Tending Your Dreams

Do you want to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode! Tending Your Dreams™ is the podcast dedicated to educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. Each show is designed for you, the listener, to get you where you want to go more efficiently and effectively, while we often have a little fun along the way.    There are secrets to tending your dreams, and this is where you can find them. Your host, Anita Brooks, is a highly sought-after international speaker, business/life coach, and award-winning author of multiple books. You can find out more about her at anitabrooks.com or tendyourdreams.com. To contact Anita or inquire about having her help you directly, email assistant@anitabrooks.com. 

Do you want to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode! Tending Your Dreams™ is the podcast dedicated to educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. Each show is designed for you, the listener, to get you where you want to go more efficiently and effectively, while we often have a little fun along the way.    There are secrets to tending your dreams, and this is where you can find them. Your host, Anita Brooks, is a highly sought-after international speaker, business/life coach, and award-winning author of multiple books. You can find out more about her at anitabrooks.com or tendyourdreams.com. To contact Anita or inquire about having her help you directly, email assistant@anitabrooks.com. 

Do you want to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode! Tending Your Dreams™ is the podcast dedicated to educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. Each show is designed for you, the listener, to get you where you want to go more efficiently and effectively, while we often have a little fun along the way.    There are secrets to tending your dreams, and this is where you can find them. Your host, Anita Brooks, is a highly sought-after international speaker, business/life coach, and award-winning author of multiple books. You can find out more about her at anitabrooks.com or tendyourdreams.com. To contact Anita or inquire about having her help you directly, email assistant@anitabrooks.com. 

Do you want to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode! Tending Your Dreams™ is the podcast dedicated to educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. Each show is designed for you, the listener, to get you where you want to go more efficiently and effectively, while we often have a little fun along the way.    There are secrets to tending your dreams, and this is where you can find them. Your host, Anita Brooks, is a highly sought-after international speaker, business/life coach, and award-winning author of multiple books. You can find out more about her at anitabrooks.com or tendyourdreams.com. To contact Anita or inquire about having her help you directly, email assistant@anitabrooks.com. 

Do you want to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do? If so, you will want to listen to this episode! Tending Your Dreams™ is the podcast dedicated to educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. Each show is designed for you, the listener, to get you where you want to go more efficiently and effectively, while we often have a little fun along the way.    There are secrets to tending your dreams, and this is where you can find them. Your host, Anita Brooks, is a highly sought-after international speaker, business/life coach, and award-winning author of multiple books. You can find out more about her at anitabrooks.com or tendyourdreams.com. To contact Anita or inquire about having her help you directly, email assistant@anitabrooks.com.

Anita Brooks is dubbing this International Freedom to Dream Month. Give yourself permission to make your dreams come true and to maintain them when you do!

Tending our dreams requires a certain amount of energy and endurance. And for some of us, good physical health is the dream. But whether getting stronger, fitter, and more energetic is the desire, or whether you need those qualities to reinforce your ability to tend another dream, I’ve found some quick tips that have improved my productivity, my relationships, and my health.   This process works great for anyone like me, who has a hurried and sometimes harried life. It’s especially effective for increasing efficiency when you need to get more done in a shorter amount of time. It’s also great for improving your marriage, but if having a happier romantic relationship is your dream, we’ll cover those specifics in other episodes. For now, let’s talk about how to tend your health dreams with my One Minute Intervals™ method.   Right now, I’m promoting my two latest book releases, writing a new proposal, and getting ready to leave for a big ghostwriting project in another state. I’ll be gone for almost two weeks, and even when I get back, will face long, intensively focused work days. On top of that, I’ve got a messed up thyroid.   Hashimoto’s stagnates your metabolism, disrupts your energy, and weakens your endurance. But after reading several books and the latest online research, I’ve developed a natural protocol that is working beautifully to restore and maintain my thyroid health. We’ll talk details on next week’s episode. But for this one, we’re going to concentrate on one particular aspect of my protocol—One Minute Intervals™.   Writing, speaking, coaching, and podcasting are the dreams I tend that allow me to fulfill my abundant purpose of educating, inspiring, and encouraging today’s influencers. But unless I tend to my health, I cannot tend those dreams. The same is true for you. I hope this simple and easy-to-implement process helps you tend your dreams, too.    My Health History  Hashimoto’s makes exercise hard, especially long periods of aerobic activity. This is difficult for someone like me to handle, since I’ve been athletic most of my life. As a young girl, I lived in the country, where my siblings and me ran the hills and hollers of Missouri, dodging trees, rocks, and vines.  We raced, played hide-and-seek, and tag on a daily basis. Because we live in tornado alley, we even developed our own game where we played “tornado”, twisting and twirling until we fell to the ground, rolling in laughter. My feet were bare-feet tough, allowing me to walk on gravel and rocks without shoes, and my calves and thighs were muscled and lithe.  In high school, I played every sport available to me: volleyball, basketball, softball, cross-country, and track. I practiced by running three miles daily, regardless of rain, snow, sleet, or a beating sun. I didn’t have to worry about what I ate, because I burned calories like butter in a hot skillet. And I had the energy for all of it.  But as an adult, I began to feel a shift in my body, which meant I soon struggled to do half of what I had easily been able to tackle before. Today, I’m not able to do a quarter of it. When things reached their worst, if I had allowed myself to dwell negatively on my condition, I’d have given up, and relegated myself to a life of inactivity and overwhelming sadness. But I’m a dreamtender, not a quitter. So, I searched until I found a solution that worked for me. That’s where I figured out the One Minute Intervals™ method—the system that with my thyroid protocol, came to my health rescue.  One Minute Intervals™ for Health  This is the process—it’s crazy in its simplicity. After reading several medical studies that said the accumulation of aerobic activity was as effective as doing it in one continuous routine, I began to think about my exercise options in a new way. After all, some call me Anita Fresh Faith, for my tagline, “It’s never too late for a fresh start with fresh faith.” Why couldn’t I exercise for shorter periods throughout the day, allowing my body to recuperate in between, and preventing thyroid burnout? I decided sixty seconds at a time was a great place to start. However, it wasn’t quite that easy. When I first began, I walked in place while I brushed my teeth (carefully, of course). But thirty seconds in, I was out of breath. So I gave myself thirty seconds to rest, then did thirty seconds more. Every time I used the restroom, after washing my hands, I did another interval: thirty seconds of walking in place or knee raises, thirty seconds of rest, and thirty more seconds of walking. After a couple of days, I added air boxing in the shower for thirty seconds, resting thirty, and then air boxing for thirty seconds more. This allowed me to work on toning my arms.  Within three weeks, my endurance improved, and I was able to walk and air box for sixty seconds straight without stopping, although my muscles burned by the end. I was also adding more intervals into my day. But I admit, it did surprise me at how much my heart raised in such a short amount of time.  I started dancing for One Minute Intervals™ around the fourth week, and could feel the effects in my core. By this time, I was doing 30-45 intervals on most days, but on others, was motivated to get out and walk for longer consecutive periods. Every week, I felt stronger, had more energy, and my endurance increased.  Today, I can walk while air boxing for 30-45 minutes without stopping. I still switch up between focusing my exercise on legs, arms, and my core, but I keep adding new routines for variety and to work different muscle groups. And during periods like the one coming up, where I’ll be sequestered in a room with someone whose book I’m writing, for very long, intense days, I’ll use One Minute Intervals™ to ensure I stay strong and energized. Not only will working out sixty seconds at a time help me complete the projects I need to finish now, but they will ensure I am healthy enough to tackle the other opportunities that come my way. After all, I get to do this, because I am tending my dreams.  Filling Needs:  What health focus do you need to concentrate on? Are your energy, strength, and endurance optimal for tending your dreams? Where can you squeeze a few One Minute Intervals™ into your days?  When was the last time you saw a doctor to evaluate your health? Are there issues you need to address or problems you need to prevent, that will help protect your dreams for the long-term?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Brainstorm a list of every physical activity you could do for 30-60 second intervals. This will save you time and frustration when a moment of opportunity strikes.  Set a goal for the number of One Minute Intervals™ you will do each day—then make it your mission to achieve it. My minimum is 30. It’s surprising how easy it is to do 30-45 intervals in a single day. Take a weekly Sabbath, where you allow your body to completely rest and recover for one day.  When you start, take a picture of yourself the first day and save it in a special file. Then each week on the same day, take a new photo. Don’t expect to see a marked difference for the first 4-6 weeks, but if you persist, you will soon feel and see results.  Focus on different parts of your body on different days. I do legs one day, arms another, and sometimes my core as a third.  Keep a diary of how you feel. You can write a page, or simply a single line. But the point is to give yourself a measuring system, and an encouragement to review and reflect on.  Resolve to do One Minute Intervals™ six days a week for a minimum of 90 days, in order to give yourself every opportunity to succeed. 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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

I decided to do something different on my morning walk today. I can’t exactly explain what spurred the thought, but I chose to pay close attention to the flowers. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working extra hard to catch up after losing so much time to a shoulder, neck, and arm injury on my right side that cost me almost three months of real productivity. I’m also getting ready to fly out for 10 days of intensive ghostwriting for a person I cannot name, so there are a lot of loose ends to tie before I leave. Or, it might be due to the especially long winter we had that made me ache for this time of year.   But whatever the reason, our Missouri wildflowers are especially appealing to me this year. So on my walk, I made it my mission to stop and admire every variety I saw, and then to take a picture. However, I did not anticipate how this action would remind me of some important facts related to tending dreams.   I first spotted a wild rose bush. Though they aren’t as large, full, and aromatic as domesticated roses, they are still gorgeous. I noticed that most have five fragile, flat, pink petals. This rose is not one you would see in a show-case, but when you don’t overlook it, as most of us often do, you see its beauty hidden in plain sight. I think some of our talents are much the same. We and others overlook them, often undervaluing what we have to offer.  Next, I stopped to take a photo of a white yucca in bloom. Unlike most blossoms, it’s flowers point upside down along the stem. You have to lift a blossom up to see all of the beauty inside. Many of us fight the parts of ourselves that make us feel especially different from other people. But when we see our differences as ways to stand out, we often find real value beneath. Instead of fighting areas that feel upside down from the norm, we would benefit by putting in effort to lift those differences to the forefront.  I saw two species of white and yellow daisies while I walked as well. Some were larger with wide petals and dime-sized gold cores. Others were petite, with white petals so close they looked like fringe dotted with small, pale yellow buttons. No two blooms were exactly alike—though they were of the same family, fulfilling the same purpose. I’ve noted something similar about dreamtenders. Two people can tend identical dreams, but their results will not be exactly the same. Personality, gender, history and experience, as well as current opportunities, will influence outcomes. But this diversity only enhances the results for each. Dreamtenders don’t need to battle against each other, instead, we need to remember that our value increases when we work cooperatively.   As I finished my walk, I saw violet bluebells, white Queen’s Lace, black-eyed susans, fuchsia clover blooms, purple echinacea, and some red, yellow, and purple varieties I didn’t recognize. But since I was moving in to look closely with an eye for appreciation, I noticed that every flower I’ve mentioned had two things in common. They each had at least one flaw and they all had a unique value. This brings me to you and me.   Every year, I choose a One Word focus. (Or I should say, my One Word chooses me.) Toward the end of the year prior, a particular word will keep cropping up, and after enough times, I know that’s my next year’s emphasis. This year, my word is value.   This is also the time of year, around the mid-way point, where I review to make sure I’m still giving my One Word the attention it deserves. Maybe that’s why the flaws and values of each flower stood out to me—or maybe it was because you needed to hear this message.   Either way, my walk made me reflect on how we think about ourselves, and in response, how we treat ourselves. I don’t know about you, but too many times, I’ve looked in the mirror and seen nothing but my imperfections.   In the past, I’ve only concentrated on my flaws, and therefore, overlooked my own value. I’ve also missed the inner gifts, talents, and abilities that may not be evident on the surface, but like the wild rose, with just a little attention, became something that added value to the world.   I’ve seen my differences as negatives, when instead, they gave me character in a way that brought others happiness. For instance, I have a naturally crooked smile, but like the upside down Yucca, my cockeyed smile represents something valuable—my commitment to be a joy-splasher.   I used to worry about competition, but now I see that people who are tending the same kinds of dreams as me are kindred spirits. Together, we make a beautiful bouquet. We are similar, yet each of us has distinct inflections that add special value.   I actually have lots of flaws and imperfections, like all of the flower varieties I saw as I walked. But, many of my flaws aren’t as obvious as they are to others, and even if they are, not everyone will have appreciation for what I have to offer—and that’s okay. The fact is, my defects don’t discount me as a dreamtender. Instead, they help make me the remarkable, distinctive, and extraordinary person especially able to fulfill my abundant purpose on this earth. The same is true for you.   Don’t focus on what you see as shortcomings. Instead, see your differences as valuable. You have things to offer that no one else does in exactly the way you can. You were made for an exceedingly abundant life.   But you will only experience it if you do what only you can do. We need your gifts, talents, and abilities. If you need to tend them before they’re ready for the world to see, that’s okay. It’s actually important for you to take the time necessary to tend your dreams fully—so you can give us all the value you were made for. Without your color, our planet will lack luster, and who wants to live in a dull world.     Filling Needs:  When you look in the mirror do you see only imperfection, or do you see any value reflected there? How does nature inspire you in your dreamtending efforts? Where would we be if life-changing dreamtenders like Mozart, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison, Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa, Celine Dion, Henry Ford, or others had focused on their weaknesses more than their strengths?  If you were a flower, what variety do you think you’d be?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Make a list of your talents, abilities, and gifts. Dare to review it often, to offset any obsession with perceived defects.  What value might your dreams provide if you achieved them?  Look at your flaws, imperfections, or defects differently than you have before—how might they add uniqueness and character to your dreamtending efforts? Have you ever considered that your perceived weaknesses might be opportunities in disguise? If we’re too perfect, other people can’t relate to us. Your imperfections can actually make you more relevant.  Do you need to catch up or tie up some loose ends to free you up to concentrate on your dreams more fully? If so, take it one step and keep at it. You will get there.  How long has it been since you stopped and admired nature, noticing the details and inflections that offer creative ideas, inspirations, and motivations to help you tend your dreams? What One Word focus or resolutions have you made for this year? Are you staying true to them? 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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.     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.

