ep036 - Deborah Coty Too Blessed to Be Stressed

Some people just add spark to life. My friend Deborah Coty is one fireball of energy. Her best-selling Too Blessed to Be Stressed series encapsulates a bit of her spirit, and this interview will give you a glimpse into her amazing dream tending heart. A few minutes with this woman will refresh and revive you. 

Deborah dreamed as a child of writing a book. She was what she calls a “rabid reader” devouring every story she could get her hands on. Christy by Catherine Marshall particularly inspired and captured Deborah’s attention. She read that one book about twelve times in six months. It changed her way of viewing herself. It changed her way of viewing God. It changed her way of viewing life. And she felt a spark of hope that she too, might some day help other people through writing books, the way that single story had helped her.

For the next thirty-six years, her writing consisted of preparing medical charts and penning an annual family Christmas newsletter. But at forty-five years old, just as her youngest child was getting ready to fly the coop, leaving Deb’s nest empty, she felt as if she was missing something. There was something she was supposed to be doing. She just couldn’t figure it out.

But one day, as she was sitting in a dentist’s office, praying, she heard a still, small voice in her spirit speak two simple words. “It’s time.” She says in that moment, she knew exactly what she was supposed to do. She remembered that dream from so long ago . . . of writing.

She took some crash courses on writing, and first concentrated on magazine articles. From there, she began to explore the possibility of writing books. Today, Deb’s Too Blessed to Be Stressed series has sold just under a million copies.

She says she’s the poster child for the truth that it’s never too late to chase your dreams. And if you follow me at all, you know that makes her a woman after my own heart.

Often, we feel as if our dream has been buried, but in reality, it’s been planted. There are things going on beneath the surface. There’s watering, the soil has be tilled, and we even require fertilizer. 

The patience part is what can get to us. We want what we want and we want it now. But when we begin to realize that God is the one who planted our dreams in our hearts, and according to the Bible, He is willing to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20), our dreams can burst out of the darkness.

When Deborah’s Too Blessed to Be Stressed books first released, they didn’t sell that well. But suddenly, the sleeper awoke. Deborah can’t explain exactly how it happened, but I think her consistent faith had much to do with it.

 

Filling Needs:

Are the expectations you’re setting for yourself reasonable?  Are you over-complicating what God wants to do in your life? Have you asked Him what He wants to unearth in you? Are you allowing fears that you’re too poor, too young, too old, too stressed, or too anything to hold you back from pursuing your dreams?

Work with what you have and realize that life is equipping you in preparation for your future dreams.

 

This episode’s Dream Tending Tips:

Start where you are. Look around you. What’s going on? What experiences have you had? Who are the people who’ve influenced you? This is the fodder to help you tend your dreams.   Do something silly, unusual, or unrelated to your dreams to unleash your inner creativity. Consider what you’ve learned, what are the habits or disciplines that can help you tend your dreams? Be willing to learn and relearn, to practice and re-practice, so your skills are sharply honed. Listen to people’s complaints, but from a different perspective. What are you hearing that might be part of a greater plan for your life? Are you being called to do something based on patterns of complaint? Don’t discount what God wants to do with what you plant. Ask Him to show you what to seed. Don’t give up on your dreams too soon—don’t let them die—don’t kill them too early. Sometimes, it may appear as if our dreams are buried, but if we keep working the soil, watering, and fertilizing, then suddenly, new growth can burst from the ground.

Find out more about Deborah Coty and discover her amazing books at http://deboracoty.com. This is one fun and inspiring gal you will want to follow! 

Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie36 for your gift, just for tuning in. I also have some special eBook pricing for you. 

Type in the code TYDeb50 to get your copy of 4x4 Habit Overhaul, or One Minute Intervals™: Sixty Seconds to a Healthier, Foodier You, or Depression Busters, at over half off the normal price. Purchase a book bundle using the same code, and save even more. 

But ACT NOW, before this special eBook discount offer is gone.

 

Until next time, remember, your dreams are waiting for you to grab and tend:  

Take courage. 

Excel daily. 

Never stop believing. 

Dare to dream bigger.

 

Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.