People may define success differently, but who doesn’t want to be successful? And rightly so. Both our desire for comfort and security and our yearning for meaning and fulfillment in life—our basic physical and spiritual needs, in other words—are inborn and universal. Why then do so many people seem to settle for so little? Why don’t they pursue their dreams more actively? There are several reasons, but I think this excerpt from an article I came across recently exposes one of the most common:

“Both success and failure involve future consequences, namely inevitable rewards or unavoidable regrets. If this is true‚ why don’t more people take time to ponder the future? The answer is simple: They are so caught up in the current moment that it doesn’t seem to matter. The problems and the rewards of today are so absorbing to some human beings that they never pause long enough to think about tomorrow.”1

If that sounds like you, this issue could help get you started on a new future-focused and more successful path. The God Factor (pg. 4) explains how to tap into God’s infinite reservoir of spiritual and material blessings. Strategies for Success(pg. 8) provides practical advice. Getting God’s Input (pg. 10) tells how you can make sure you’re on the right track moment by moment and step by step. Appreciation in the Workplace (pg. 5) offers advice on how to succeed as a team. Work with Me, a message from Jesus to you (back page), will help you to see your work, the challenges you face, and your future in a new light. Put it all together, and there will be no stopping you.

So dust off those dreams, get God’s promises and power behind you, and gear up for an exciting, successful future.

Keith Phillips

For Activated

1 Jim Rohn, The Five Major Pieces to the Life Puzzle(Southlake, Tx.: Jim Rohn International, 1991)