What do you do when a dream feels too hard? Somewhere along the journey of saying “yes” to a God-shaped dream you’ll probably ask yourself why you did that. It’s daunting to attempt something you’ve never done before like writing a book, starting a business, or taking the risk of putting your creative work into the world. I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to quit, but I also don’t want you to miss out on the hope that can be found while you’re muddling through the messy middle.
296 || [Solo] The Guaranteed Result of Sharing Your Secret Dream Out Loud || Merritt Onsa
How do you commit to a dream if you’ve felt too scared to share it out loud? In this episode for Christian women with a big dream, we explore the importance of speaking your dream out loud, even if it sounds discombobulated or feels uncomfortable, how to use your creativity to bring your dream out of hiding, and a simple challenge to help you get comfortable and find the words you want to use to talk about the dream.
295 || [Solo] Two Ingredients You Need Before Stepping into a Unique Calling || Merritt Onsa
How important are prayer and intimacy with God to our dreams? This solo episode is all about the significance of establishing a firm foundation of prayer and intimacy with God as (or before!) you step into your unique calling from Him. We explore prayer as a foundational practice that’s essential for every devoted dreamer, the importance of developing a close relationship with God, and how prayer can transform your approach to achieving your dreams.
294 || [Solo] The Truth About Pursuing a Big Dream Your Way || Merritt Onsa
How can we learn to surrender our dreams and trust God for the outcome? In this week’s solo episode, we explore the pitfalls of holding tightly to a specific vision for your dream, how to start listening for God’s voice and guidance on the journey, and embracing surrender by letting go of control and trusting God's plan. If you're ready to step boldly into God's path for your dream, hit play and join me on this empowering journey.
293 || [Solo] How to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed by What You Don’t Know || Merritt Onsa
Is it possible to avoid overwhelm when there’s so much more to learn? This episode is about taking inventory of what you already have on hand to support your dream. I have two steps you can take and one commitment you can make that will shift your perspective on what it takes to pursue your God-shaped dream. You’ll consider the gifts God has given you, distractions you need to remove, and how to develop a discerning approach to learning and growth as you take steps in this journey.
292 || [Solo] How to Resist Your Dream Taking Over Your Life || Merritt Onsa
What does the day-to-day of your dream look like? Imagine you could see ten years into the future of your God-shaped dream. What would an “ideal day” in the life of your dream be like? How would you be spending your time? And how do you answer these questions if you have no idea what your dream is to begin with? This episode is about putting intentionality around HOW you will pursue your dream and doing so in a way that it doesn’t take over your life or your relationships.
287 || [Solo] Find Your Momentum: The 4 Phases of Chasing a Creative Dream || Merritt Onsa
What strategies can help you stay consistent in pursuing a God-shaped dream? In this episode, I share behind-the-scenes tactics I used to start and manage a podcast even though I didn’t know what I was doing, had technical barriers, limited time, and a tiny budget. We cover the ways specific, attainable goals can help tamp down the emotional rollercoaster and what to do when you’re not making any progress on a dream.
286 || [Solo] Top 3 Traps Standing in the Way of Your God-Given Purpose || Merritt Onsa
Seeking clarity and confidence for your dream? Time, money, energy, and having little kids at home top the list of reasons women put their dreams on hold. But I’ve discovered 3 traps that are an even greater threat because we don’t recognize their power. In this solo episode you’ll learn about the transformative power of community in pursuing a God-shaped dream, how to recognize and overcome common obstacles to our dreams, who the Dreamer Lab is for, and how you can join us this fall!
279 || [Solo] What Will Kids Going Back to School Mean for Your God-Shaped Dream? || Merritt Onsa
How will you find balance between your dreams and your kids’ school routines? Amidst the flurry of back-to-school preparations, are you also quietly pondering what this season holds for your personal dreams? If you’re a mom with kids still living at home, your routines (and theirs) are likely about to shift big time. In this solo episode you’ll learn about creating space for yourself first, building your support system and overcoming fears and doubts that come with big dreams.
276 || [Recast] Find Your Purpose: 12 Steps to Uncover a God-Given Dream || Merritt Onsa
I recorded this episode because of a mistake I made in 2018. I could have kept it to myself to minimize my embarrassment, but I chose to share it. Why? Because mistakes happen, and they are one of the best ways to learn. Instead of continuing to feel foolish, I used this episode as an opportunity to share my reflections on what I’ve learned in my journey to uncovering a God-shaped dream, hoping that it will provide clarity for your path to yours.
