One of my favorite fantasy worlds is built around ambitions.
These ambitions are more than just the goals that drive the characters and the story; they are a major part of the characters' identity. Success in this fantasy world isn’t determined by the amount of wealth or power gained; it is determined by how much you pursue your dream and how much you encourage others to pursue theirs.
We all have dreams and goals. Elder Soares has said, “The help we can receive from the Lord in our goals and righteous pursuits is unlimited, and He supports us in any good and righteous endeavor.”
Now I know I have been told that with effort and perseverance, I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. But at the end of the day, we have limitations. Let’s say I have the grand goal to be the fastest person ever and go to the Olympics. I have set a good goal, and I can make a proper plan to start training and pray that the Lord will consecrate my efforts, but I still have several underlying medical conditions that make the training do more harm than good for me. Sometimes we still fail despite doing nothing wrong.
President Nelson asked us to allow our will to be swallowed up by God’s will. I’m a very stubborn person. I like being in control of my life. When I look at the term “swallowed up,” I don’t see how that is supposed to be an enjoyable process. Giving up my own desires and ambitions to find the ambitions that God has for me is something I am still consistently working on.
Dreams should push you to new limits. God designed them to push us out of our comfort zones. We are bound to run into failure as we pursue our dreams. Failure is often one of the greatest lessons, allowing us to do things differently and persevere. Trusting in God and his timing was designed to go against every natural desire we have; it is a choice we have to make continually. Following and relying on His direction while we pursue our dreams is how we gain our success.
Dreams are worth pursuing, even in failure, even in disbelief, even in pain. Christ is here for us to rely on, and even if it’s not where we think he will guide us to what’s best, while helping us become the best possible versions of ourselves.