You were made to make a meaningful difference. Maybe you do it by making people laugh, and helping them escape their problems for a bit. Or perhaps your gift of artistry touches people’s souls through song or paints. Or maybe you simply provide a listening ear, an open heart, a compassionate spirit, or an accepting smile to people. I know some people who make their difference in the privacy of their homes, where only they and God are aware, as they lift people up in prayer, and move spiritual mountains on behalf of the hurting and helpless.   It doesn’t matter what you are gifted and drawn to do, what matters is that you actually do it. Otherwise, not only do you miss out, but so does the world. Let me tell you a brief story from my own life, that proved to me once again, that honing my raw talents into something truly usable helped me make a meaningful difference. But as I share, don’t just think about me.   Think about you. What are you made to do? Who are you meant to help? What might you be missing out on if you don’t gather your courage and act on that dream whispering into your soul?  Just a couple of days ago, I attended a book study group meeting. The group leader, Angela, had invited me to come talk with their growing number of members to discuss how my book, Exceedingly: Spiritual Strategies for Living on Purpose, with Purpose, and for an Abundant Purpose was impacting the them. I arrived a few hours early, so Angela and I could spend some time together first. We had a great time, talking about many aspects of life. Then the group members began to arrive, along with some surprises.   I was first shocked at the mix of men and women. For some reason, I did not expect that many men would even read Exceedingly, much less be so actively involved in a discussion of the book. I assumed the group consisted almost exclusively of women—boy was I wrong.   Secondly, once we ate our meal (which was amazing), and started talking, I was struck by the level of emotion among most of those in attendance. Women teared up, but actually, even more of the men did. And the stories that unfolded that night! Some of them brought me to tears. Multiple times as I stood in front of the group, I thought about the privilege of touching lives in this way. I was living my own book out—this was exceedingly, abundantly more than I could have ever imagined or thought!  When the evening ended, each person lined up and waited patiently for their turn to talk with me. I was again deeply touched, as some spoke in almost a whisper, entrusting their dreams to me, or to tell me how Exceedingly was stirring a renewed desire to discover and live out their purpose. Some even had new stories of recent events that had taken place, because the book had given them the courage to take action in meaningful ways, instead of letting fear hold them back.   The entire evening was an author’s dream. To meet people face-to-face whose souls are ignited with passion, and who are fired up to go out and make a difference in the world, because of the influence of words you penned through emotional sweat, tears, and blood? Now that’s an amazing moment.   I’ve also received emails from complete strangers, or read their reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other online sites, saying things like this line about my book, Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over, “Your book saved my life, I was going to commit suicide, and what you wrote helped me not give up.”   Or the person who wrote about Exceedingly, “After reading it, I purchased five more copies to study with friends. I read it quickly the first time, over half in the first day, but now I want to go back and absorb it, while discussing the questions at the end of each chapter with my friends.”  Or the lady at the book study group the other night who said, “It really struck me when I was reading Exceedingly, that I need to quit wasting my life. In chapter 4, you asked two questions: ‘How will I feel if your entire life passes and I reach the end wondering, What if?’ And, ‘What’s the worst thing that happens if I try and fail?’ Now I’m committed to fulfilling my purpose before it’s too late.” (Now you see why I was brought to tears more than once at that meeting.)  But why do I tell you this?   Because I want you to know how close I came to never having made the meaningful difference these people are saying I’m making through my books. I came VERY close to letting fear have its way, so that I never took those early steps to pursuing my dream of being a published author. Even though I had dreamed about seeing my name on a book from the time I was a little girl, when it came to actually doing something, the thought caused the blood to rush to my head, and anxiety seemed to grip my heart with its ice-cold claws. Thankfully, I prayed and persisted through. Otherwise, I would not have the honor of impacting other people today. I get to influence people to live out their dreams, like I hope I’m doing for you today.   I want you to experience the amazing feeling of seeing your dreams come true. I want you to know the thrill of making your meaningful difference. I urge you—do not let fear have its way in your life. Do something. Anything. Within the next 24 hours. Toward the pursuit of your dream. I promise it’s true—you WERE made for more. You WERE made to make a meaningful difference.    Filling Needs:  When was the last time you did something proactive toward pursuing your dream? What could you start today that will get you closer to turning your dream into reality? Why do you think you are holding yourself back?  What is one single step you can take to get you started at making your dream come true?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Allow yourself to imagine what it would feel like to accomplish your dream. Where would you go? Who would you see? How would others react in positive ways?  When negative images try to play on your mind—shut them down! This is fear’s greatest weapon in trying to hold you back.  Ask the people around you how you are, or can, make a meaningful difference?  Why do you think we are wired to make a meaningful difference? Why does it matter to you? When do you feel the most alive? Is it making people laugh? Listening? Seeing people’s reactions when you use your talents, giftings, and abilities?  If you work for someone else, where can you make a meaningful difference there? Sometimes our talents and dreams are best used right where we already are.  Give yourself permission to live the life of meaning you were made for. Don’t hold back. You can’t go wrong by making it your mission to make a difference.  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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

We’ve all heard it hundreds of times. To date, it ranks as one of my most requested speaking topics—for professional and inspirational groups. Women and men are hungry for more of the same thing.  What’s the most important requirement and biggest missing element for those wanting to tend a great marriage?  When speaking to both the leadership and the front line people, I’m told organizations who want to tend success are weakest at, and need to focus on, this area.  Parents speaking about their children and children speaking about their parents bring up the same thing.  Professionals at the top and professionals climbing the ladder mention similar pet peeves.  And all are speaking about the exact same issue: a need to improve communication. Want to solve the world’s problems? In a nutshell, this covers most of it. Clear and effective communication is truly the answer to many of our conflicts, issues, and confusions.  But sadly, I think we hear the word communication brought up so much, we treat it as if it were some worn out cliche. In fact, it is one of the great secrets to living a happier, healthier, and more peace-filled life—at home and and at work.   As a business, marriage, and life coach, I spend more of my time and energy on communication in some form than I do anything else. I’ve learned a tremendous amount about effective communication—about what works and what does not.   Currently, I’m doing some business coaching that involves family members in top leadership positions. And as I facilitate meetings designed to help them work through unresolved issues, buried resentments and anger, confusion, along with other emotional hot buttons, I continually remind them of the power of clear communication. Words (or lack of them) have the power to harm or to heal, to draw or repel, to bring profit or destruction, depending on how we wield them.   There are seven specific secrets that are most often overlooked, and if missed, create the greatest invisible drains, when it comes to undermining our dreams. So let’s unpack them today.    7 Secrets to Effective Communication for Dream Tenders: Do not dominate or monopolize conversations. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. I love Proverbs 10:19. In the Message version it says, "The more talk the less truth; the wise measure their words.” Successful dream tending requires that you sharpen your listening skills. Do not interrupt. Let other people finish their thoughts and sentences! And especially don’t cut someone off to tell them what they think or believe. Stop attempting to mind read. Who are you to believe you can tell someone what they are thinking more than what they know themselves? Assuming or projecting your opinions onto other people is a dangerous disruption to any dream tending relationship, professional or personal. There may be more or less to the situation than what you presume. Interrupting and cutting people off when they are talking will not only destroy those relationships—you WILL destroy your dreams with this kind of behavior. Resolve to keep your tone calm, honest, and respectful. Right-fighting only makes you look more wrong. Stripping someone else of their dignity shows others you are a jerk. Raising your voice and throwing your weight around because you can, will not get the results you want. Making patronizing, cutting, or subliminal digs turns people off. And all of these behaviors will make people leave you and your dreams in the dust. Clarify what you thought you heard when responding. Repeat what you thought the speaker said by using statements like these: "If I understood what you meant, you said, '_______________________."  "If I heard you right, you said, '__________________________."  Keep communication professional at all times. You might believe you’ve become close with a professional tie, but don’t kid yourself into getting so comfortable you make a mistake that could cost you your dreams.  Don’t make inappropriate jokes.  Do not gossip or bad mouth others.  Don’t use profanity, even if the other person does. It’s a subconscious trigger signaling that you cannot control yourself and conduct yourself in a professional manner.  And do not call others by pet names—especially if they are older than you or hold a higher position. There’s nothing more sickening than being called hun, babe, or sweetie by a person who doesn’t have the experience, credibility, or relationship to speak to you as if you are a younger family member. Communicate!!! Answer your prospects, clients, customers, vendors, colleagues, or anyone else who is or might be affiliated with your ability to tend your dreams. Silence is far from golden if they have reached out to you and you do not respond. In fact, this kind of silence will lead you to bankruptcy or at least to the abrupt end to your dreams.  Keep your word when you say you will do something. On time—every time. Part of professional communication is being believable when you say something. It won’t take too many let-downs for people to stop giving you a chance, bringing your dreams crashing down with that broken trust.  Filling Needs:  What kind of listener are you—honestly? Do you fight to be heard or do you give others a voice? Do you communicate clear expectations early and often, to reduce unnecessary confusion and conflict? Do you talk at people or to them?  What are the three weakest areas of communication for you right now that you could focus on improving?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Take a cue from Stephen Covey, in his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Seek first to understand—then to be understood.   Be open to ideas, solutions, collaborations, feedback, and even critiques others communicate. Become intentional to put yourself in the path of at least one person who is willing to disagree with you. Unpopular counsel can be a great stretching tool. One mistake many dream tenders make is surrounding themselves with those who tell them what their itching ears want to hear. But wise counsel, even if painful to hear, leads to profit and success.  Audit your communication skills on a regular basis—both as a speaker and as a listener. Are you clear, concise, and effective? Are your ears, mind, and heart open?  When you speak, is what you’re saying relevant to the current topic, situation, or issue? Are your words appropriate for the current conversation?  Do you show authentic interest in what others have to say? Are you engaged, intentionally focusing on what they are telling you?  Work on catching any habits you might have to make assumptions, pre-determined opinions, and projections. Then change them. Develop yourself as someone who fully hears what other people have to say, and watch your dream tending efforts expand.  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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

