What to Do When Your Dream Doesn’t Match Your Reality | The Dreamer’s Journey series pt 1 | Ep 373
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When Your Dream Doesn’t Match the Reality (Why “Stuck” Is a New Start)
Have you ever said yes to something God planted in your heart—and then looked around and thought, “Wait a second… this doesn’t look anything like the dream I signed up for”?
I have.
Years ago, I did this thing called the “deathbed exercise” (thanks to * Andy Andrews). Basically, you write your own eulogy—what you’d want people to say about you at the end of your life. Sounds morbid, I know. But stick with me.
When I finished writing mine, ohhh friend, I was a mess.
Tears rolling, heart swelling, angels singing in the background (okay, maybe not, but it felt like it). My eulogy was glorious. Like the kind of thing you’d read in a movie finale while the camera pans across a life well lived. I was in the moment.
And then—boom. The thought hit me like a ton of bricks: I hadn’t actually done a dang thing on that list. Not one.
All those beautiful things I wrote about? No one could say them, because I wasn’t living them.
Talk about a reality check.
That was my first shaky yes to Father’s dream for me.
I started with a blog. Hardly anyone read it. I got discouraged, skipped a week, then another. I started to wonder if I had made it all up. But that little blog led me to coaching—which led me here. Same dream. Just a new starting line.
That’s the thing about dreams..they rarely look like the brochure.
🌱 When Reality Feels Off
Maybe you know the feeling. You launched something and it barely sold. You posted your heart online and got crickets. You told a family member about your dream and got eye-rolls instead of encouragement.
Suddenly, the doubts creep in… “Did I miss God?” “Should I just quit?”
Here’s the real truth: stuck doesn’t mean stop. Stuck is a new start line.
✨ Three Anchors When Your Dream Doesn’t Match
1) God Plants the Dream
You didn’t make this up. If your dream lines up with Scripture, serves others, requires faith, and produces good fruit—then it’s a God dream. Philippians 1:6 says, “He who began a good work in you will complete it.” Father started this in you, and He isn’t about to walk away.
2) Resistance Refines
Pushback hurts. Doubt, fear, procrastination, slow sales, even criticism from people who don’t get it—it all stings. Neuroscience shows rejection lights up the same parts of the brain as physical pain. No wonder it feels so intense. But resistance doesn’t cancel your dream—it conditions you to carry it.
3) Dreams Are a Direction, Not a Destination
Dreams point the way, but they rarely hand us a GPS route. Detours, pivots, new starting lines—these don’t mean you failed. They mean Father is shaping you into the kind of woman who can finish well.
💪 Courageous Action
This week, take 15 minutes and do this:
Write the dream Father planted in you—fresh on paper so you can see it again.
Write the resistance you’re facing right now—things like doubt, fear, procrastination, pushback from others, slow sales, or even imposter syndrome.
Ask: How could this resistance be shaping me into the woman who can carry the dream further?
Then take one small, obedient step in line with that insight.
📝 The Wrap-Up
If your dream doesn’t match your reality, you’re not behind—you’re at a new starting line.
Every delay, every detour, every “this is harder than I thought” moment is Father shaping you. He’s more interested in who you’re becoming than how quickly you arrive.
So don’t give up, friend. Write down your dream. See the resistance for what it is. And step forward with courage.
You’ve got this—and Father’s got you.
If you want to go through your own “Deathbed” exercise, get yourself a copy of Andy Andrews’ book The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success: https://amzn.to/478Bt3B
*This is an affiliate link, and I will receive a small commission if you purchase the book through this link.
Show Notes
🗓 Summary
If you’ve said yes to Father’s dream but now you’re worn down by resistance, slow progress, or doubts that whisper “Did I miss God?”, this series is for you. In this first episode of The Dreamer’s Journey, I’m going to help you reframe “stuck” as a fresh starting line—so instead of quitting, you’ll find the courage to carry your dream forward with confidence.
✨ Who This Is For
Faith-driven women entrepreneurs who feel stuck, doubt if they heard God, or keep pivoting without momentum.
🔎 What You’ll Walk Away With
✅ How to confirm a God-planted dream
✅ Why resistance is training, not a stop sign
✅ The “direction, not destination” mindset
✅ A 15-minute action to restart with courage
✅ Scriptures to anchor your becoming
💬 Sound Bites
“The dream is a starting line.”
“Resistance refines.”
“Direction over destination.”
“Every stuck is a fresh start.”
🛠️ Courageous Action
Write the dream Father planted in you. Put it fresh on paper so you can see it again.
Then, write the resistance you’re facing right now—things like doubt, fear, procrastination, pushback from others, slow sales, or even that whisper of imposter syndrome.
Finally, ask: How could this resistance be shaping me into the woman who can carry the dream further? Then take one small step this week in line with that insight.
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 Welcome & Series Intro
02:05 When your dream doesn’t match reality
06:40 Joseph’s dream: planted, not pretended
12:30 Resistance refines
18:45 Direction, not destination
24:30 Courageous Action & Prayer
27:30 Next episode teaser
🎉 Who Am I?
Hey friend, I’m Heather—your Courageous Coach. I’m a certified life & Enneagram coach, speaker, and author of Hello Courageous. I help Christian women entrepreneurs go from feeling stuck, not-enough, and fearful to taking focused, confident, and courageous action. Together we grow ourselves so we can grow our businesses and actually live out the God-given dreams in our hearts. I also love helping fellow coaches, speakers, and authors take the ideas swirling in their heads and turn them into signature systems and books that create real income and impact.
💡 Let’s Stay Connected
📖 Hello Courageous–The Gal’s Guide to Delight, Discover and Direct Your Divine Life book: https://hellocourageous.com/hcbook
🛒 Get Hello Courageous on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP3BZ7ZP
🆓 Beat Procrastination Cheat Sheet: https://www.heatherbunch.com/beatit
🆓 Overcome Fear by Friday – 5-day self-paced video challenge: https://www.heatherbunch.com/overcomefearchallenge
🌐 Website: https://www.heatherbunch.com
📧 Email: hello@heatherbunch.com
📸 Instagram: @heatherlbunch