274 || [Recast] Why It’s Time to Let Go of the Fear That You’re Not Enough || Merritt Onsa
What if you stepped into your fear of failure? Tune in this week to learn about fear of failure, what its true source really is, and how we can battle it and get moving in the pursuit of our God-shaped dreams. In this solo episode you’ll learn what our identity in Christ really means, how to shift the way you think about failing again and again, and the good news about why you can stop trying to be enough.
272 || [Solo] The Two Must-Have Truths You Need to Shut Down Imposter Syndrome || Merritt Onsa
Is there a “cure” for imposter syndrome? It’s easy to recognize the impact of imposter syndrome on a dream you haven’t had the courage to step into. The voice of imposter syndrome will suggest to you that it’s not the right time, you’re not the right person, you’re not ready to do this, or that it’s already been done. Obviously, without any intervention, thoughts like these would keep anyone stuck and their dream hidden.
267 || [Solo] Two Must-Have Ingredients I Want for Your God Dream || Merritt Onsa
Have you been searching for camaraderie and understanding from others as you pursue a God-shaped dream? In this solo episode you’ll learn why soaking up inspiration from everyone else’s dreams online isn’t serving you in the way you think it is, what to do instead of expecting friends and family members to “get” you and your excitement for a dream, and strategies to find time for your dream right now, even if you’re a busy mom, have a day job, or are caring for aging parents.
264 || [Solo] 3 Truths to Help You Make Decisions about Your Dream || Merritt Onsa
Do you keep trying to decide about an aspect of your dream, but you just can't seem to commit? Maybe the end goal feels too far out of reach so it’s difficult to define what you should do today, or there are so many directions you could go that all the possibilities are paralyzing. If decision-making stirs up fear and worry for you, this episode will help you identify your tendency to avoid decisions and give you three gifts to help you look at decision-making in a new way.
263 || [Solo] What Can You Accomplish for Your Dream in Just Two Hours a Week? || Merritt Onsa
How can you make meaningful progress on your dream, especially when you don’t have the time? You’re always serving, giving, and caring for others and you wonder when you’ll ever find time to really “go for it” with your own dreams. In this podcast episode we discover the reasons time feels like such an enormous barrier to our dreams, what Scripture says about time and how we spend it, and how to find little windows of time so you can say “yes” to the dream God has given you.
262 || [Solo] What’s the Right Way to Start Pursuing a Big Dream? || Merritt Onsa
What’s the secret to feeling ready to pursue a dream? It is a humbling experience to be given a God-shaped dream. There is no instruction manual, which means you’re often on your own to figure it out by guessing at the steps or watching someone on social media who’s ahead of you, which is often a recipe for comparison. Neither option works very well. That’s why I’m helping you identify the barriers to feeling ready, show you where they come from, and help you make a plan to address them.
258 || [Solo] What Story Will You Be Telling about Your Dream a Year from Now? || Merritt Onsa
What do you want to be true about your dream in a year? When I ask other dreamers about what’s keeping them from acting on their dream, there are a few repeated themes. One of the biggest struggles Christian women share is not having clarity on their dream. Others feel uncertain about the next right step to take. It's no wonder we feel this way. Without a clear road map to your destination of accomplishing the dream you’ll never actually arrive anywhere.
253 || [Solo] How Community Can Help You Finally Start on the Dream You’ve Had Forever || Merritt Onsa
Have you discovered the power of building community around your dream? When you choose to walk out your dream with others alongside you who are doing the same, you’ll uncover a power and wisdom that you cannot access on your own. In this solo episode, you’re going to hear about why you should intentionally surround yourself with people who think differently, getting uncomfortable in a safe group, and who my Accountability Accelerator is for (and who it’s not).
250 || [Solo] Four Ways You Will Grow When You Build Your Dream in Community || Merritt Onsa
Have you resisted invited others into the hardest parts of your dream? We all want to be the one who’s there to help a friend in need, but who wants to be the needy one? Few of us easily admit weakness; it’s our fallen nature as humans. But it’s also the lie we see all around us: everyone else has their stuff together. Instagram highlights rarely touch the hard stuff, not in a real or meaningful way. So you end up feeling like you’re the only one who’s struggling.
246 || [Solo] The #1 Reason to Start Pursuing Your Dream before You Feel Ready || Merritt Onsa
One of the biggest lies keeping dreamers stuck is thinking you are lacking something necessary to begin. It’s like there’s a box to check, an accomplishment to achieve, or a degree to earn before you can truly begin on the dream in earnest. Well, that’s just not true. In this episode, you’re going to hear what’s at stake if you wait to feel ready, the truth about what pursuing a dream is really like (instead of what you’ve made up in your head), and strategies for starting before you feel ready.