Steve Dragon has a compelling story of how he moved his feet when a genius idea came to him. He worked hard and put forth consistent effort.
But his idea never fully materialized. Discouraged, he let it go.
But wait…that’s not the end of the story. Once Steve learned and started applying the principles of Rare Faith, new opportunities, guidance, and resources opened up.
The reason I would like to share the details of his experience below is because I know there are many people who can relate to it. Steve’s story shows that some dreams take time, and just because this dream did not become realized like he thought it would, when the timing is right, everything was drawn to him when he was willing to step out in rare faith.
It is my pleasure to spotlight Steve Dragon as a Mindset Mastery Program Honors Graduate!
Let me tell you about Steve.
Steve was very responsive when he was given a spark idea long, long ago. Here is his experience in his own words:
About 25 years ago I felt a very strong prompting that I needed to write a book, and along with the prompting came almost the entire story line. I remember the idea came to me as I was driving home from work, which at the time was an hour and a half commute each way. I went into the house when I got home and hugged my wife.
I told her while we were hugging, “I have something to tell you and I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about it.” The only reason I had any concern at all is because of the super major time commitment it was going to be. We had four young kids at home, including a baby, and were working on getting custody of two more from my first marriage, which itself is a major emotional as well as expensive undertaking. Beckie was awesome about the book idea, though, believing me when I told her how strongly I felt about it being something the Lord required of me.
That was mid-1995. I recorded the story on a portable cassette tape recorder as I drove that three hours a day, taking only a few weeks to get the basic story line down. Since I didn’t really type, I had Beckie transcribe the whole thing over the next several weeks. I then got up an hour earlier most mornings before work over the next three years to flesh out the details. The manuscript was complete by mid-1998.
After two rejections from major publishers, I got discouraged and left it. (Self-publication wasn’t really much of a thing back then. At least I knew nothing about it.) To be honest, I figured maybe it was all just for my own experience.
Steve didn’t know that there were laws of thought in operation. He took in the data that had been provided by the publishers and determined it meant that his book wasn’t meant for anyone but him. He was discouraged and let go of the creation that was trying to come through him. What’s really fun about this story is what has happened after joining the Mindset Mastery program.
He continues:
Fast forward to the beginning of 2020.
Beckie has asked quite a few times over the years about when I was going to finish up “The Book.” She had a couple of our ward friends read it, who have some expertise in writing. But that didn’t really go anywhere.
Then one of my sons asked to read it just a couple of months ago. That got me thinking again about doing something about it. I actually pulled it up and read through it and made some notes about things that needed to be updated. (For example, all the phones mentioned in it are corded wall and desk phones!)
Very shortly after that I saw a post from Leslie about her Book Writer’s Retreat–originally scheduled in April, then postponed to October, now rescheduled to online-only in April–inviting readers to get help getting the book inside of them written and published. That was enough for me, knowing how much I loved working with Leslie and Trevan in Mindset Mastery.
Here’s where Steve hit the terror barrier and the three big fears that were placed in his path so long ago.
I changed my [Phase II] goal to being accepted into and attending the Book Writer’s Retreat. I procrastinated getting back into it because of three fears:
1) That I didn’t have the writing skill to do any better to improve the content;
2) That the time commitment would be too overwhelming; and
3) That the book just wasn’t good enough to get published. It had been rejected by two major publishers, and, at the time, that was enough to discourage me. When my son asked out of the blue a couple of months ago if he could read it, and when the notice came right after that from Leslie about the Book Writer’s Retreat, it felt like a prompting that it was time.
Notice that these were not new fears. This is the same terror barrier that he came up against before but never broke through. This time he was armed with understanding of the laws. Listen to what he did next.
I wrote a goal, an intention, about how the Book Writer’s Retreat helped me make my book “amazing;” about how much people loved my book and how inspiring and life-changing it was for them; and about how the financial resources to pay for the Retreat were miraculously received. (Because I definitely had NO possibilities or options in mind at the time.) Then I started reading the goal out loud and listening for opportunities.
With the correct mindset he began to draw to him the help, support, ideas and resources needed. He explained:
Soon, my first thought was to solicit funds from my family–mostly just my eight kids. I told everyone on our Family Chat text what I was working on and asked them to message me personally if they thought they might be willing and able to assist. One son talked to me quite a bit about the Retreat opportunity. But he doesn’t really believe in spiritual promptings, so my trying to tell him that this opportunity was a much better one for me than spending just a few hundred dollars to do my own research and self-publish didn’t fly with him. Then two of my daughters independently came through with a combined offering of sufficient funds to pay the exact deposit required. And neither of them knew about the other’s offer. Miracle #1!
That gave me enough confidence to go ahead and submit my application to Leslie, which I did.
While I waited for a response from Leslie, I listened for an opportunity to obtain the rest of the funds. I had recently talked to Beckie about maybe offering my work services to my son’s boss (although not really my field of expertise) because we happen to know him personally and he was needing some help in his business. But while I was listening for the right opportunity after submitting my application, Beckie mentioned that I might call a good friend of mine, who I have worked with for many years in the past and who I hadn’t talked to in six or eight months or more, to see how things were going for him.
I called him the next day, asking how his family was and how things were going at work. “Coincidentally,” his company had an immediate temporary need for a piping designer (which IS my expertise) on a particular project. I offered my services; I was accepted and offered a position; and I started working there on March 16. I received my first check from them on March 26, a few days before the Retreat deposit was due. I was able to pay the deposit–which was almost exactly what I got paid–without even using the funds my two daughters had offered. Miracle #2!
I’m still working for that company. I will be receiving the second check for my services this coming Thursday, the amount of which will be almost exactly what is required to pay for the rest of the Retreat. That balance will be paid on Thursday or Friday this week. Miracle #3!
And as of right now, the project is scheduled for completion April 17, the week before the Retreat is scheduled to start. Miracle #4!
I’m still working on it. I’m thinking the gestation is a bit longer than I expected and hoped. No problem: it’s still coming, and I’m SO excited about it! What a wonderful and amazing experience! I absolutely LOVE these principles! Thank you so much, Leslie and Trevan, for sharing your knowledge, your expertise and your experiences!!
Did you notice? Sometimes we believe our abandoned dreams and projects disappear when, in fact, they are just lying dormant until our minds are aligned with right thinking.
Steven’s idea spark wasn’t extinguished by the publishers who were not interested. The principles of rare faith were needed. Now he is operating under LUCK (Living Under Correct Knowledge). And because he understands the Law of Gestation, he can know that his dream is still on its way. By operating under the Law of Transmutation, the heavens are moving and putting everything in place for his book to be published.
Again, congratulations Steve. Your book is going to be truly, “amazing”.
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In the Mindset Mastery program, students are instructed on the laws and principles that activate unseen help. That unseen help orchestrates resources, connections, and/or impressions that nudge the students toward all they need to realize their goal. In Phase 1, they practice what they’ve learned on an inconsequential goal – something NOT connected to anything they’re intensely concerned about. This helps them experience success without undue stress, to build the mental muscle memory they need to apply what they learn, and to succeed with a goal of greater significance in Phase 2.
Learn more about the Mindset Mastery program HERE.
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One Response
Wonderful! I can’t wait to read your book!