Through my years on planet Earth, I’ve discovered some shortcuts and tricks to helping me tend my dreams more efficiently and effectively. Whether your dream is to create a healthier body, happier marriage, bigger bank account, peaceful relationships, balanced emotions, or to pursue and achieve that secret or not-so-secret accomplishment you’ve imagined—one powerful process can get you there. This tip will change your dream life. And the rest of your world will likely benefit as well.   When I started pursuing my deepest desires, I expected to make a certain level of monetary investment. But I failed to consider the full time and energy requirements. I thought I knew.   Because I’m someone who is naturally energetic and a better than average time manager, plus, I’m a former athlete who knows the benefits of discipline, I figured time and energy would not create issues for me. I was wrong.    The more success I’ve achieved as a professional writer, speaker, life and business coach, the harder it’s become to keep up. The more successful you are, the less accessible you become. I don’t like it, but it’s very true. And since accessibility is one of my signature values—this fact particularly upsets me. But to succeed you must sacrifice, and you must also learn how to invest yourself as wisely as possible. If you manage your finances meticulously, but there’s a consistent time and energy drain, it could cost you your dreams.   I admit I was feeling a little sorry for myself when the idea came to me. I had just told my umpteenth friend “no” when asked if I wanted to get together. It’s pretty bad when you can’t schedule an hour for a cup of coffee anytime over the next month.   Guilt was eating me up inside. But because of a series of uncontrollable events, I was behind or barely keeping up everywhere. Business coaching clients needed my help with major tax and people issues. I needed to prepare for a new book launch. My literary agent was waiting for the new proposal we’d decided I would submit next. And then there was a family issue that blindsided and broke the hearts of us all. Multiple people I loved were devastated and needed a lot of extra TLC—not to mention the fact that I was trying to deal with my own shattered emotions. Life doesn’t grind to a halt and wait for you to tend your dreams.  I was sitting on my couch trying to decide if I was going to allow myself to wallow, or if I’d let overwhelm get the better of me that day. While I pondered both choices and envisioned the outcomes of each (imagining outcomes is another secret to self motivation), I knew what I had to do. Dreams don’t tend themselves. But I was struggling to overcome the sense of futility I felt due to the volume of responsibility I felt.   My agent had graciously told me to take my time on the new book proposal, and promised to pray me through. It’s a good thing, because I’m still not finished, although I am making real progress and am now very close. My book launch date came and went with little proactive attention from me, which is not normal, but I had to give myself grace. I knew I’d done my absolute best under the circumstances, and just had to trust that the efforts I make when I can how I can would help get its important message out there. But what about all of the other needs pressing on me?  That’s where the full picture of the 90/90 rule was born, though it originated much earlier in my life.    The 90/90 Rule  I was thinking back to my athletic days in high school, when I played basketball, volleyball, softball, ran track, and was in a small music group ensemble as a singer. (Back then I was even in musical plays and productions, but I don’t think you could pay me enough to do that now. Funny how we change as we age.)   It wasn’t easy making all of my interests work—but I figured out how. There were days I didn’t feel like running, practicing, or training, but I learned to set goals before I was fully aware that’s what I was doing. I typically scheduled my missions in 90 day increments, and I challenged myself to give no less than 90% for 90 days. But somewhere along life, I forgot that I used to do that.  You might more readily understand the 90 days, but do you wonder why I didn’t go with 100%? If so, let me explain.  Even as a kid, I realized that I needed the occasional break—physically, mentally, and emotionally. As an athlete, I’d been taught that my body needed allocated days to recuperate and heal, to relax and refresh. And something inside told me that if I allowed myself those breaks, I would become stronger mentally and emotionally as well.   That day on my couch not so long ago, I recalled how much I looked forward to those occasional breaks, and how they not only strengthened me, but motivated me. And I began to design a more formalized plan for myself today. This is what it looks like.   For 90 days, I am committed to giving a full throttle effort to my dreams 90% of the time. For instance, I am back on my thyroid protocol, which provides a much healthier eating and exercise lifestyle. In a week’s time, I will eat 21 meals. 90% of my week I am dedicated to very healthy choices consisting of fresh vegetables and fruits, fish, chicken, and lean meats with no sugar, alcohol, caffeine, bread, pasta, or processed carbohydrates. But 10% of my week (2 meals) I allow myself treats. This does two things. It gives me something to look forward to which prevents a sense of deprivation which would increase temptation and the likelihood of giving in.  Those two meals (my 10%) tell my body I’m not in starvation mode which actually boosts my metabolism.  I’m following a similar regimen for catching up to the productive time I lost due to those uncontrollable events. For 90 days, 90% of the time, I am focusing on being highly focused on working through commitments, projects, and deadlines. I’m happy to report it’s working beautifully. I’m making progress much faster than I thought I would, my mind is clearer than it has been in a long time, and when I do take my 10% downtime, I feel no guilt. I know I’ve earned it.   Now that I’m a few weeks into my current 90/90 rule session, I’m feeling lighter, less overwhelmed, and am even finding a little time to say “yes” here and there. It’s also making it easier to deal with the uncontrollable events in my life. It was hard to push myself at first, but I’m so glad I did, because I’m starting to feel like me again.   There’s only one part I should clarify. This happens six days a week, not seven. I’ve talked about my secret of taking a weekly Sabbath rest for refueling. On Sundays, I’m devoted to time with God, family, and rest. No matter how crazy life gets, that’s a commitment I don’t break.    Filling Needs:  Have you measured your time investment for your dream(s) recently? Where is your time and energy being drained the most? How might your life differ if you were to implement the 90/90 rule?  Imagine yourself 90 days from now after consistently applying the 90/90 rule to your dreams—what leaps will you have made?    This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Track where your time is spent, much as you would to get a clear picture of where your money goes by writing down every penny that leaves your hand. Are you giving as much time and energy as finances to your dreams? Choose one dream, and focus the 90/90 rule on it first. Once you see how well it works in one area, I suspect you’ll use it in others as well.  Think back to your most successful moments—what propelled you to keep moving forward when you felt overwhelmed? To implement the 90/90 rule means giving up some things. What do you need to cut in order to make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do?  Where is guilt eating you up from the inside? Pinpoint those areas and implement the 90/90 rule to smother this dream tending foe.  Don’t skimp on giving yourself the 10%. If you plan to tend your dreams for the long haul, you will need those moments to look forward to, and the refreshment they will provide. Your 10% will prove a great motivator on your toughest days. Ask yourself if your dreams are worth 90 days of a minimum 90% full throttle effort. What could you accomplish in that time with that kind of focus? 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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

One of my great joys at this stage in my dream tending journey is influencing today and tomorrow’s influencers. Investing in our future, is one of the ways I give back. High school and college students will soon be in charge, and pouring into them, teaching them keys that have taken me years to gather, makes my heart happy and helps me fulfill my abundant purpose.  This week, I’ve been brought in to speak twice to students. First on career interests and job fits. Secondly, on problem-solving, team playing, self-confidence, positive attitudes, and strong work ethics. Plus, they want a little motivational/inspirational spin on my presentations, too.   After my bio was read, introducing me to the group, I stood in front of the students with red and white banners and posters with motivating quotes surrounding us. Before I began, I scanned their faces and thought back to when I was their ages.   I remember sitting in the bleachers or huddled in classroom circles, trying to appear confident in front of my friends, when inside insecurity and fears battered my mind. I frequently laughed on the outside, hiding the tears washing my soul. My greatest dream at that time might sound silly to some, but it truly was for peace and happiness. I just wanted to feel acceptable in my own skin. I guess that’s why I have such a heart for our young people and finding out what dreams burn brightest at their core.   In the group I spoke to this week, most were at least partially engaged, probably waiting to see if I was worth listening to or not. Some pretended to be checked out, but I know from experience that this can be deceiving. Often, as I present, those who appear the least enthusiastic are often absorbing as much or more than anyone else. I know this, because after I’m done, they approach cautiously with questions or confirmations that something I said made its point. This is also the group most protective of their dreams.    The Dream Collector  After years of speaking at conferences, retreats, businesses, and schools, I’ve met thousands of people. They range from the mature leader with great financial success, to the student preparing to enter the work world for the first time. But they all have something in common. They have dreams. Even if they don’t recognize them for what they are, but instead call them goals or wishes, their aspirations are dreams.   As I began to recognize this commonality between people of different genders, races, ages, and bank accounts, I began to see how precious dreams are to people. Many whisper theirs to me in confidence, saying I’m the first person they’ve told. And I understand why.  I remember what it feels like to have a dream burning inside you, but feeling unsure if it was safe to share. It was scary the first time I spoke some of my dreams out loud—daring to let another human being know what was in my mind. I held my breath, wondering if I would be ridiculed, put down, or simply ignored. Thankfully, there were a couple of people who believed in me and my dreams—but honestly, most people didn’t get them—or for sure, didn’t believe I could do it.   Based on my personal experiences, as well as reflecting on the many people who’ve said they were grateful for the security they felt in sharing their dreams with me, I decided to become the dream collector. Yes, I collect people’s dreams. But only for the sake of allowing someone to get their dreams out of their souls and possibly, into the world. I treasure people’s dreams and treat them as gingerly as if they were my own. And I encourage people to start taking a few brave steps to make their dreams come true.   This week, as I spoke to the students, I asked them to courageously write their dreams down so I could collect them. Some made me smile, some inspired me, and some choked me up. I’d like to share a few of those dreams with you today. My hope is that by hearing how brave these young people were, maybe, just maybe, it will help you put your brave on, so you take the first steps to pursuing yours.    Filling Needs:  Do you have any secret dreams? If you haven’t shared you dream with anyone, why? Are you afraid of how others might respond? If you knew your dream would be treated with as much regard as if it were their own, would you be willing to tell someone?    Would you write your dream down on a postcard and mail it anonymously to me? I promise to protect you fiercely and treasure your dream ferociously. I may write about it in my blog or talk about it on this podcast, but only in the most respectful and dignified way—as a means to encourage other dreamers.    This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Get a notebook or journal and dedicate it solely to tending your dreams. This is your safe place, your private space, where you can let your dreams run wild and free.  Take courage and put your dream in writing, for yourself first.  Write your dream on a postcard and mail it to me at: Anita Brooks, P.O. Box 1097, Steelville, MO 65565.  Now that you’ve taken that giant step of documenting your dream and telling at least one person (me), you’re ready for another leap. At least once a week, read your dream to yourself—keeping it in the forefront of your mind.  Write the TEND acronym in the front of your notebook or journal. Take courage. Excel daily. Never stop believing. Dare to dream bigger.   Allow yourself to imagine what it might feel like if you could visit your future. See yourself one year from now, boldly and brilliantly tending your dreams. Now fast forward to three years and envision how different your life might look if you acted on your dreams. Visit year five and see what life will look then.    Get your Dream Tender Diary and write a letter to your one-year future self, describing your life and all of the reasons you are grateful. Write a second to your three-year future self, and then your five. Remember, this is your safe place. Let your imagination run free.  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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.    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.

I want to start this episode by saying thank you. Thank you for tuning in, for telling people, for sharing on social media, and whatever else you’re doing to help get the word out about Tending Your Dreams™. The number of unique listeners has been doubling monthly since the beginning of the year—and it’s all because of you.   I appreciate all of your support as I strive to encourage, challenge, and influence other dream tenders. I want you and your friends and family to know how amazing it is when you make your dreams come true and maintain them when you do.   And now, let’s get to this week’s talking point. I want to discuss the importance of mental breaks and emotional escapes. In other words, we’re going to cover the power of play.   In chapter five of my new book, Exceedingly: Spiritual Strategies for Living on Purpose, with Purpose, and for an Abundant Purpose, I go into deeper detail. But I want to read you a few short excerpts from that chapter, because I am so passionate about this subject. I believe one of the great dangers to our dreams is the potential for burnout. Fatigue and overwhelm will cause your body, mind, and spirit to shut down—making it impossible to tend your dreams. But it doesn’t have to be that way.    On page 71 of the printed version of Exceedingly, I open Chapter 5 with this:   Spend fifteen minutes in the presence of children at play and tell me their joy isn’t contagious. The company of laughing adults is much more pleasant than somber ones. When you see a married couple giggling together, don’t you think, I want that? I wanted to address the topic of play early in this book. Why? Because if you are going to unearth your abundant purpose or even make an attempt to do so, the balance of playful moments will sustain you and give you the strength you need.  This is especially true as we tend our dreams. If we don’t infuse ourselves with some fun and laughter, joy and happiness, refreshment and relaxation, we will not have the steam we need for the long haul of dream tending. And we will have nothing to offer, because an empty cup has nothing to pour into others.  So let me pour a little light-heartedness into you. On page 75 of Exceedingly, I share a story an old farmer told me back in my banking days. Actually, he told me the same story a few times, forgetting I’d heard it before. But it’s so cute, and a bit thought-provoking, that I didn’t mind. It broke up the monotony, and sometimes the overwhelm from an overflow of customers who were requesting loans during the lower percentage rate mortgage rush of that time.  See if this tale doesn’t trigger a few chuckles and deeper thinking for you. A Dream Tender’s Stress-Relieving Tale  On the first day, God created the dog and said, “Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.”  The dog said, “That’s a long time to bark. How about only ten years and I’ll give you back the other ten? Deal?”  On the second day, God created the monkey and said, “Entertain people. Do tricks and make them laugh. For this, I’ll give you a twenty-year life span.”  On the third day, God created the cow and said, “You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves, and give milk to support the farmer’s family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.”  The cow said, “That sounds like a tough life. You want me to live for sixty years? How about twenty, and I’ll give you back the other forty?”  On the fourth day, God created man and said, “Eat, sleep, play, marry, and enjoy your life. For this, I’ll give you twenty years.”  But man responded, “Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey returned, and the ten the dog refused? That makes eighty. Okay?”  So that is why the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty, we slave in the sun to support our families. During the next ten years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone. Simple Ways to Create Mental Breaks and Emotional Escapes Didn’t that tickle your funny bone, boost your energy a bit, and make you feel refreshed? That’s the power of mental breaks and emotional escapes—even short ones. The power of playful moments provides fuel and drives us toward success as we tend our dreams.  Filling Needs:  When was the last time you gave yourself permission to play? How often do you get (take) mental breaks to refuel and recharge? What restores your balance and energy, especially after a highly-focused period of dream tending?  Where can you incorporate more power from play into your dream tending schedule?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Take a weekly Sabbath. Mine is Sunday, where after checking in at church, I most often turn off my phone, set aside my devices, remove my Apple Watch, and leave my computer closed, so I can focus on the things most important to me: faith, family, and friends.  Get outdoors. Multiple studies have shown that our creativity heightens and our mental acuity sharpens when we spend time outside in nature, smelling the fresh air, watching the breeze blow tree tops, listening to song birds try to outdo each other, feeling the earth beneath our feet. If it’s summer and you have a chance, even grab a taste of nature’s healing power by nibbling a ripe, red tomato, a deep, onyx blackberry, a plump, dark blueberry, or some other natural treat.  Remember that the word recreation (another word for play), originates from the terms re-create or renew. Our energy resurges and our creativity restarts when we set aside to rest and play. This is something we need often as we tend our dreams. Schedule a weekend getaway or daycation with your spouse or a good friend. There are many inexpensive options if you want to concentrate your funds on investing in your dreams. I’m blessed to work with and have relationships with resort owners and outfitters across the country, and almost all of them have certain seasons and days where their prices are lower. Call and ask a recreation location near you if they offer discounts or have reduced rates at any time.  When you’re alone in your car, let loose and sing. Personally, I do this all the time as an emotional escape and stress-reliever. I take songs like, I’m a Believer by the Monkees, or The Fighter by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, and I sing them to Jesus. It doesn’t matter what you sing or to who, what matters is the effect of allowing music to speak a refreshing language to your soul.  Climb a tree. Roll down a hill. Play Red Rover with a group of kids. Do anything silly that is reminiscent of childhood when adulting wasn’t even on your radar. The laughter and courage of letting your hair down will renew your spirit.   Make games out of the business of tending your dreams when possible and appropriate. Sometimes, I don’t feel like starting on a project, so I tell myself I only have to work for five minutes, but that’s enough to launch my momentum. Other times, I compete with myself for times, word counts, or the numbers of things I can check off my list. Even though I’m still working, this “gamer attitude” provides a mental break and an emotional escape for my mind and soul.   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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

