EP.43: “What If It COULD Work?” – Letting God Breathe Life Into Your Vision
If you’ve ever felt stuck—like you’re waiting for the “right time,” or too scared to ask for what you really want—this episode is for you.
Bobbi explores the quiet thought patterns that keep us playing small and how visionary living begins with one simple shift: naming the desire. Not fixing everything. Not having a plan. Just starting with honest stillness and a whisper to God: What do You see for me that I haven’t even dared to imagine yet?
In this episode, you’ll walk through:
- 5 common thoughts that keep us stuck (and what to do instead)
- Real-life stories of women who started dreaming again
- Gentle journaling prompts to help you name your vision, even if it feels too big, too late, or too much
You don’t need more time. You need a sacred rhythm of honesty and hope.
The Be Still With Bobbi Podcast – Episode 43: “What If It Could Work?” – Letting God Breathe Life Into Your Vision
Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the Be Still With Bobbi Podcast. I’m so glad you’re here.
Last week, we explored a concept I called “Backwards Logic” — which is the term I use for that common and very human tendency to sabotage our desires before they even have time to breathe. We convince ourselves it won’t work, that it’s not responsible, or that we’re not ready. We make lists of reasons to stay where we are. And sometimes, we confuse that “logic” with being wise.
But what if we’re not stuck because of our actual circumstances? What if we’re stuck because we’ve been conditioned to shrink our dreams to fit our situation, instead of expanding our faith to fit God’s capacity?
That question brings us to today’s episode.
If last week was the “why you’re stuck,” this episode is about how to begin moving forward. No massive action plan needed. Just one sacred, honest, visionary moment at a time.
Let’s start there: With time. We don’t need more time. We need a new way of using the time we already have.
It’s tempting to believe we need to clear a weekend, go on a retreat, or take a solo trip to figure out what we want. But that belief alone can keep us spinning. Because the retreat keeps getting pushed. The quiet moment never comes.
And here’s the truth:
Clarity is not a lightning bolt. It’s the result of consistent, small check-ins with your soul and with God.
Give me 5 to 10 minutes of honest stillness a day, over a weekend retreat any day, because it’s the compounding nature of the practice itself that changes us.
It’s not the intensity of the effort—it’s the consistency of attention.
So, if that’s true, let’s talk about what visionary living really means.
Most of us were trained to be “realistic.” We were praised for being logical. And those are good qualities—until they become the walls of a box you can’t get out of.
But here’s what I’ve come to believe after practicing this for years:
Visionary thinking is planning your future with imagination and wisdom.
It doesn’t mean ignoring reality. It means acknowledging reality and then allowing yourself to dream of something better.
Here’s an example:
Maybe your bank account is tight. The realistic thing is to say, “We can’t afford anything extra.”
But the visionary thing is to say, “I see the current numbers. But I also know this isn’t the end of the story. God is creative. What if I allowed myself to pray for new ideas or opportunities to generate income in a way that lights me up?”
See the difference?
One keeps you in place. The other opens a door.
And here’s something else I’ve learned – especially when it comes to money and finances – but it also works in every other aspect too. Using this same example of the phrase, “We can’t afford anything extra.” It’s not enough to simply say the words, “God is creative.” You have to believe them.
This is where I often see coaching clients getting tripped up. We want to believe. But wanting to believe is not the same as believing. Believing is hard. Believing requires faith. It requires us to state what we want with conviction and then surrender that request or desire to God without attempting to control the outcome OR sabotage the desire before anything happens.
Surrender requires faith. And it’s the faith in our surrender that creates a path of possibility.
Here’s another example:
Maybe you’re single and you want a partner, but you say, “It doesn’t make sense to buy a house or build a life until I have someone to share it with.”
The visionary version? “God placed these desires in me – for love and a full life. I can start building the life I want now—and I trust that He’ll bring the right person into it at the right time.”
Visionary thinking is not about ignoring the facts.
It’s about not letting the facts bully you out of hope.
Let’s walk through five common thoughts that keep people stuck—and how to gently shift them.
1. “I need more time, or space, or a break to figure things out.”
I disagree. You don’t need more time. You need to implement a practice.
You need a way to return to yourself and God daily. And if not daily, then at least a handful of times each week. Five minutes. A pen. And some genuine honesty. That’s enough to start a miracle.
