What Every Dream Needs to Succeed | The Dreamer’s Journey series pt 3 | Ep 375
/Listen
Watch (Coming Soon)
Read (5 Minute Read)
When the Dream Feels Stuck: Why Your Setback Is Really a Setup
Have you ever said yes to a God-dream only to watch it stall, slow down, or flat-out fall apart?
You start strong, do all the right things, and then… crickets.
No results. No movement. Just you, staring at the ceiling, wondering, “Did I miss God?”
Been there. Done that and got the t-shirt.
I remember finally landing a position I loved in women’s ministry. I’d poured myself into it—long hours, late nights, and one big event that went off beautifully. I loved every minute and I thought, this is it!
Then came the phone call…and it wasn’t the good one.
I got moved out of the role I loved and back into accounting.
My new assignment? Sitting at the copier ALL day, scanning contribution envelopes. I cried at that copier more times than I can count.
But a few months later, something shifted. I got put in charge of the church database, a job I didn’t ask for and honestly didn’t feel qualified for.
Yet that’s where I learned systems, structure, and problem-solving.
What felt like a demotion was actually training for the business I’d one day run…the business I didn’t know was coming, but Father did.
Father was using the copier and the database to prepare me for the next season.
That’s what Joseph’s story reminds us too. His dreams looked dead long before they ever came to life.
Betrayed by brothers.
Sold. Falsely accused.
Forgotten.
Yet every step was forming the man who could carry the promise and one day run the most powerful nation in the world.
Your dream isn’t dead, my friend. It’s just in development.
So what do we do in this development time?
1. When You’re in the Pit — Pause and Pray
Joseph didn’t plan on getting thrown into a pit. One moment he’s wearing a multicolored coat - a gift from his father; the next, he’s sitting in a hole with no way out (Genesis 37:23–24).
The pit feels silent. Lonely. Like God forgot your address.
But here’s the truth:
the pit isn’t punishment, it’s only a pause.
It’s where you learn to stop striving, breathe, and talk to Father about what’s really going on inside you. When you spend quite, still time with Him it quiets the noise in your head and clears the confusion cobwebs.
What’s cool is that even science backs this up.
Prayer activates your brain’s prefrontal cortex (your clear-thinking part) and calms your amygdala (your fear center). Translation: prayer literally moves your brain from chaos to peace.
So, before you plan your next move, pause.
Ask, “Father, what are You forming in me right now?” Then listen.
Your stillness isn’t wasted—it’s sacred space for Holy Spirit to give you clarity and courage to rise again and keep going.
2. When You’re in Potiphar’s House — Stay Faithful
After the pit, Joseph got promoted into Potiphar’s house. God gave him favor, influence, and success until it all got ripped away again by a false accusation (Genesis 39).
Those kind of “here we go again” moment hurts.
But Joseph stayed faithful. He didn’t fake being fine. He stayed steady in the storm with Father’s help.
Your faithfulness doesn’t mean ignoring your emotions; it means doing what’s right even when you don’t feel like it.
That’s the place where resilience grows.
Psychology calls it “resilience through consistency.”
Every time you keep showing up with integrity when things fall apart, your brain builds stronger emotional pathways.
This kind of Faithfulness rewires your nervous system for strength and peace.
So if you’re seeing progress and suddenly the rug gets pulled out, don’t give up.
Favor isn’t proven by your outcomes. It’s proven by your faithfulness when success seems to ghost you.
3. When You’re in Prison — Keep Practicing
Joseph went from Potiphar’s house to prison, again through no fault of his own. But even there, he practiced what he’d learned. He served, he led, he used his gifts.
All that hidden work was shaping his public readiness.
When Pharaoh finally called him out to interpret a dream, Joseph didn’t need to scramble to get ready—he was ready.
All those years of faithful practice made him the man who could step into the palace.
Dr. Anders Ericsson’s research calls this deliberate practice.
Deliberate Practice isn’t just repetition; it’s focused, feedback-driven refinement.
You plan, you do, you review.
Each time you tweak, you grow.
Remember you hidden seasons aren’t wasted seasons.
They’re strengthening your skill, your faith, and your readiness.
Courageous Action
If your dream feels stuck, let’s turn your waiting into growth.
1️⃣ Pause & Pray – Before you plan or pivot, take 5–10 minutes of quiet with Father.
Breathe. Ask, “What are You forming in me right now?” Let His peace settle the chaos and write down what He shows you.
2️⃣ Stay Faithful in the Middle – Pick one small, specific commitment you’ll keep this week.
Maybe it’s a client check-in, a social post, or a 15-minute focus block. Follow through even when it’s hard. Faithfulness retrains your brain for peace under pressure.
3️⃣ Practice with Purpose – Choose one area to grow: a skill, a habit, or a mindset.
Try this rhythm:
• Plan what you’ll practice.
• Do it.
• Review what worked and what didn’t.
Then adjust and repeat.
Those small tweaks stack up into transformation.
Your setback isn’t the en, my friend, it’s your setup for your next level-up.
This is the space where Father grows your strength, stretches your faith, and builds the woman who can carry the dream He gave you.
So take heart, my Courageous One. You’re not behind. You’re being built into the woman who can carry the dream.
Show Notes
Show Notes
🗓 Summary
Ever feel like the dream God gave you has gotten heavier than your heart can carry? Like you’re showing up, doing the work, but you’re doing it alone? In this episode, you’ll find the courage to stop striving solo and start seeing how God uses the people around you to keep your dream alive.
✨ Who This Is For
Faith-driven women entrepreneurs who feel misunderstood, over-giving and under-supported, or just plain tired of carrying the dream alone.
🔎 What You’ll Walk Away With
✅ A mindset shift to let rejection refine you instead of define you
✅ How to serve + ask like Joseph (and why asking is wisdom, not weakness)
✅ Steps to rebuild a community that sustains your courage
✅ Brain science behind negativity bias & pro-social feedback loops
✅ A 3-step Courageous Action plan you can start today
💬 Sound Bites
“Hard people don’t derail my destiny; they refine it.”
“Serving and asking are two sides of the same growth coin.”
“Community keeps my dream breathing when courage runs low.”
“God gave me the dream—but not the assignment to go solo.”
🛠️ Courageous Action
Take inventory of your circle this week:
The Hater – the hard person who tests your character.
Ask Father, “What are You trying to grow in me through them?” Don’t react. Reflect.
The Ally – the encourager or connection who helps you move forward.
Reach out and say thank you — or be brave enough to ask for help.
The Community – the group that sustains your courage when you feel alone.
Re-engage where you’ve pulled back. Show up, speak up, or sign up.
Because the dream doesn’t grow in a bubble — it grows through people.
⏱️ Chapters
00:05 — Opener: Have you ever felt misunderstood or alone in your dream?
02:07 — Topic Intro: Your dream doesn’t grow in a bubble—it grows through people
04:06 — Personal Story: The prayer that led me to Women of Audacious Faith
11:34 — Point 1: Haters Refine — Joseph & Potiphar’s wife and the power of reframing
20:06 — Point 2: Allies Advance — How serving and asking open doors
27:48 — Point 3: Community Carries — Why connection sustains your courage
37:31 — Recap & Courageous Action — Audit your circle + join Courageous Club
🎉 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 Challenge: https://www.heatherbunch.com/overcomefearchallenge
🌐 Website: https://www.heatherbunch.com
📧 Email: hello@heatherbunch.com
📸 Instagram: @heatherlbunch