The subject came up again. Bi-weekly, I facilitate an entrepreneurs’ online mastermind group, and during last night’s session, I took them through an exercise I call a Celebration and Checkpoint Review. I asked them to think about and write down their answers to these four questions: What are 3 things you've learned since we started? 3 things you’ve implemented? 3 things you still need to improve on? 3 groups you would like to influence or target to help? From the answers shared, I noticed a pattern I’ve heard from many people I’ve spoken to or done trainings for. It either comes as a complaint or a confession. What is this commonality?  The lack of execution for creative concepts, opportunities, or commitments. As I often remind those I interact with, “You can know a lot, have the greatest amount of knowledge, or become privy to important information, but if you do nothing with what you know, it means nothing. The difference between knowledge and wisdom is execution.”  Let me give you a positive and inspiring example of a great executor. Her name is Gina. Everyone who meets her says they want a Gina. I want a Gina!  What I know of Gina’s story is that she has worked her way up from volunteer, to part-time helper, to administrative assistant, to titles like Director of Operations and now in her current role as Executive Pastor at her church, CLC Rolla. But there is no secret to her success.   Gina excels at execution. She follows through on every task, and she does so with the best of attitudes. She may not always feel happy (especially when she has to clean up after those who don’t execute—again), but you will not know it by her tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, or verbiage.   She presents herself calmly, respectfully, professionally, and maturely, but this does not mean she shies away from dealing with hard truths or difficult issues. You never want to misinterpret Gina’s kindness as weakness—she’s one of the strongest young women I know.   Does she get frustrated, disappointed, and maybe even angry sometimes? Of course, she’s human. But she handles herself with the utmost dignity, committed to not letting her emotions rule her choices, she gets the job done despite challenges. Gina decides daily to exercise execution to the best of her ability. When I think of excellent executors, Gina always comes to mind.   Gina is the epitome of the kind of person I described in my book, First Hired, Last Fired: How to Become Irreplaceable in Any Job Market. She’s the person that though someone else might step in to do her job, things would never quite be the same. She is truly irreplaceable. I cannot imagine anyone else fulfilling Gina’s role or making her impact, as well as she does.   So let’s talk about the traits that have led to Gina’s success, and how her example can help you become a solid executor for tending your dreams.    Defining Excellent Execution: Acting with integrity—doing the same things whether you believe anyone else can see or hear you or not. An excellent executor holds themselves accountable and makes good use of their time when no one else is around.  Being a promise-keeper versus a promise-breaker. (We’ve talked about this on previous shows.) An excellent executor is someone others can trust and count on to follow through.  Focus on what you can—not on what you cannot. An excellent executor does not wallow in self-pity or negative self-talk, instead, they work out of their strengths and are teachable and willing to learn in areas of weakness.  Choosing to do any job with the heart of a servant leader. An excellent executor has a motive to care for others, and to do so with compassion along with a drive to give more than receive.  Treating your clients, customers, or audiences as if their needs are truly important. Saying is not the same as doing. An excellent executor makes statements they mean and means the statements they make.  Working their way up. An excellent executor doesn’t waste energy grumbling or complaining, they simply dig in and get what needs to be done finished, gaining credibility and opportunities for growth along the way.  Filling Needs:  Honestly assess yourself right now—would the people who know you, work with you, and need your help say you are an excellent executor?   Where could you improve in order to become an excellent executor for the benefit of others and the tending of your dreams? Are you willing to commit to a life of excellent execution? If so, write it down, sign and date your resolution, and then, keep your word.  What have you allowed to get in the way of your execution efforts up to this point?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Pick three things this week that you will commit to executing on when it comes to tending your dreams. Remember, dreams don’t just happen by themselves—you have to partner your efforts with God and tend until you make them happen.  If someone owes you money, don’t procrastinate—execute. Create an invoice and send it to them. Many dream tenders struggle with this in the early days of making their dreams come true. Track your time—in black and white. Don’t kid yourself about time management or productivity, measure for accuracy, and then work to improve when you identify areas of weakness. Tending your dreams successfully means having solid information to work with. Consider the Zaccheaus Zeal challenge from my book, First Hired, Last Fired. Resolve to give back four times what you take: in time, energy, resources, and value. Try it dream tender, and I promise, you will receive more than you pour out.   Don’t take on more than you are capable of executing. Delegate, teamwork, collaborate—these are terms wise executors and dream tenders know. Excellent execution is not about doing it all yourself.  In order to become irreplaceable, a difference must be evident. And becoming an excellent executor is a difference others are looking to work with and support.  Execute support and celebration for other dream tenders. As I shared in my new book, Exceedingly: Spiritual Strategies for Living on Purpose, with Purpose, and for an Abundant Purpose, when we authentically and selflessly lift others up, our dreams get a boost, too.  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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

There are some things in life we will never get over, but it is possible to get through. If you’re a dream tender, you may be surprised to discover your purpose, or what I describe as your high calling, may even grow from a place of massive pain. That’s what a few of my own past adversities have led to. At the very least, adversity will help your dreams grow. I’ll tell you how.   A couple of weeks ago, I told you the true story about finding out my dad is not my biological father. That is definitely one thing I will never get over, and it’s only one example from my life. But what I didn’t have time to tell you then, was how that revelation has changed my life in a meaningful way, and allowed me to help a lot of other people.   As an international speaker who specializes in motivational and inspirational messages for conferences and women’s events, along with trainings for businesses and organizations, I’m often asked to talk about challenges human beings face. Using personal story in my presentations does two things: it makes me more engaging, but it also makes me relevant.   The audience knows I have credibility when I talk about getting through things you will never get over, because they learn I’ve lived through some heavy-duty stuff. But even when you’re the expert or the speaker, you sometimes get surprised.   One of the shocks I’ve gotten from using my conception story to inspire and motivate audiences, is to discover just how many people are affected by identity issues. The statistics I found while writing my book, Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over, were staggering.    Biological Father Statistics:   According to the US Census Bureau, one-third of American children grow up without their biological fathers.  In the UK, one million men, 10.3 percent of all British fathers, do not live with their children.   In the past fifty years, nations around the world have seen a staggering increase in identity voids from missing parents—known or unknown.   I personally belong to private online groups for people with missing birth parents. The numbers are in the tens of thousands, and one DNA search group has nearly half a million members. The adopted, sperm-donor babies, and those like me, who were surprised in adulthood to find out the true story of their lives was different than what they’d been told, have to deal with a void.  And as much as a missing birth parent is difficult, people equally don’t get over death, divorce, or abandonment either. Maybe you can identify with a loss you’re struggling to come to terms with. Many people get up and go to work every day, wrestling to leave their personal problems at the door, when those issues are rooted in their very souls.   It’s no wonder we see grown women and men struggling with depression, anxiety, self-destructive behaviors, relationship sabotage, and more. But before you tune out thinking this episode is going to be a complete downer, hold on. We’re going to talk about how getting through what you can’t get over can help you tend your dreams. Your painful experiences can actually provide fertilizer to help your dreams grow. Let me tell you how.     5 Ways Adversity Can Help You Grow Your Dreams:  Tough experiences do make you stronger. None of us wants to hear that, especially when we’re in the throes of pain, but it is true. And to tend any dream for the long term, you will need a good dose of inner strength.  Difficulty makes you wiser, enabling you to avoid costly mistakes or future problems yourself, and possibly offering you the chance to help someone else avoid them, too. Authentic dream tending should always have an altruistic motive of assisting your fellow woman or man.  When you’ve made it through a situation that causes other people to shake their heads in wonder, you become relatable to them. Perfect looking people appear like plastic to someone whose own life is in chaos. Our messy lives qualify us as message-bearers of hope and encouragement. This is the stuff dreams are made of.  Authentic life experiences give you credibility—even more than any degree. People believe someone who’s lived real life and came out with something to share. Your story will likely open doors and may shed light on what you are meant to do with your life—it will certainly give you something of substance to share with other people. Going through any adversity will prove to you, that you have the fortitude necessary to tend your dreams. If you made it through one hard season, you will be better equipped for anything that challenges your dream.    Dream tender, I don’t know what makes it difficult for you to tend your dreams. I can’t see into your life to understand what has happened in your past that throws shadows of fear and doubt over your deepest desires. But I do know this, we hear it from successful people all of the time, “If I can, anyone can.”   Mostly, we disregard that statement and blow it off. But today, I challenge you to take a breath and dare to believe. Let yourself trust that this is actually true. If you want to make your dream reality, you’ve got to set your resolve that no matter what happened yesterday, or even what’s happening today, you will not quit or give up. You will not let negativity seep into your mind and steal your chance for success before you even try.   Stop telling yourself you “can’t” and from this moment on, say, “I can!”   Even if you’ve been through something you will never get over, you are no longer allowed to use that as an excuse, because I’ve just proven that adversity can actually provide fertilizer to help your dreams grow. If I hadn’t went through some excruciating seasons in life, my book, Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over would not exist, because I would have nothing valuable to offer on the subject. But because of my experiences, I absolutely do.    Filling Needs:  Turn your adversities or past pain upside down—there’s likely something you could do to make things better for someone else or even prevent them from going through something similar.   Each day, focus on helping at least one person who is going through something you’ve experienced before. Allow yourself to sit still in a quiet place and reflect on the moments that have hurt you the most. How did they change you? What did you learn? How have you let pain paralyze you up to this point?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Ask yourself regularly, how could you help others from what you’ve endured and learned?   Use music to help you heal—it speaks the language of the soul and can assist in processing emotions. Choose to forgive if necessary. Unforgiveness can block any dream.   What do you wish was better in the world? Consider how you might play a role in making changes.  Make a list of all of the hard things you’ve been through, what have you learned that might help someone else? Look for patterns to see if there are any dream tending nuggets you’ve missed before.  Volunteer somewhere. Not only does assisting someone else help heal our broken hearts, but often we discover purposes and dreams wrapped in those connections.  Refuse to accept doomsday or “it’s always going to feel this way” thoughts. Determine to make something positive of the negative experiences that have blindsided you.  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.   You can also get autographed copies of any of my books from my website.   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.

The seed of a dream is often planted in childhood. Today, my guest and son, Madison Brooks, shares the story of how his dream began, but in his tale, we discover important keys for unlocking a dream. You don’t want to miss the thought-provoking questions that came out of this interview. People have debated over nature versus nurture for decades. I posed that question to Madison, and found his insights not only interesting, but spot on. Madison’s dream is connected to technology—he’s a near genius when it comes to electronics. But he may not have realized he had the gift, if he’d been shut down early in life, and it could easily have happened.  He wasn’t supposed to go into his grandfather’s computer room, it was off-limits to the kids. There were soldering irons, computer boards, chips, and various tools that could have either hurt a child or that a child could have damaged. And this was before computer prices came down, so one broken piece could have cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to replace. But one day, Madison did the unthinkable, he snuck into the computer room—and immediately got caught by his grandfather. However, instead of yelling or screaming or punishing, his grandfather saw Madison was simply curious, and invited him to sit down and began to teach him some basic skills. Their shared fascination with everything electronic bonded them together, so that every time Madison was at his grandparent’s house, the two would squirrel away in the computer room, tinkering for hours. Madison believes tending our dreams requires a blend of nature versus nurture, and I agree. His interest in electronics was wired into him. But had his grandfather yelled, shutting down Madison’s fascination with computers, he might never have approached them again, at least not with the passion and enthusiasm he has today. If we as his parents hadn’t encouraged his giftings, he might not have explored and progressed in pursuing his talents, meaning he wouldn’t have the ability to share his dreams with others, making their lives easier. One thing every dream tender needs to hear and let resonate in their soul—we need more positivity in the world, and your dreams can affect others in positive ways. If you don’t make your dreams come true and maintain them once you do, the rest of us miss out.  If your dreams were not encouraged in your childhood, you can encourage yourself. When your nature is not nurtured, a dream is destined to die. It’s not only okay to nurture your own dreams and spirit, but it’s often necessary.   Filling Needs: What did you explore as a child only to have an adult scare you away from it?  Who encouraged your dreams when you were growing up? When did you know you had a particular curiosity or fascination in areas connected to your dreams? Keys to unlocking our dreams are often hidden in our childhoods.   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Reflect on your life—was there a time when your childhood curiosity was shut down? If so, you as an adult can start exploring and pursuing today, refusing to let anyone stop you as you pursue your dreams.    Remember, as an adult, only you can stop you from dreaming.  It’s never too late for a fresh start with fresh faith—dare to pick up your dream and begin again. What are your interests that differ from those of others? This provides a hint that can lead you toward your dream—that thing you were made to do. Don’t let challenges and failures defeat you—expect them—then learn from your challenges and failures and keep moving forward.  If you don’t start working toward your dreams now, your somedays will run out and you will never know how much you could have succeeded.  Follow what comes naturally to you—when you enjoy what you do it isn’t work—whether you do so as part of a team collaborating with others or whether you do so as an entrepreneur.  When life feels heavy and fear threatens to drive you to quit, remember, this is not a forever situation, though it likely feels like it. Be your own greatest cheerleader and encourager, because with tenacity, your dream will see brighter days.  Find out more about Madison Brooks and discover the amazing technology services he offers at spyderwebstudio.com. If need a website for your dream he can help. Or if you’d like to improve your efficiency and effectiveness in making your dreams come true through his customized project management system—you can accomplish everything from one central location! It’s an unbelievable time and money saver!  Don’t forget to grab the special eBook pricing I have just 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.

