobs but still, we stay for a lot of reasons.

Reasons ranging from “it pays the bills” to “I feel safer here“.

Most of us are scared of taking the plunge just like my friend plans to do in 2015 but will we ever get something greater in our lives with that kind of mind set?

We played it safe in 2014, working where we thought we had security for the future, while we pushed down our real dreams down the drain.

But what did that get us in 2014?

A heart full of “I should have done this or that“.

A heart full of regrets.

Good news is, we can still transform our dreams from mere ideas into reality.

The only question remains…

Are we ready to take the plunge?

Are we really ready for greater?

Contrary to what we think, greater won’t come to us as easily as we want it to. It may just require us going out on a limb and taking risks that we have never taken before.

It may not be something as drastic as quitting our jobs, it just may simply be our opening up that business that we have always dreamed of.

Are we going to let 2015 also drift away without birthing our dreams or are we going to take the plunge?

Taking the plunge maybe difficult to do but it is way better than being sad at a job we hate, working at a desk job while building castles in the air.

It also may not be about your job, it just maybe your starting up a blog to pen down those writings swirling around in your head.

You think no one will read what you write? They will criticize your every word?

Good.

Then that means that at least you gave them something to criticize.

Take the plunge anyway!

Leave 2014 with a determined mind to start up those dreams you have had for 5-10 years running (yes, some of us have been scared for that long).

Lay the shackles of fear and “what ifs” behind you and take the plunge.

In fact, if you can take the plunge on whatever you want to do in these last days of 2014, then just do it.

Prepare, plan, and take the plunge!

Prepare your mind for what you want to do even in these last days of 2014.

Make the plans and draw the maps for what you need.

And by all means, just take the plunge!

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2015 is creeping up on us “jete by jete” and I am mega grateful for 2014 and I am ready/preparing myself to take the plunge on all I need to do in 2015.

But first, the last post for the year – an honest evaluation of my 2014 goals will be published on December 31st 2014…

I will encourage you to start up on your reflections on the year 2014(if you haven’t already) and start making plans for 2015 along with our prayers intact.

Prepare with God even before you enter into the new year.

No plunge we take will transform into something great if we don’t settle things with God first with prayers.

Let’s enter into 2015 with purpose evident in both our walk and talk.

Thank you for being on this journey with me in 2014… Let’s do greater in 2015.

Much Love,

Frances.

PS: End of year blog giveaway winners was published in my last post.

Congratulations to Nkykate and Mobolaji.