We often treat stillness as a luxury—something we “earn” when everything else is figured out. But stillness is where clarity begins. You don’t need a mountain retreat. You need three quiet minutes to ask yourself: “How am I doing, really?”
So, where do we find the time to be still?
Maybe you’re in the carpool pickup line. Or drinking coffee before anyone else wakes up. What if instead of grabbing your phone, you just sat for a moment and asked:
- “God, what do you want me to hear today?”
- “What’s tugging at me right now?”
- “Where do I feel stuck?”
- “What’s getting in my way?” “
- What’s the reason or excuse I keep shielding myself with that only leaves me in this restless position?”
This is where the real-life shift happens:
This could look like a woman who feels resentful every Sunday night before the workweek starts. She can’t articulate why—she just feels dread. But she starts a practice of stillness and journals out one simple question each morning. Within a week, she realizes her dread is tied to how little time she gets for herself on the weekends. That clarity leads to a family conversation and a small Sunday reset ritual. It didn’t come from planning a retreat or rearranging her entire calendar. It came from listening to her heart.
So, if we don’t take the time to listen to our own thoughts, we cannot possibly expect change to happen automatically. If we feel overwhelmed or overscheduled or just downright tired of the status quo? That’s the perfect place to start.
Ask yourself: If I had 10 minutes today to check in, what would I let myself explore?
The second common thought that keeps us stuck is this:
2. “It feels selfish to ask for what I want.”
Let me reframe this for you. Wanting more doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. It means you’re alive. And God isn’t annoyed by your desires. He delights in your hope.
Many of us were taught that desire is selfish. We can want and pray for others, but not for ourselves, especially when it comes to significant life changes or material possessions.
When I tell clients that I prayed specifically for the house I live in or the car I drive, the reaction is typically mixed. Sometimes, they’re visibly excited and say things like, “I never would have thought to pray about that.” And they want to try it out for themselves.
Other times, they seem bothered by this concept. Wrestling internally with whether or not they truly believe it’s okay to want specific material items. I can tell you firsthand that it’s really uncomfortable and foreign to think that God is totally OK with our requests, regardless of the subject matter.
It took some experimentation on my part to see this in my own life before I could accept it as truth. I started small, though. Experimenting with ideas like, “I really wish I had more friends and community.” And then expanded it to, “I really want to move to a new state.” And eventually, I got brave enough to pray specifically for new job opportunities, for love, and even for financial stability or abundance.
So many of us struggle to ask God for what we want because we think we need to deserve it first. But God isn’t a vending machine. He’s a loving Creator who delights in partnering with us.
The act of asking is not selfish—it’s vulnerable. And vulnerability is the birthplace of intimacy and trust.
It’s okay if you want to take this one slow and steady. Try it on for size. Ask God for something really specific, but small. And see what he does with your request.
Beware, however, that your tendency will be to slip into old thought patterns. Attempting to think in a new way is like tuning a brand-new guitar – you have to tune it every time before you play. Which is another reason why developing the practice of asking is key. This will likely not come naturally, and you’ll need to work at it a little at a time to see results.
This is where the real-life shift happens:
Let’s say there’s a woman who’s been single for 10 years and has quietly given up on the dream of a partner. She tells herself she’s fine. But one day, during journaling, she writes:
“God, I do want love. And I’m afraid you’ve forgotten me.”
That one prayer cracks her heart open—and now, she starts showing up in her life with more honesty. She signs up for a new class. She starts showing up for herself. That shift in posture made room for what she thought was no longer possible.
Here are some questions to take into your practice as it relates to asking for what you want:
- “What do I wish for most?”
- “What do I wish I had but don’t believe I deserve?”
- “What do I believe I need to accomplish, do, or say, BEFORE I can have what I want?
- “What would I ask for if there were no limitations?”
- “What’s one thing I’ve been craving lately, but don’t believe matters to God?”
Here’s a different take:
Think about your mom, best friend, child, or significant other. What’s one thing you know they really want, but they believe they can’t have or aren’t deserving enough? Is it love? A new job? Security? Peace? Rest? Would you want them to have it? If you had the power to wave a magic wand and grant it to them, would you?
Now, think of it in terms of who God is and how infinite his resources are. Does this change how you think about your own requests? Could it?
Prompt: What would you ask God for if you believed He actually wanted to say yes? You might even begin by praying, “God, I don’t even know if I’m allowed to ask this… but here’s what I really want.” And then write it down. Sometimes, even just saying it out loud can heal something in you and open the door to possibility.