Clear communication is not cliche. Don’t believe me? Go into any business, talk to any couple, or interview any dream tender, and you’ll soon learn that most challenges or problems stem from communication issues. You’ll also discover that when communication flows well, it’s easier to make your dreams come true and to maintain them when you do. For many years, I’ve worked hard to develop myself as an excellent communicator. I’ve read books, listened to podcasts, watched interviews, attended conferences, and even went through intensive training to become a Certified Communications Specialist. And I can tell you, not an ounce of time or energy was wasted from investing myself in this endeavor. I’ve learned a lot, and on today’s show, I’m going to share some of my top tips for improving your ability to communicate clearly. But first, I want to share a short story about the power of consequences and rewards, depending on whether someone is willing and able to communicate well. Before I tell you this story, I want to back up just a bit to dig a little deeper into my last statement. Years ago, I worked as a banker, and we had a saying that I’ve never forgotten, as its truth applies to much more than financial matters. As lenders, we were often told, you need to consider both the willingness and ability of the proposed borrower to repay. You see, some people are willing, but due to life’s circumstances are unable to repay. It may be no fault of their own, but it also means a banker would be foolish to give them a loan. However, I’ve seen the converse play out an insane number of times: a borrower had the means and ability to repay, but due to immaturity, lack of commitment, or plain old laziness, did not repay their debts in a timely manner. So guess what happened the next time they wanted a loan? Most got angry when they were told “no” because they met the criteria, but what they were missing was the integrity to follow through.  This principle is equally important in communication. Yes, we need training and education in order to become better communicators, but then we must be willing to act on what we learn. No amount of information does us any good unless we do something with it. One man’s example shows us the difference in knowing and doing. I’ll call him Steve. He’s like a multitude of women and men I meet, who avoid communication mostly out of fear. Steve’s afraid for a myriad of reasons. He sometimes fears being asked to do things beyond his comfort zone.  Sometimes he’s afraid of embarrassment if he can’t meet expectations.  In some cases, he’s buried years of emotions, and fears communication will cause a dam to break on a buildup of feelings he’s carefully tried to hold back. And other times, he fears triggers that remind him of a past he wants to forget.  Recently, Steve walked into the middle of a conflict between two other people. Conflict is a trigger for him—reminding him of a parent who often berated him by yelling and calling him names, because he could never meet their expectations. But this particular conflict also triggered something else for Steve.  Because of the context of the conflict, it caused him to see an old side of himself he’s worked very hard to overcome. Though he has made great strides, he still battles a pervasive guilt and regret from mistakes in his past. The situation caused him to fall back into an old pattern, and the consequences did not initially turn out well.  Steve went into avoidance mode. Instead of taking a deep breath and calming facing his emotions, he walked out and left the situation. But he did so without explaining himself, leaving others to have no choice but to make assumptions about his choice. Sadly, as so often happens with lack of clear communication, those assumptions were misinterpreted to mean something different from his motive. This led to an escalation of emotions directly involving Steve. It could easily have magnified to the point of a complete relationship breakdown. But thankfully, Steve did communicate with someone close to him and the others involved in the situation, and explained what he was truly feeling inside. And he took another very important step. Steve chose to take responsibility for his part in the communication breakdown, versus getting defensive and stubbornly making excuses to defend why he was right. This was much different from the Steve of his youth—who would have fought like a cornered cat to prove why he was right and everyone else was wrong. He went so far as to say, “I can see how I made things worse by walking out. I shouldn’t have done that. I know I need to explain how that kind of situation makes me feel and what it does to me inside.” Steve is learning the art of communication, and the power of its impact. His willingness to take responsibility gave everyone in the situation a chance to start fresh. As a result of Steve’s courage to confess his part in the communication conflict, to humble himself and work to make it better, others are also willing to communicate and cooperate, making healing and resolution possible. This is a lesson that can help any dream tender, no matter what you pursue. When tending your dreams, it’s crucial that you understand good communication practices—and then exercise them in your daily habits. Whether you are reaching out to a potential customer or client, dealing with a vendor, conversing with colleagues, co-workers, or those you lead, or simply sharing your message with the public in a wider world, clear communication is key to your success.   I’ve created an acronym for the word C.L.E.A.R. that may help. Communicate early and often. Do not put off what needs to be shared today, unless your emotions will drive your words, then the wiser choice is to let your feelings normalize. Leave assumptions out of communication. Ask more questions and make fewer statements.  Encourage others to speak and keep your lips zipped when they do. Interruptions are not only rude, but can magnify confusion, chaos, and conflict. Dominating a conversation destroys clear communication.  Repeat what you thought you heard. When we ask clarifying questions, it’s amazing how often we figure out what we’re missing. For example, you can say, “I thought I heard you say _____________, am I right?” Or, “When you said __________________, did you mean?” Or, “Am I off base in thinking this is what you want ___________________?”  From experience, I can assure you, these kinds of questions will improve communication in all areas of your life and lead to greater success: at work, as you chase your dreams, with your spouse, in your relationships with your children, and even if you’re trying to get a loan. Anytime people are involved, there are simple tips and secrets that can take your communication efforts to the next level. Not only will this save you many headaches, but it will help you achieve your dreams much more efficiently and effectively.   Filling Needs:  Be willing to step up and take responsibility for clear communication. Be a hero who initiates improvement when understanding breaks down, and influence others by setting a good example of proactive communication.   Seek to understand before fighting to be understood. Remember that in communication your responsibility is two-fold—to ensure you clarify, so you fully understand what the other person is saying, and to speak clearly so the other person understands what you mean. How have communication challenges or victories hindered or helped you as you tend your dreams?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Never assume others know what you’re thinking, or that they should. And don’t make the mistake of assuming you can read someone else’s mind.  Remember, you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Listen twice as much as you speak. Use clarifying questions to ensure you clearly understood what the person you are communicating with truly means.  If you feel a twinge of frustration, schedule a time to speak up calmly and assertively with the individual(s) involved, instead of stuffing your feelings until they build into a frenzied emotional explosion. When there’s any kind of emotional element, before texting, emailing, or snail mailing anything in writing, let it sit for a minimum of 24 hours before you send. Communicate honestly. Do not set yourself up for failure by presenting something you cannot provide. It’s better to say nothing at all than to make a promise you cannot or will not keep. When you communicate, be a promise keeper, not a promise breaker. Ask yourself daily, “Who, what, where, when, why, and how do I need to improve my communication skills?” What potential impact might it make if I invest myself in this? What will it cost me if I don’t make the effort?” Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie40 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.

It happens to all of us. Burn out. Unexpected illness or accident. Blindsiding family crisis. Unexpected financial hits. No matter what kind of dreams you’re tending, you can count on dealing with things you didn’t count on. I’m in that space right now. I originally intended to record on the topic of the value and power of Mental Breaks and Emotional Escapes while tending your dreams, but that will now come in a later episode.  This year is doing a number on my family. In actuality, we’re dealing with everything I mentioned above, and then some. It started January 1st. And as the “fresh faith in business, life, and love” gal, you know I had a plan coming into the new year. But in dream tending, you have to prepare yourself, because though planning is good, so is flexibility. Things don’t always go as planned. And whatever happens at home is going to affect your work—as does the converse—what happens at work is going to affect your home. Mid-morning on January 1st, I started receiving text messages telling me about events that would turn our family upside down. A member has apparently made secret choices for decades that has hurt more people than we can possibly know. I can’t share the details, because that part of the story is not mine to tell publicly. But I will say it’s bad—REALLY bad!  The ripple effect of emotions reaches wide and far. People with varying opinions, beliefs, and assumptions about the situation want to be heard, and understandably so. And when you’re a go-to person like me, guess whose ear gets bent? But in no way take this as a complaint, because I see it as an appropriate privilege in this case. This is family, and after God, family should always come first. Showing you care is different from simply saying you care, and you demonstrate it through your attitude and availability to those you love. It makes me cringe when my close family members say, “I know how busy you are, and I don’t want to bother you.” Here’s the thing, I am always busy, but not too busy to be there for the people God has placed in my life. Authentic dream tending is a balanced practice, where pursuits and people work in tandem. Like canoeing, sometimes one oar or the other is navigating the craft in the water, and sometimes, they row at the same time. Those oars represent our professional and personal desires. Few people dealing with truly traumatic and painful situations find someone willing to listen, show compassion and empathy, without jumping into fix-it mode. I’m not perfect at this, but I am intentional. Because of the calling on my life to educate, inspire, and encourage today’s influencers, it’s important that I influence well. I cannot effectively teach what I don’t walk out. Sometimes part of dream tending is living out your life, before you pass lessons on. But the cascade that began on January 1st was far from the only thing this year brought—it’s being rather unkind. And far beyond normal annoyances, frustrations, or stresses.  The first week of February, my husband had an automobile accident—and it was his fault. This is a guy with a clean driving record, who needs to maintain it for his work. But conditions were very foggy that day, and he literally did not see the car he pulled out in front of, though he looked. He cannot explain exactly what happened. But regardless, the consequences could have been catastrophic for our financial well-being. Especially, because our health insurance comes through his employer.  For weeks, we’ve been on pins and needles as his mandatory court date approached. But knowing the power of proactive approaches to dream tending, including those of survival, I prayed, asked others to do the same, repeatedly decided to walk in faith, and then did my part. I wrote a letter to the prosecuting attorney on my husband’s behalf, explaining the truth of the situation, and humbly asking for a merciful hand, due to the job connection.  Just this morning, he had his hearing, and miraculously, the results were better than we could have imagined. Mercy requested—mercy received. I couldn’t be there to witness it with my own eyes and ears, as I had an international TV interview I really needed to make. But I did not let guilt eat me up, I found a stand-in, who proved much more fit for the task than me anyway. Our oldest son stepped up, assisted his dad, and helped guide him though. Sometimes, we dream tenders need to identify the need for and allow the benefits of simple delegation. Not only does it free us up, but it also lets others share in the blessings.  But now let me backtrack for a minute, because it’s early April as I record now. I skipped my own March madness event.  On March 1st, I woke up with pain in my neck. It wasn’t constant, and though the stings were intense, mostly I could work around it. After a few days, it became severe enough that I went to see my chiropractor, who is a gentle and prayerful physician. He carefully worked on me over the next few weeks, and I did get relief, but it seemed to only come for a couple of days, then things went back to increasingly bad.  A week ago, things worsened so much that I was driven to tears and a few times, onto my floor, writhing in pain. And I’m a high-tolerance lady. First thing Monday, I called and asked for an emergency appointment. (My chiropractor gave me a gentle chastise for not doing it sooner.)  But by the time I got in to see him, I was crying uncontrollably from the pain. Dr. Hagene said, “I had a feeling I should have scheduled you for a second appointment on Friday last week, but I talked myself out of it. I should have listened to my intuition."  He did a tiny amount of work to relieve immediate pressure, but also sent me straight to see a medical doctor. He did not mess around. A few hours later, I left the doctor’s office having received a steroid shot, and with prescriptions for oral steroids and muscle relaxers in hand. She and my chiropractor both agreed, inflammation had started in my right shoulder, probably from the amount of typing I do, and not always from the best position. The swelling spread and intensified until it began pushing on the discs in my upper spine. Finally, two of my discs became bulged, explaining the horrific pain I was in. The medical doctor told me to expect them to kick in within 24-48 hours. She was right on target.  Mid-morning Tuesday, I suddenly began to feel some of the pressure releasing as the swelling had went down. By that evening, the pain and pressure were about a tenth of what they’d been. The next morning, there was even more improvement. And though I’m not back to 100%, and still can’t be on my computer for long periods of time, I am recovering quickly. And the lessons learned from my physical challenge is multi-faceted.   Filling Needs:  Be still when you need to and know that sometimes the best remedy is rest for your body, mind and spirit.  Listen to your intuition—it often tells you a truth you could talk yourself out of believing.  Don’t give up on your dreams, even when you feel like you’re dying. What unexpected happenings have you dealt with while tending your dreams?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Remember, it’s not what happens to us while we’re tending our dreams that has the most impact, but how we react to those circumstances. When you need to stop—stop! Overdoing will only undermine your efforts. Burn out, illness or accident, unexpected financial hits, or a family crisis are among the things that may signal it’s time for a temporary hiatus. Just don’t let a delay signal your dream’s end.  Flex your flexibility when blindsided by hard times. Learning to bend and roll when your dream tending efforts aren’t going as planned provides fertilizer for long-term success.    Never assume that a season of adversity means you need to quit. Instead, see it as a season of dream growth. Are you putting family first? If not, it’s time for a priority check.  Put self-care on your calendar. Regularly, consistently, and persistently, keep putting your health and well-being first—otherwise, you will not be capable of tending your dreams.  When disillusions and disappointment hit your dreams hard, look for the recipe to make lemonade out of your lemons. Then squeeze hard and pull the ingredients of your knowledge, experience, passion and education together, stir hard, and drink deep from the sweetness you can make from sour situations.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie39 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.

