It was November 12, 2019, and to be honest, I had been slacking in the faith-in-action department.
It had been 228 days since my first international speaking engagement in Kumasi, Ghana.
128 days since the VIP Mastermind Session in London, where ideas flowed, and vision felt tangible.
And only 50 days remained before the year came to an end.
Unfortunately, my actions still weren’t aligning with what I said I wanted out of life. So I kept asking myself…
Why hadn’t I acted on my desire to inspire through public speaking?
What was holding me back from helping others overcome fear?
Why wasn’t I boldly telling the world to go after their personal legend?
The reality was, I hadn’t been following my own advice — to put faith into action. Dwight D. Eisenhower said it best:
“Good planning without good working is nothing.”
That quote hit me hard.
It became a wake-up call — a reminder that the plans, dreams, and goals we hold onto mean nothing without consistent action to support them. Yesterday is gone. We can’t redo it, replay it, or fix it — but we still have control over today.
Every dream requires action. Every call requires commitment. We must finally understand that faith without action is just wishful thinking. From this moment on, I decided I didn’t just want to dream — I wanted to do.
“The best time to start was yesterday the next best time is now.”
For a long time, my actions did not align with what I really wanted out of life.
The bible passage James 2:14 (Easy to Read Version) speaks volumes to me,
“if a person that claims to have faith but DOES NOTHING, that faith is WORTH NOTHING.”
Overcoming my fears, baby-stepping my dreams into reality, and doing what I loved — those were all examples of my faith in action. I still remember sitting on that VIP bus headed to Accra, feeling extremely optimistic about the future. Years ago, I had written in my Toastmasters bio that I wanted to become a sought-after international speaker. On Good Friday 2019, that declaration became reality. My very first overseas speaking engagement was in Kumasi, Ghana, to a group of bright young girls — and yes, I even had an interpreter!
As the old saying goes, you reap what you sow. I had sown seeds of faith, words of affirmation, and consistent declarations long before that day. But what I was learning — and still learning — is that faith must be paired with movement. Belief is powerful, but belief in motion changes everything. Someone once said, “God can’t steer a parked car.” That hit home for me. You have to start moving toward what you desire, even if it’s one small, shaky step at a time.
Because when faith and action collide, doors open that you couldn’t have pried open on your own.
“do what you can do and allow God to do the rest.”
As I expand my thinking about the possibilities in life, I wish I had taken more action much sooner.
Being married to a West African man, living abroad, and speaking professionally all began in my imagination. Before any of it became real, I had to first see it in my mind. Let me take you back for a moment. I was born to a widowed mother of three. My father passed away from cardiac arrest when I was still a three-month-old fetus. To this day, I’ve never seen a clear picture of him, which means I don’t even know what he looks like. My mother worked hard as a domestic worker to keep us afloat, and watching her struggle gave me one clear realization: if I wanted a different life, I had to think differently. I had to become the author of my own story — speak what I wanted and put action behind my words, not just lip service.
When I evaluated my first 100 days of living abroad — a chapter I had once only imagined — I began to understand the power of pairing faith with strategy. Without even realizing it, I was using a version of the S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting method: being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound in my approach to my dreams.
Looking back, that season taught me that vision alone isn’t enough; you have to work the vision. On November 12, 2019, I challenged myself — and those connected to me — to reassess our goals and take that first step toward success (or even failure, if that’s what it takes to learn). It was time to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start putting faith into action.
Have a bias toward action – let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away. -Indira Gandhi
Specific
On March 15, 2019, I made a very specific goal: to secure a paid speaking engagement by April 15, 2019. I didn’t just keep that goal to myself — I shared it with my accountability partner. I wrote it out clearly, defined exactly what success would look like, and spoke it out loud to someone who would hold me to it. That one step made all the difference. Accountability, I learned, is one of the most powerful keys to achieving your goals. But here’s the catch — the person you choose matters. You need someone who believes in your vision, not someone who criticizes it. Avoid the dream killers. Choose someone who will remind you who you are when self-doubt starts whispering in your ear.
Because dreams remain dreams until you assign a date to them and invite accountability into the process. That’s when they start to take shape and move from vision to victory.
Measurable
When I first set the goal, aiming for just one paid speaking engagement felt adequate for me. I didn’t have any solid international contacts at the time, and honestly, I didn’t want to set myself up for disappointment. Sometimes, it’s not about playing small — it’s about giving yourself permission to start where you are.
That’s when I truly understood that progress isn’t about giant leaps — it’s about consistent, measurable steps that move you closer to your dream. Each small “yes” adds up, and before you know it, you’re standing in the very place you once prayed to be.
Action-Oriented
On March 31, 2019, I officially launched my blog — www.findingchalandamichelle.com — and began posting twice a week on Instagram to drive traffic to my site. My website gave me an online presence and a professional home base where people could learn more about me and my work. It also directed interested individuals and organizations to my “INSPIRE” page to schedule consultations. Having already lived abroad gave me a unique perspective, which I used to position myself as a professional speaker. I even created a speaker’s packet and started promoting myself everywhere I went. As I went about my day, I would ask people if they needed — or knew anyone who needed — a speaker. I started close to home, reaching out to my in-laws. That’s when my brother-in-law mentioned an upcoming event that might need my services. It was a small lead, but it was a start.
What that season taught me was this: you don’t wait for opportunities — you create them. Sometimes, faith in action looks like promoting yourself, starting conversations, and letting people know you’re available to do what you’ve been praying to do.
Realistic
Looking back, setting the goal of one speaking engagement was absolutely attainable — and achieving it proved that I could do it again. But if I’m honest, I should have kept the momentum going. I should have continued promoting my services and aimed to increase my engagements from one to two gigs by May of that year. I also should have asked the organization for referrals instead of waiting for opportunities to come my way. Every “yes” is a seed, and referrals are often the soil where new opportunities grow.
Additionally, I could have set up a professional LinkedIn profile, tracked every connection, noted consultations accepted, recorded conversion rates, monitored referrals, documented objections, and built a prospect database. At the end of two months, review my progress and decide which platform produced the best results for securing speaking engagements.
Ultimately, success requires structure. It’s not just about inspiration — it’s about strategy, systems, and showing up consistently for your dream. Because faith in action is more than belief; it’s the discipline to follow through.
Time-Based
Setting a timeline like 30 days to put my words into action — to see if your faith can truly manifest into reality. For me, it did. On March 29, 2019, I received an invitation to speak at the 3rd Biannual Ladies Conference for the Historic Adventist National Youth Organization, scheduled for April 19, 2019. That moment was a turning point in my life. It reminded me that when you pair faith with focused action, the universe — or better yet, God — responds. My first international speaking engagement wasn’t luck; it was the visible result of invisible preparation.
You must have a clear vision and a renewed determination. Your goal should be bold because consistency compounds. Every opportunity builds credibility, every audience plants a new seed, and every “yes” is proof that your dream is alive and growing.
Therefore, manifestation isn’t magic — it’s momentum. You set a goal, take the first step, and trust that faith in motion will lead you exactly where you’re meant to go.
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This is so inspiring and I need to work on making S.M.A.R.T. moves too. Thank you so much for sharing and CONGRATULATIONS on your first overseas speaking engagement. I am so proud of my friend.!!
Congrats on your continuing successes!!