Tim Tebow may take the cake when it comes to believing in your dreams.
First he was a Heisman-winning football player. Then he took on his dream career of baseball.
Now, the devout Christian athlete puts on his motivational hat with a new book, "This Is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose."
"We don’t know how many days we have and so I didn’t want to live a one-day life," Tebow said Tuesday on "Good Morning America." "I wanted to live a this-is-the-day life that I want to enjoy. I want to live life to the fullest."
He added, "That’s not something I wanted to put on Instagram as my hashtag. That’s something I wanted to come from my heart, to truly live it on purpose."
Inspired by his parents, Tebow shares his advice to help fans approach every day with the confidence and courage to find deeper meaning and success in their own lives. The book challenges readers to get off autopilot and stop waiting until tomorrow to reach their goals and dreams. Tebow believes no one is ever too young or too old to have purpose in this life and in this day.
"I wanted to make conscious choices and decisions to start living that every single day, when my alarm went off, I was going to wake up knowing that this day was on purpose, to live out my dreams, live out my passion and, more than anything, live out my purpose," he said.
Tebow appeared on "GMA" and shared an excerpt, reprinted below, from the book.
Imagine waking up each day fueled by a whisper: "This is the day." A day for what? you wonder. A day for change. A day that can be different, better than yesterday. A day that, even in the revolving door of responsibilities and to-dos, can be filled with more purpose and passion than you think possible.
Imagine when hearing the sound of the morning alarm, instead of groaning or slapping the snooze button, you awaken -- mind, heart, and soul -- to possibility. Something better. Something more. You open your eyes, and before your feet hit the ground running, you pause. You choose not to be ruled by the tune of just getting by, not to allow what really matters to get swallowed up by the daily grind, and not to ignore what you really want out of life.
When I was a kid, my parents each had a unique way of waking up my siblings and me. The difference between Mom doing it and Dad doing it was pretty drastic. Mom would swing my bedroom door wide open and in her sweet voice sing the song based on Psalm 118:24: “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” (If you went to church as a kid, you might remember singing this song). Dad did things a little differently. He would rush in and shout in a deep voice, “Here we go! Are you alive, alert, awake, and enthusiastic?”
Differences aside, my parents made clear that this was the day to get out of bed and make it count.
This is the day that God has made. This day. Right now. Whatever moment you are breathing in, God made this day. Even when times are tough, something about this day is good. There’s always a reason, however small, to find joy in this day. Sometimes we have to choose to look for it. Sometimes we have to ask God to help us find it.
God gives us today as a gift. He wants us to pursue it, not just for selfish ambition but to do something meaningful with it. To use it to grow, to love others well, to help someone, to pursue a dream He’s put on our hearts. This is the day to live without fear of the unknown, without being chained by failure or what-ifs. This is the day to be willing to change, to be open, to believe, to hope. If we don’t attack each day with this intentionality, it’s almost like telling God, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
How different would your day be if you lived out the words of Psalm 118:24? Think about it; really think about it.
Is there something you would change?
Is there someone you would reach out to?
Is there something you would need to give?
Is there something you would need to let go of?
I’m not saying putting this into practice is easy. Hard times are inevitable. Obstacles will come. Some battles are harder to fight than others. You may get knocked down, but you don’t have to stay there.
Each day you wake up, you have a chance to get unstuck, to step out of a comfortable routine that may be limiting your potential, and to fight for something that’s important. You were made not just to survive today but to thrive in it. I want to encourage you to stop putting off your dreams, your goals, and the purpose God has for you. It’s time to become the person He has created you to be.
I wrote this book to get you to start thinking about what you can do, beginning today, to make a change. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Something as simple as recognizing divine moments, choosing to believe God over your doubts, taking action instead of complaining, and just opening your eyes and paying attention can impact your life and others’ lives in powerful ways.
It’s never too late. You’re not too young. You’re not too old. You can have purpose not only in your life but also in this day. There is always something you can do right now to improve yourself, to make an impact on someone or something else, or to create or enjoy a meaningful moment. Challenge yourself right now to begin to think about each day as an opportunity to crush it, to pursue the right things, to gain a better perspective, to step out of your comfort zone, and to go all in.
Whether you’re a college grad needing the push to create and attack your five-year plan, a thirtysomething stuck in a job you hate, a single mom or dad struggling to get by and lacking joy, a career man or woman who feels a bit stuck, or an empty nester wondering what on earth you’re going to do with your life, you can use the principles I offer in this book. It’s time to uncover your God-given potential and start really living.
This is the day you can switch off autopilot and begin living with passion.
This is the day you can see what God sees.
This is the day you can overcome a bad habit or a character flaw.
This is the day that can bring you a step closer to your dreams and goals.
This is the day you can fight for what’s right.
This is the day you can change someone’s life for the better.
This is the day you can change your own life.
Life isn’t just about one day. It’s about this day.
Reprinted from “This Is The Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose.” © 2018 by Timothy R. Tebow. Published by WaterBrook, a division of Penguin Random House.