Fashion comes in many forms. My friend Kathryn Graves is passionate about nutrition and health, both crucial for dream tending, but she also knows the value of appearance. When we match our efforts inside and out, we can hit a dream tender’s sweet spot. What we wear, especially as women, we express our personalities. What we wear can affect how we feel, it sets the tone for the day, and impacts our outlook. Especially if you grew up with low self-esteem or a low self image, intentionality in your fashion choices can transform not only how others view you, but how you view yourself. Fashion is more than a surface topic. Kathy gained confidence from becoming more put together on the outside. And whether we’re male or female, what we put on the outside can affect our inside. She shares the story of a man who would get up in the morning, take a shower, dress in corporate casual clothes, go to a coffee shop, drive around the block, then come back to his home office ready to start the day. It helped him get serious and stay disciplined with the work he needed to do. Dressing for the day made him feel like he was ready to dig in.  Something as simple as intentional order can make a huge difference in our energy level, how we see ourselves, and how we do our work. The order around us can create order inside us—or conversely—chaos around us can create chaos inside us.  A woman’s clothes closet is a good example. When we clean out our closets, we can actually find we have more than when we started. Putting your surroundings in order can help you order your dreams. For instance, if you can’t find the resources you need to put your hands on, you can lose a great deal of time hunting.  It also affects your concentration. You can’t focus on your work when you are distracted by disorder. The good news for dream tenders, is that chaos and disorder are preventables for dream tenders. We can decide to take a proactive approach to the clutter in and around us, and then make a fresh start cleanup.   Filling Needs: What preventables can or should you address proactively to help you tend your dreams?  Do you start your dreams off each day by dressing for success? Where can you clean up some chaos to put your dreams back in their priority place? Your fashion focus can affect your dream focus.   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Don’t wallow in your weaknesses. If you are a messy organized person like me, don’t use that as an excuse to maintain your disorderly ways and imprison yourself in chronic chaos. Your heart is like your closet. Things can get stuffed in there, and it can get overloaded with junk. When you clean out your clothes closet, don’t forget to clean out your heart’s closet as well. If your spiritual life is chaotic, then you miss out on the peace and natural order that can help you when your dream tending load feels heavy. Pursue ongoing education connected to helping you hone the craft of your dreams. Layer what you learn, to deepen the effect of the knowledge you gain. Do your homework, as a practical and practiced way to apply what you learn. People make approximately 43 assumptions about you during their first impression of you, based on how you look. Smart dream tenders make the effort to display their best when leaving the nest. Raise your energy when you start the day. If you go out, choose energizing colors, fabrics, and styles that make you feel confident. If you work from home, dress as if you are going to work somewhere else—it will heighten your energy and your productivity. Let people see the you behind your eyes, but not choosing distracting clothing styles. How we present ourselves can determine whether doors of opportunity open or close. Find out more about Kathryn Graves and discover her amazing book at kathryngraves.com. If you need to improve your order, style, or sense of self, Kathryn is someone you’ll want to follow!   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie38 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.

Few people I meet would define their lives as exceedingly abundant. Instead, sadly, most describe a stuck-in-a-rut, barely-getting-by existence. I do not believe this is what we were made for. Most definitions of abundance refer to a degree of plentifulness or ample quantity. I like the word image of life to the full, or the biblical picture painted in the 23rd Psalm, where it says, “My cup runneth over.” Though rare, I’ve seen people who exemplify a life to running over the brim.  Thomas Edison is one of those people. But not because he had a perfect life, or because everything ran smoothly. He spoke from experience when he said, “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”  He also said, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”  I would add, “Most people are not plugged into the reason they exist. They don’t understand the more they were made for.”  I understand how this feels. In my new book, Exceedingly: Spiritual Strategies for Living on Purpose, with Purpose, and for an Abundant Purpose, among other true stories, I share a few of my own. And for the first time, I wrote about the secret revelation surrounding my identity. I’m going to tell you a little about it today.  It started with a Facebook message from an acquaintance. The question she asked me started a cascade that changed my entire life. I discovered that most of what I believed about myself wasn’t true. “Do you know someone by the name of _______________?”  Stunned, I wrote back, “I think that’s my dad. Why do you ask?”  It felt like forever before she answered. Finally, a new message came through. “I’m so sorry. I thought you’d tell me this was a distant cousin or something. I had no idea he was your dad. I’m not sure if you knew this or not, but I’m adopted. I found my birth mother shortly before she died. This is the name she gave me.”  Stunned, I had to catch an emotional breath before my friend and I met a couple of nights later. I took notes on the details she had, but stopped when she asked, “Would you see if your dad would take a DNA test with me?”  That one was tough. I hadn’t seen my dad in a few years. My parents were divorced and he had moved on, mostly leaving his former family behind. Oddly though, I was flying out within the week, and planned to visit him on that trip. Still, asking him to take a DNA test was not something I felt comfortable with. And when I told my mom about the request, what she said made the thought feel even more awkward. Much more!  “She wants me to see if Dad will take a DNA test with her,” I said.  My mom’s reaction wasn’t what I expected. When she suggested that my brother should test with my friend, and then changed the subject, something made me ask what I believed was a rhetorical question. I was chuckling when I blurted out. “Dad’s absolutely my father. Right?”  I waited for her laughter in return, but instead, she began to wail. That’s the moment I found out my paternity was in question. Within two weeks, I received the DNA results. I was shocked to discover that my dad is not my biological father. You can read the details in Exceedingly, but for this episode, the entire story isn’t my point. It’s what I went through in the days following the revelation about my identity. When I was in the throes of grief, I struggled with a recurring thought, I’m an accident, and I should not exist. It took time, but eventually the truth began to seep in. A close friend said to me, “God sure must have wanted you to exist. You are the only person with your exact mix of DNA on the planet.” Her statement, along with some other dramatic moments, finally convinced me of the truth. I exist on purpose, with purpose, and I was created for an abundant purpose. I believe the same is true of you.    Filling Needs:  Look at your history and search for emotional lies that have convinced you there’s no purpose for your life. If you have not figured out why you exist, go on a quest to unearth the reason.  Allow yourself to believe you deserve an abundant life. How are your dreams connected to the way you view yourself?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Stop settling for a stuck-in-a-rut, barely-getting-by existence. Pursue your abundant purpose. Does your cup run over? If not, how can you start refilling yourself?   Have you ever gotten close to success, but then things got dark, difficult, or dangerous, making you quit?  Remember, it’s never too late for a fresh start with fresh faith. If you’ve given up on your dreams, consider resurrecting them.   If you’ve tried and failed 9,999 times, resolve to go for 10,000. Dreams and purpose fit like hand in glove—unlayer one and you’ll find the other.  You exist on purpose, with purpose, and for an abundant purpose—if you don’t believe this already, dare to discover yours.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie37 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.

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.

Some of our dreams are unusual in the eyes of other people. The dream Allison Deppenbrock pursued is not something most people would even consider, much less accomplish. She’s achieved a very unique endeavor.  Allison went to Bayou la Batre (home of Forrest Gump’s shrimping business, Bubba Gump) to attend sea school so she could become a certified boat captain—one of few females who’ve done so. She and her husband wanted to navigate educational vessels for families and children in their home state of Kentucky.  For fourteen long, intense days, surrounded by twenty-six male sailors who Allison says fit the stereotype well, she studied. Classes lasted twelve hours each day, where she learned to read charts, memorize flags, and reviewed every detail of a boat’s anatomy. Then she crammed for tests at night, going over the specifics again, leaving room for an average of four hours sleep a night.   Tenacity, perseverance, resolve, and commitment were necessities, as Allison pursued this unusual dream. She said, “I had to work it, and I had to work it hard. There were many times I wanted to quit. There were challenges at home, flooding, a dear friend passed, and being the only woman added to the pressure. But I just prayed and prayed and prayed, and pushed through.” If you’ve tended any dream for any length of time, you already know the qualities and mindset Allison demonstrated are necessary for you as well. You have to dig deep to keep making the efforts to succeed. Dream tending requires practical steps, mental fortitude, emotional stability, but you can’t miss the spiritual aspect. It’s like a three-legged stool, if the spiritual leg is broken, the whole piece falls down. We need to make sure our spirits are cared for in the pursuits of our heart’s desires. Support is another crucial part of dream tending. When we have another human being in our lives who gets it, who gets us, can help us keep putting one foot in front of the other. Knowing someone is rooting for us, can drive us forward.   Filling Needs: Are you allowing yourself to opt out versus pushing yourself forward? Have you decided in advance not to give up on your dreams—and are you deciding it over again every day? Are you willing to push yourself through the tough stuff to reach a place of celebration? Your dreams can drain you, but in a “good tired” way. When you accomplish something most people haven’t had the guts to try, it’s powerfully energizing.   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Get out of your own mind and take a risk. Why not you? Allow yourself to imagine what might seem improbable. Try something new. Give something daring a shot. Dare to live! Say to yourself regularly, “I CAN do this!” Be your own advocate. Affirm yourself. Be your own encouraging voice. Refine your raw talents. Do you really want your dream? If you do, then push through and seize it with determination and decision! Once you achieve, don’t rest on your laurels, keep your skills sharp. If you’ve been allowing fear to hold you back—stop now! Give yourself permission to dream. Find out about Allison’s river guided trips and Buffalo Trace Tours on the Kentucky River at kyrivertours.com  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie35 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.

I’m writing a book about Tending Your Dreams right now—this one is specifically for women who hold onto hope while they wonder, “When will it be my turn?” But what we say to ourselves will help determine when and if we succeed at our dream tending efforts. Your voice matters, especially when it comes to pursuing what you want the most. It was Henry Ford who said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”  Something I I’d remind you is, “Every dream starts with what the mind hears.”  I can remember being a young mom with a sweet little toddler who believed my every waking hour belonged to him. Even the bathroom wasn’t sacred. But one day, I felt like a little stuck and as if my life would never change. I just needed to be alone with my thoughts, so I made my little guy stay outside, while I locked the door to the bathroom, and let water run in the tub. He cried so hard, and his little hand swept back and forth beneath the door as he cried out, “Mommy. Mommy. I want you.” In that moment, I was tempted to unlock the door as guilt and resentment swirled together. And then I began to beat myself up. Moms weren’t supposed to act this way were they? Wasn’t it my duty to put my child above my own needs? Was there something wrong with me for wanting to be more than a mother? After all, I adored my children—they were desperately wanted and loved. But while I tended to everyone else’s needs, sometimes I couldn’t help wondering who was tending mine. At that time, even I wasn’t doing such a great job of it.  But I learned that day that my child and I could both survive if I gave myself a short mental and emotional break. Actually, we were both the better for it. I stepped out of that tub feeling a little less frustrated and a little more refreshed. I began to realize that motherhood did not mean a tradeoff for my dreams. It simply meant I would have to be smart, strategic, and take small steps until I could pour myself more fully into some of the deeper desires hidden in my heart.  And changing the things I said to myself would help me hold onto hope while I waited for my turn. One thing I had to release were the when-thens. Those statements we make to ourselves when we justify not taking at least one action toward what we say we want. We say things like:  “When I finish this, then I’ll do something different.” “When I get through this tough spot, then I’ll be able to do something different." “When I save more money, then I’ll be able to afford to do something different.”  The truth is, you can do at least one different thing today—something positive and active toward making your dreams come true. Drop the when-thens, and challenge yourself to do at least one proactive thing toward making your dreams come true today. Find educational resources related to what you want to do. Sign up for a class. Buy a book. Listen to a podcast.  Practice. So many dream tenders tell themselves they’ll work on their dream when everything aligns, but I can tell you, life will never align perfectly. If you want to fulfill your dreams, you’re going to have to start doing something when it’s not easy. You’ll have to talk yourself through tough spots and frustration as life sometimes seems to conspire against you.  So how do you do that?   Filling Needs:  Separate facts from feelings by writing each down as they relate to your present circumstances. Face your fears of success as well as your scares of failure.  Remember, you don’t have to do your dreams—you get to! What are you telling yourself about yourself and your dream tending pursuits?   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Get alone with your thoughts and focus on self-awareness. You can’t think clearly when your mind is cluttered, and you can’t capture thoughts when you don’t pay attention to them.  When pity-party thinking sets in, take those emotional lies captive and send them to the gallows.  The human brain is not capable of thinking two polar opposite thoughts simultaneously. So when fear and insecurity threaten your dreams, smother them with quotes about courage and confidence.   If an I can’t pops into your head, replace it with a review list of people who overcame incredible odds. The only person stopping you from eventually inspiring others through resolve, determination, and perseverance is you.  Tend your dreams daily by creating a Pinterest board with inspirations and motivations. If you need a jump-start on ideas, quotes, exercises, etc., check out my Tending Your Dreams™ board. You can find me under Anita Brooks - Author. Ask your friends about their self-talk struggles. When we realize we’re not alone, we automatically gain a boost of boldness and energy.  Replace mental down-grading thoughts with affirmations reminding yourself of your gifts, talents, and abilities.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie34 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.