The third common thought that keeps us stuck is this:
3. “I don’t know what I want.”
This question on its own feels massive. Like it’s too much to tackle all at one time. So, instead of thinking about the big picture, start with something small. Often, you don’t need to define your whole dream, you just need to name one small desire.
Start with what you miss. What you quietly crave. What makes you feel most like yourself, but is maybe missing.
That’s the doorway.
People get overwhelmed by the idea of a big dream. But most clarity comes not from vision boards full of ideas, but from naming one small desire and following it.
Desire is directional. And you can trust that.
In fact, the very first desire I ever said out loud was so simple, but also felt too broad. I wanted to feel more like myself, whatever that meant. I didn’t really know, in the beginning. But instead of giving up because it felt too broad, I had to follow the tiny breadcrumbs that would lead me to the big answer.
I had to do very simple exercises to wake up the parts of me that had been dormant for so long, by answering questions like, What did I love to do? And my answers were so basic, I didn’t feel like they would move the needle at all. Things like, reading a magazine and sitting in front of my fireplace with a good book, and taking a bubble bath as a way to relax after work.
But paying attention to those little details started to wake up the rest of me in such subtle ways.
Once I started becoming who I was all along, I could take on some of the larger questions about desire. As I became more true to myself, I could ask, ‘Where did I want to live?’ Or work? How did I want to spend my time?
Because it’s all connected. Like a puzzle. You start with one small piece, and by the time you reach the halfway point, you begin to see the bigger picture forming right before your eyes.
Prompt them:
So, instead of needing the big, grand answer, start small. What’s one thing you wish felt different? One thing you’ve caught yourself envying in someone else’s life? Start there.
As an example:
Maybe you envy a friend who always seems to make time for creative work. You realize that you haven’t painted, written, or created anything in over a year. Your next right step? A blank notebook. Or a $20 watercolor kit. You don’t need a full dream. You only need to say, “I miss this part of me.” And then take one step toward re-engaging.
Desire reveals your design. Naming it opens doors. You start spotting opportunities you used to scroll past. You say yes to different things. Not because you “have it all figured out”… but because you’re finally paying attention to what matters.
So, here’s your prompt: What’s missing from your life that you quietly crave more of? Ask this, daily if necessary, until you hit on an answer that rings true.
The fourth common thought that keeps us stuck is this:
4. “I just need to do what makes the most sense.”
Be careful with this one. Familiar and easy aren’t always aligned. Vision stretches us. And invites faith into the conversation.
Visionary living isn’t about mastering some productivity system. It’s about restoring trust in yourself, your instincts, your voice, and your sense of timing. And it’s also about trusting that God will meet you in that process, not shame you for not having a plan.
Here’s an example of what that might look like:
Imagine a woman who’s afraid to want anything because her last few dreams didn’t pan out. So she tells herself she’s “bad at dreaming.” But when she starts checking in with herself daily, she notices God showing up in small ways: a comment from a friend, a memory she can’t stop thinking about, a pull to revisit an old idea. These are breadcrumbs. She starts writing them down. And as a result, trust builds. And now she’s not chasing certainty—she’s following peace.
The truth is, every small act of self-trust builds your courage. Every time you write down a whisper from God and honor it, you’re reinforcing the belief: God is guiding me. I’m not making this up. I’m not alone in it.
And … for the record, in my experience, God’s “plan” is rarely logical. The whole reason we ask for God’s help is so that he can wow us with the unbelievable nature of the surprising ways in which He works. We can’t script it. And when we try to, we only get in the way.
God’s not in the business of making sense. He’s in the business of making miracles. And he’s the master of bringing exactly what we ask for, right to us. However, we must break free from the mindset of logic and embrace the possibilities that are only accessible through his imagination.
So, ask yourself, Where am I playing small because it feels safer than stretching?
Last on our list is the fifth common thought that keeps us stuck:
5. “It doesn’t matter. It won’t work anyway.”
I don’t know what your personal experience is, but I do know that every single person I know, including me, has experienced disappointment. Specifically, disappointment about something I really wanted.
It’s easy to track these disappointments and cover our lives with a blanket of belief that disappointment is the only outcome. And on the rare occasion that we have success or something does work out in our favor, it’s a fluke. Or luck. Or once in a lifetime.