To make any dream come true, and to maintain them when we do, we need our health. Susan reminds us all, “We must take care of our bodies so we can make it through this life  gracefully.”   Susan Neal is a beautiful inside and outside nurse and certified health practitioner by day, but for years, she carried a secret in her soul. It began while she filled the role of stay-at-home mom for twenty years, but she ended up following a different path for quite some time. Actually, her work in healthcare is still a parallel path to her dreams today.   Starting in her early 50’s, Susan decided she wanted to be an author. She needed something to fill her heart and her own creativity. So if you think life has passed your dreams by, then you will want to listen in to this inspiring entrepreneur. Remember what I so often say, “It’s never too late for a fresh start with fresh faith!”  Not everyone understands what their dreams are from childhood. Many of us have dreams that lay fallow for years, until one day, you realize you have a drive and a desire to pursue something in particular.    In reality, Susan’s work in healthcare created a foundation for her writing dreams. She invested in learning all she could about her passions, then she lived them out, until she was fully equipped to pass her knowledge and wisdom on to other people. This is a piece too many aspiring dream-tenders miss. We must live and experience what we want to teach, if we are to be effective.   Susan’s insights were great, but as this interview continued, I did not want to miss the opportunity to glean Susan’s wisdom on taking care of ourselves, so we are equipped for healthy dreaming. She is a wealth of insight when it comes to infusing us and our dreams for living our best.    Filling Needs: What symptoms is your body using to signal that you need to make changes? Are you at your prime when it comes to having the energy and endurance needed for healthy dreaming? Do you realize how much people evaluate you by how you look and respond?  Healthier choices will give you strength to live your dreams longer, to make better impressions, and to truly enjoy what you do.    This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Eighty percent of the time, eat well. When you don’t deprive yourself completely, you are more likely to sustain a healthier lifestyle.  When traveling, look for a grocery store to grab a quick snack or meal in place of a drive-thru. If you must choose a fast food option, look for healthy foods—most offer at least one.  Focus on the perimeter of the grocery store. Avoid processed, packaged, and boxed foods that hide in the middle aisles.  Eat lots and lots of vegetables. Half of your plate should be filled with fresh, raw vegetables.  Eat low sugar fruits, green apples, berries, plums, grapefruit, and avoid high sugar foods like melons, cantaloup. Avoid wheat if possible. Quinoa, brown rice, barley, are good replacements for wheat as your grain. Avoiding wheat alone can help you lose 1-2 pounds per week.  Add a half a handful of raw nuts for some added protein.These are especially good for those times when you feel hurried and harried. For quick, on-the-go healthier snacks, get some little bags of raw nuts to keep with you.  Keep a green apple with you at all times.  Eating healthier will help you feel better, look better, lose weight, and clear up a lot of brain fog. These are crucial elements to successful dream tending.  To take advantage of Susan’s free 7 Day No Sugar Wheat-Free Challenge, go to susanuneal.com/7daychallenge and don’t forget to check out her website susanuneal.com. Her best-selling book, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates is helping people make changes that support healthier lives and healthy dreaming.   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie33 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.

Whether you’re plugging personal or professional invisible drains, a few key questions can stop the seepage. When you find yourself feeling frustrated, confused, angry, or afraid, the following questions will help you regain your composure, and identify the time, energy, money, and other resources drains challenging you.  Drain Plugging Practices Is this within my sphere of control?  If not, am I trying to infuse myself into a situation that I may potentially make worse by trying to help?  Are there details I may not be aware of that could alter how someone else is handling the situation?  What is lacking attention in my area while I'm expending time and energy concerning myself with what others are, or are not, doing? If this is within my sphere of control, how am I treating the people involved?  If asked, would they describe my actions as professional and thorough, while equally calm and reassuring?  Do those I lead see me as someone they can count on to make well-balanced decisions?  Am I someone whose actions support what I say--do I follow through and keep my word?  Do my subordinates see me as someone they can trust who has their back?  Am I giving others what I would like to receive if the tables were turned? When frustration rises, what am I afraid of? What consequences do I fear?  Why do I feel as if I "need" to control?  Who might I hurt if my efforts to control escalate, at work, in my community, at home, and/or within myself?  Where do I seem to get myself in trouble--are there patterns in my past that I can use as warning flags to protect me in the future? (i.e. Do I have a tendency to take control of meetings and dominate dialogue versus listening and considering other points of view? When I ask someone a question, do I cut them off as they're answering to add my "fix it" thoughts.)  This exercise has proven beneficial among many of the leaders, businesses, and dream tenders I’ve worked with.   Filling Needs:  Listen twice as much as you speak, and focus on truly hearing the other party. (Seek first to understand, and then to be understood.) Ask more questions and make fewer statements at people during challenging moments.  Slow down just a bit in speech, bring your decibel down slightly, and focus on sounding calm and reassuring when speaking to others.  You exist on purpose, with purpose, in order to fulfill an abundant purpose, so before speaking or acting, ask yourself, What is the core purpose in the response I'm getting ready to give?  Remember, you can't experience a miracle without first experiencing a problem. See challenges as potential miracles in the making, versus something that turns your world upside down. When you practice invisible drain plugging, it becomes easier over time.   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: Self-analysis is the first key step in plugging any drain.  Review the processes connected to your drain: personal habits, work flow, outside vendors, customers, clients, what overlooked areas are stealing time, energy, and money? It’s tough to face your drains, but ignoring one will only cost you more than you’ve lost up to now.  Lack of education or training is an expensive drain. What might you not know that you don’t know? Don’t forget that fear lies at the core of anger. When you are mad, ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?” We get what we give. Consider this as you react to current circumstances.  Patterns from your past need not determine your future.  Never forget that you exist on purpose, with purpose, and for an abundant purpose. Do not allow insecurity to drain you of your dreams. Identify YOUR invisible drains. What are those areas that are costing you time, energy, money, and other resources? How can you start plugging them? Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie32 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.

Let’s talk about invisible drains. Those areas that cost us time, energy, money, and other resources—professionally and personally. Those things you don’t necessarily identify as the true source of your anger, frustration, hardships, challenges, hurts, or pain. So what are they and how can you start plugging them?  Some of the more common invisible drains I’ve identified relate to our bodies, minds, and spirits. And whether you are a dream-tender who’s looking to improve your overall existence, are an entrepreneur ready to go to the next level, or need to plug seepage at your place of work, identifying your invisible drains is the first place to start.  Physical Issues: Why is it so easy for us to become couch potatoes? I don’t know, but I do know that taking care of ourselves is necessary if we want to tend our dreams long term. If we don’t do what’s best for our bodies, we’ll soon feel the consequences of that invisible drain.  Sometimes, physical issues go even deeper. In the past few years, I’ve developed serious thyroid problems, and I’m working on plugging that drain. (I’ll share my thyroid protocol on a later show.) But the point is, I refuse to spend my life metaphorically paralyzed by a physical impairment. Look at all of the people who are literally paralyzed, but continue to inspire the rest of us with their positive attitudes. No matter what state we’re in, we can make a difference by choice, in spite of the uncontrollable. If a physical issue is hindering your ability to tend your dreams, look at how you’re reacting to it, that may very well be your greatest invisible drain. Are there ways to work around your ailments? Can you do less until you’re strong enough to do more? Is there a greater purpose hidden in your pain?  Emotional/Mental Issues: Childhood conditioning is an invisible drain for most of us. Do you ever slow down to consider why you do what you do and how you go about your days? Our mental self-talk often mimics voices from our pasts. Another common invisible drain comes from efforts to juggle the projects, people, and processes in our lives. Do you strive to people-please? Do you feel pressure to get more done? Do you beat yourself up because of your reactions? Do you expend volumes of time and energy wishing life was easier? Simply understanding the root causes of our thoughts can provide welcome deliverance. Realizing the “why” behind what we do can relieve our anxious concerns. And sometimes, without realizing it, we have unresolved grief that needs attention, so we can be set free from ghosts of our past. Spiritual Issues: There are soul-deep places that can leave us longing for more out of life. If we attend to our bodies and minds, but fail to consider our spirits, we will eventually find our dreams falling flat. We can lose the drive, the desire, and the passion to continue, if our spirits are not fed. What does that look like for me? I find spending time outdoors to be one of the most energizing activities for my spiritual needs. There’s something about watching the squirrels play, seeing the greens, browns, and bright colors displayed on earth and the heavens, hearing the birds sing, feeling the breeze on my face, and breathing in the scents of nature, that infuses my soul with peace. Another spiritual practice I’ve developed is meditation. Finding a place of solitude, silence, and in my case, soaking up scripture. Listening to God as well as speaking to Him in a private space.   Filling Needs:  Personality Issues: Our unawareness of exactly how we’ve been wired that makes us who we are, drives our preferences, and creates chaos and craziness when we don’t get what we want. For instance, just as a tiny summary of my teachings as a certified personality trainer, I can tell you this:  There are Popular Personalities whose life filter is having fun. They want at least a little fun in every day, and if there isn’t any, they do their best to lighten things up. But beware, if their fun-meter gets broken, they are not very fun to be around. Powerful Personalities are driven to do things fast. They always have a long to-do list, either mentally or in black and white, that motivates them and helps them motivate others to get more done. But if they don’t get to check things off that list, watch out!  Perfect Personalities need things done right. Their philosophy is, “What’s the point if you aren’t going to do it right?” They analyze and organize the rest of us in hopes of getting us on board with their better ways. But beware of their backlash when people cut corners, rush, or disregard details. Peaceful Personalities want an easy existence. No pressure, no discomfort, no conflict, that’s their preferred way of getting through life. They often step up to help their fellow man or woman, but don’t understand why others have a hard time keeping it simple and letting things roll. If they feel blindsided, cornered, or drawn into conflict, prepare for immediate shut-down.  Because this is such a big subject, I’m going to make this week’s episode part one and share part two on my next release. So tune in, to discover more ways of identifying and plugging the invisible drains stealing the life out of your dreams.  Identifying and plugging invisible drains can revive, refuel, and restart your dream tending energy.   This episode’s Dream Tending Tips: If you are physically weak, you will have less strength to tend your dreams. But physical weakness does not guarantee dream destruction.  Look for creative ways to work around bodily impairments if necessary. Never forget that tending our dreams is as much about what we do in our minds, as anything we do physically. What self-talk do you need to plug? How are you plugging emotional/mental drains with ongoing encouragement and hope? Spiritual issues can kick the legs out from under your dreams. Pay attention to your soul-deep needs and feed your spirit what it requires. Where can you go to fill your soul? What practical areas are draining you? Financially? Broken processes? Lack of training?  Personality preferences are needs, not just wants, so learn to understand what your intrinsic drivers are.  Identify YOUR invisible drains. What are those areas that are costing you time, energy, money, and other resources? How can you start plugging them? Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie31 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.

What happens when you lose your momentum? Life can change in a hurry, bringing your dreams to a screeching halt. It’s in these times, when we often need to find a safe place.  In author, Karen Jordan’s case, her dream collided with her husband’s, when he retired. As she put it, “Their collision was more like a shipwreck.”  Because of dealing with years of intensity in the job he was leaving, Karen’s husband was close to burn-out, he was chronically stressed, and wanted to do nothing more than go to a lake with his wife, so he could relax and stare at the water. But Karen was in a place where she needed the opposite. With momentum building in her writing career, she needed to get to work. She needed a place with internet, and quiet space to focus. In that season, their needs were not aligning—they were at 180 degree odds. Sometimes, the conflict described between this husband and wife doesn’t always come in two bodies, dream-tenders can feel that kind of collision paralleling in us. We can feel a spark of our dreams left, but that’s it. One part of us longs for rest, refreshment, and rejuvenation, while at the same time our mind is screaming, “I need to work. I need to be doing something productive. I. Need. The. Internet!” This scenario drives home the point of the proverb that says, “As iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another.” There’s no doubt that Karen was learning and growing through the process of tending her dreams in spite of this challenge, but it was painful nonetheless.   Filling Needs: Are you conflicted by people who don’t understand your passions and goals? How do you protect your dream while protecting your relationships in a place of frustration? Where is your safe place when the momentum of your dreams is threatened? Don’t allow a challenge to mushroom into a crisis. Expect difficulties, and understand that growth comes through adversity, but though your momentum may temporarily halt, do not allow it to cause you to give up. Get B.A.C.K. at it. Breathe. Assess. Collect. Kickstart.    This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Be honest about your dream-tending needs with those you love, clearly, respectfully, and firmly—and at an appropriate time. Cool down, never express yourself when you’re angry. Accept your emotions as a natural part of the dream-tending process. Remember that our dreams don’t always show up the way we want them to. Fear and frustration are inevitable at times, but acknowledging and accepting that fact, can get you back on track. If you feel like your dream is in jeopardy, it’s natural to feel defensive, but be careful not to hurt others as you figure out how to alter your course, and keep moving forward. Sometimes you need to close your lips until you are in a better frame of mind for discussion. Look in the mirror, as you express your true feelings in this moment. How would you respond to this person? What can you learn from looking them in the eyes? If you feel a ship-wreck has thrown your dream against the reefs of life, don’t quit. Put the pieces back together, and lean into the peace-maker, Jesus. Get off to yourself, just you and your dream, whenever possible, to retreat, re-evaluate, and restore your energy. Inspire yourself by reading Karen’s book, Words That Change Everything. Remember this fact: if dream-tending truly was easy, everyone would be out there doing it, but they’re not. Dare to become one of the few who acts in spite of life’s conflicts. To find out more about Karen Jordan and her book, Words That Change Everything, find her on social media and check out her website, karenjordan.net. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie30 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.