So, when some new desire or wish comes along, it’s too easy to think, “It doesn’t matter. It won’t work anyway.”
This thought doesn’t usually shout either—it whispers. Quietly enough that you don’t even realize you’ve agreed with it.
It sounds like:
- “Why bother?”
- “It’s too late.”
- “I missed my window.”
- “People like me don’t get to do things like that.”
And the heartbreaking thing is, once that belief takes root, we stop even imagining. We stop naming the vision. We stop asking God for it—not because it’s wrong or bad, but because we’ve already decided it’s not possible.
But what if that vision that keeps tugging at you… Isn’t random?
What if it’s not selfish, unrealistic, or delusional?
What if it’s a seed God planted in you on purpose—one He’s already willing to help grow, if you’ll stop yanking it up every time you doubt?
Before anything can take shape in your life, it has to take root in your heart. That means you have to name it. Want it. And hold space for it. Even when it scares you. Even when you don’t know how in the world it could happen.
Because remember, vision requires faith. And faith is not logic—it’s trust.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say there’s a woman who’s been dreaming for years about opening a cozy, faith-based shop that sells books, candles, journals, and hosts monthly gatherings. But every time the idea floats in, she bats it away:
- “Retail is hard. Stores fail all the time.”
- “Who would come anyway? There are already too many stores in my town.”
- “I don’t have the money. Opening a store takes capital. Capital I don’t have.”
- “It’s too late to start over. I already have a career. It’s not realistic at my age to start a new one.”
So she never writes it down. Never prays about it. Never even admits it’s something she longs for.
But one morning, while journaling, she asks:
“What vision keeps tapping me on the shoulder that I haven’t made space to fully receive?”
And that same image comes back. Again. But this time, instead of dismissing it, she writes it down. She prays over it. She shares it with one trusted friend.
And something shifts. Her friend says, “I’ve never heard you talk about this before, but it sounds like you. I think you should look into it.”
That moment? That’s the beginning. Not the storefront. Not the funding. The moment she decided it mattered.
That’s the shift.
When you stop assuming it won’t work, and instead ask, “What if it could?”—you open the door for movement.
You start:
- Spotting others doing similar things.
- Following the breadcrumbs (i.e., a podcast, a book, a conversation).
- Praying differently—not “fix this,” but “grow this with me.”
You might not build the whole thing this year. But the dream goes from dormant to active. And once it’s active, God can move with it.
So instead of telling yourself all the ways it won’t work. Ask yourself, What if it could work?
What if God is already waiting for you to name the vision so He can help bring it to life?
But you have to name it.
You have to let yourself want it.
Here’s your prompt if this speaks to you: What vision keeps tapping you on the shoulder that you haven’t made space to fully receive?
If something has been quietly tapping you on the shoulder…
A dream. A desire. A vision.
Even if it feels “too big” or “too late” or “too much”…
What if it’s not?
What if God is already on the other side of that vision, holding the pieces in His hand, just waiting for you to say: “Okay. I’m open. Let’s see what You can do with this.”
And all you have to do is name it.
As we wrap up this episode:
I want you to see if you can spot which of these thoughts is the primary thought that keeps you safe and possibly out of alignment with who you are and what you want. I want you to listen for the pieces of this episode that resonate with you because you’ve had these very thoughts.
And then, I want you to grab a notebook and a pen and challenge yourself to start small.
You don’t have to be a big dreamer to start living a visionary life.
You just need to pause long enough to listen. To tune in instead of tuning out. To give yourself permission to want something more, without editing it before you even write it down.
That’s how it begins.
A quiet moment.
A little stillness.
A journal.
A whisper to God: What do You see for me that I haven’t even dared to imagine yet?
That’s what I want to leave you with today.
You don’t need a big plan, a lofty goal, or a getaway to discover the answers.
You need a rhythm.
A sacred rhythm of honesty and hope.
That’s how the vision begins to rise.
And that’s precisely what we do here at Be Still With Bobbi.
If you want to work through the prompts I shared in this episode and past episodes, you can visit the show notes page at bestillwithbobbi.com/blog.
And as always, if you know someone who could benefit from listening to this episode, I would love for you to pass it on.
Thank you so much for being here with me today. I hope you take the time – even just five minutes – to explore your own version of Visionary Living.
Bye for now.
Join The Be Still Collective Here: https://bestillwithbobbi.com/community
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