When you feel like you’re on the edge of a breakdown, you are likely on the verge of a breakthrough. My experiences with this truth have threatened my dreams countless times—but they have also provided rich fertilizer that has helped me tend my dreams and made them grow even bigger. However, I’ve often needed a coach to help me see the opportunity, and to show me how to take advantage of adversity.   Among a few others, one of the coaches I follow is Michael Hyatt. I love his book and highly encourage you to read, Your Best Year Ever: A 5 Step Plan for Achieving Your Highest Goals.   If you feel stifled in your dream-tending efforts, and want to move toward your best year ever, face your present—why are you where you’re at? Ask yourself these questions:  Why is this happening?  What has happened in the past that’s affecting my emotions today?  What have I stuffed?  Where have I settled?  One of the methods I learned from Michael Hyatt is writing your answers out—there’s power in putting words down in black and white. Until you process your past, you are not going to be able to freely pursue your future dreams.   Books and podcasts are inexpensive schools of knowledge, and can teach you how to tend your dreams more effectively and efficiently. Implement what you learn, and you will run ahead most dreamers.    Filling Needs: Are you numbing out in front of the TV, settling for apathy, versus truly tending your dreams? What do you “get to do,” that you’ve forgotten is a privilege? How can you make your someday thoughts a today reality?  No matter what life hands you, you can have vibrancy, tenacity, and energy, when you intentionally tend your dreams.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Don’t allow yourself to numb out, to hide, or to push down the pain. Be intentional to find healthy venting places to let off steam. A professional counselor, a trusted friend, an encouraging pastor usually provide safe places for you to land.   Don’t let your past keep you rooted where you are, preventing you from becoming what you want to be. Inspire yourself by reading the Dream Giver, by Bruce Wilkerson.    Produce something new that provides a different effect. Get up and do something one hour each day, actively, toward pursuing your dream.  Imagine yourself in success. What does it look, sound, taste, smell, and feel like?   Read and release yourself through Lucille Zimmerman’s amazing book, Renewed: Finding Your Inner Happy in an Overwhelmed World.  What was missing in the past year of your life? Professionally, relationally, emotionally, mentally, financially? Make a list of the books or podcasts that could help you tend your dreams, and set a goal to begin filling yourself with education, inspiration, and encouragement. Schedule time with people who matter to you.  Invest in your dreams. Be reasonable, but give yourself the gift of learning more than you know today, by spending your money, energy, and time on education that will support your desires. Take my challenge and choose to live with real courage and rare passion.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie29 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.

More than just complaining when he saw areas of frustration in the emergency services field, Darren Dake did something about it. His dream is to educate and encourage those who serve and protect, those who help and heal. Darren is a dream-tender, a tend-talker, and a dream-doer, and he lives by two principles.  Find out where it’s raining and lay down a tarp. Take all of your passions and giftings, and develop them into something that helps others—this often reveals a motivating business or other life-long endeavor. As a long term dream-tender, Darren understands that what you set your mind to will determine what you choose, which in turn, will alter your reality. He learned a long time ago to be careful about what he sets his sights on.  As he shares what his eighteen-year-old self dreamed about and tried, we see how his quest ultimately led him to discover his true interests. He didn’t allow disappointment to take root, but instead, learned lessons from setbacks and failures, and allowed his talents to guide him to his true calling.   Darren works with departments and agencies of all sizes, training and speaking often to large groups and conferences. But he has a special heart for the over 21,000 police departments with only ten officers or less, EMT’s and paramedics with tiny budgets, the volunteer firefighters, 911 operators in cramped quarters, and the coroner’s office operating with only one or two people. He helps leaders and their teams, no matter how large or small, determine what their strengths are, and educates them on how to further develop them to do a more effective job.   As Darren Dake well knows, none of us gets to do what we like or are the best at, all of the time, but sacrifices are necessary, in order to tend your dreams. We can learn disciplines and methods, from doing what challenges us, that propel us even further toward where we ultimately want to go. Other people can also help us move faster and more efficiently.   We all need influencers, encouragers, and inspirers to guide us toward our dreams. There will always be people who are two steps ahead of you, who can answer questions, show you the way, and lead you even further than you could go alone. But conversely, there will always be people two steps behind, who you can teach, reach, and show. Pouring into others makes your dreams worth tending.    Filling Needs: Are you so narrowed in on how you think your dream should look, that you’re missing deeper layers or inflections or details you are drawn to, that might allow you to fill a niche? Who have you sought out who can teach you more about tending your dreams?  Who are you mentoring and supporting? Remember the two-step rule: there are people ahead of you who can help, and people coming behind that you can encourage.    This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Look for a lack and listen for complaints—what can YOU do something about?  When you feel frustrated by what others overlook, you may be the one called to enact a change or give voice to the issue. Who are the people you can relate to naturally, without much effort? This may be evidence pointing to your dream-tending destiny.  What can you help empower and heal? Is this kind of difference a dream you can pursue? Be open to a dream off-shoot or branch, as you follow your passion. Life can surprise you and reveal opportunities you never imagined, so don’t narrowly define your own options.  Don’t lose yourself as you navigate expectations, emotions, and necessary demands in order to tend your dreams. Unify your efforts with others who share your passions. Engage with people who feel strongly about similar or same dreams.  Monitor your motives daily: Am I considering other people’s needs and how they feel? Are my drives and ambitions other’s focused, or are they solely about me? Remember, if you don’t chase your dream, no one’s going to give it to you! To find out more about Darren Dake and the book, CODE: Living Healthy, Happy and Whole Submerged in Tragedy, Trauma and Death, find him on social media and check out his websites, darrendake.com, deathinvestigationtrainingacademy.com or thinlinecode.com.   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie28 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.

Any dream pursuit is guaranteed to come with mountaintop and valley experiences. Whether it’s something you are dealing with personally or whether you are challenged by a professional problem, some adversities can even throw you into a state of depression. And there’s one particular day of the year that will make you more prone than all the rest.    A few years ago, the third Monday in January was labeled Blue Monday by many experts in the mental health field. Some simply go with a date—January 21st.  But why the 21st or the third Monday in January?  Based on extensive research, as well as intensive interviews, I believe there are several contributors that solely, or linked with others, can throw even the hardiest soul into the pit of depression on or around the Blue Monday date. What are these triggers? Coming off the high of the holidays.  Family member/friend goodbyes, after holiday reunions. Fewer activities to look forward to. Holiday bills coming in.  Cabin fever.  Less exposure to fresh air, and nature's other healing properties. Cold and windy weather.  Less sunshine.  Cold and flu season peak.  Reduced amounts of exercise.  Less exposure to the blues, greens, yellows, reds, pinks, and oranges, that are known energizers according to the spectrum of the psychology of color. Higher incidence of death during the holidays, causing more to grieve. Fewer face-to-face social interactions with other human beings.  New Year's resolutions have now failed. Regardless of when depression hits, there are some things you can do to help yourself, apart from seeking professional support for deep-seeded, clinical depression. So how do you off-set some of these melancholy contributors?  When it comes to post-holiday blues, or dark clouds that gather any time of the year, there are a few simple tips that can help.  *Take up a new hobby. It can be something you’ve always wanted to try, but choose something that requires concentrated effort. The human mind cannot think two distinctly different thoughts simultaneously, so for those used to the analytical world of left-brain work, try a creative right-brain project, like taking up drawing, painting, writing, or learning a musical instrument. Dream tending fits this healing practice perfectly.  *When sadness lingers long after your loved ones’ holiday visit is over, begin planning your next get-together. It’s been proven that anticipation is as good or better than an actual event.   If you aren’t necessarily sad over missing a person, but boredom and the blahs are your nemesis, plan once-a-month mini-vacations or weekend getaways. Your destinations don’t have to be extravagant or costly, you can even transform your home into a tropical fantasy island for a couple of days. Just choose something you can outline to give you a positive event to work toward, and allow your mind to look forward to the big date.   *If holiday bills are stressing you out, take thirty minutes to an hour, and create a budget that you write on paper or a computer. By putting things in black and white, you’ll give yourself a true perspective. Often, a situation feels more overwhelming when we aren’t clear on the details. What we fear is often much worse than the facts.   *Cabin fever is a real malady. Get out. Breathe in fresh air. And breathe in a fresh spirit.   *When it’s cold outside, heat yourself up by giving special treatment to your toes. Soak your feet in a warm epsom salt bath. The magnesium and other minerals in epsom salt have many healing properties, including natural anti-depressant chemicals, and when you warm your feet in water, you get an inside and outside boost of healing heat.   *Have your doctor check your Vitamin D levels to see if you need supplements to get you up to par. One of the reasons many people suffer from higher degrees of depression is due to less sun exposure, which offers natural infusions of Vitamin D, a known depression-buffering vitamin.   *If you can’t exercise outside, don’t have a treadmill or other home equipment, can’t get to the gym, or can’t devote 20-60 minutes to an exercise regimen then do one minute intervals when and where you can. Sixty seconds of jumping jacks, running in place, skipping an invisible rope, dancing, kicking, air boxing, or anything else that gets your limbs moving will work. If you do 20 intervals in a day, you’ve gotten twenty minutes of exercise in.   *When you feel like avoiding everyone is precisely when you might need to be around people the most. Withdrawal from human interaction is a symptom of depression. If the black clouds of overwhelming emotions are causing you to pull back from other people, do what feels uncomfortable, make yourself do something social with others.   Depression Busting Challenges: Will you commit to reduced amounts of sugar, caffeine, and simple carbohydrates? Are you eating whole foods, proven to buffer against depression? Do you give yourself things to look forward to? Depression busting often takes a consistent and concerted effort, sometimes supported by medical assistance.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Eat natural depression busting foods, such as those listed on this week’s free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie27 or in my eBook, Depression Busters, found at tendyourdreams.com/shop. Clean a room, a corner of a room, or tackle one small cleaning project—the sense of achievement will infuse you with a spark of energy.    Get adequate sleep. Fatigue, especially chronic lack of sleep, can help throw us into depression and/or keep us there.  Set one tiny goal, and then work toward accomplishing it.    Schedule something you can look forward to within the next 30 days.  Do something physical—motion moves our minds up.    Get out of the house and meet a friend for coffee, tea, or lunch.  Write down at least one thing daily that you are grateful for. The act of putting your thanks in black and white will embed positivity in your brain.  Read Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over, and/or other books that will support your own self-care and/or that of a professional.  See a professional therapist or counselor. Just as you wouldn’t mess around with your physical health, don’t risk your quality of life when it comes to your mental state.   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie27 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.

Cynthia Simmons plunges right into her story with the first few seconds of this episode. After being a delayed dreamer, she has been seriously pursuing her dream as a published author since 2004 or 2005. (After a while, you just lose track of time.) Through humor and reflective insights, she shares several valuable lessons that can help any of us, no matter what dream we want to tend.   Cynthia’s interest in writing first blossomed in childhood, when she was eight or nine and wrote a story about some blue flowers. But when her brother saw it, he called her story silly, and she immediately put her pen down, thinking, I write silly, so I’m not going to do that again. All it had taken was one sentence from one person who didn’t realize the lasting impact their words would make, to nearly destroy Cynthia’s dream.  She did not pick that pen up again until decades later, when her children began leaving home. It was then, Cynthia finally decided to lay the stigma from that single statement aside, and to stop letting it squelch a desire that never entirely went away.   Cynthia’s current book, Pursuing Gold, was born from her love of history and finance. This mystery about a confederate bank during the civil war, is not only fascinating, but can teach you much about what our ancestors did with money and why.    We can all learn from the loss of time that nearly halted Cynthia’s dream. One negative sentence or question can steal our confidence, our hope, and our willingness to try. Remember that word resolve we’ve talked about in past episodes? Do not allow anyone to steal your boldness, your faith, or your decision to act.   Cynthia and I explored some of the reasons others might unknowingly undermine your dream. We came up with a few possibilities. It’s not their dream, so they don’t understand your interest. It’s not the way they would go about it—how you are pursuing your desires and goals.   They can’t see you in that role, considering your current situation.  Perhaps someone has squelched their dreams, and have influenced them negatively, so they subconsciously pass doomsday predictions or discouraging questions on.  Often, they have no idea you’ve had these interests, because you haven’t shared them before. Your expression blindsides them, and they react without having time to process or think. Another person’s opinion is not typically based on fact, but on emotions like fear, jealousy, anxiety, confusion, etc. And even if they have facts to back up their ideas, many a determined dreamer has done far more than most would suppose or circumstances would assume. A dream tender does not let someone else decide their path.   I asked Cynthia, “How have you supported your dreams along the way?” Again, her insights proved helpful. She educated herself on how to write professionally.  She learned how to write to her audience—in a way THEY could connect to. Realized there were things she assumed she knew, but found out new or revised information by being open to it.  Joined others with similar dreams, she got connected with like-minded people. (In her case, writer’s groups.) Practiced and honed her skills daily. She invested the time to learn the process and how to do it well.  Filling Needs: Do you dare give yourself the label associated with your dream? Do you call it before others see it? Are you supporting your dreams on a daily basis? How?  What did you do with your imagination as a child? What did you do with your playtime? Are your dreams grounded in those moments—there all along, though you didn't see them? If Cynthia could go back in time, she would tell herself, “You can do this.”  Cynthia’s advice to fellow dream tenders is, “Don’t give up!” This simple encouragement is deeply profound—and will hopefully offset any negative statements or discouraging questions presented to you in the past.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Let people see who you truly are. People support those they know.  Step out in faith, give voice to your dream—call yourself what you wish to become.  Criticism is hard, understand that sometimes you have to choose to face it when you are in the right mood or emotional state, so you can better absorb it and use it to improve, or decide if it has merit. Allow humility to benefit you by having a teachable spirit. Use wisdom when listening to the other person’s opinion, whether positive or negative, and weigh it out to see whether it makes sense to allow it to take space in your mind. You don’t want to let negativity hold you back, nor do you want positivity to cause your ego to grow out of bounds. Practice and hone your skills daily, even when you don’t feel you can do as much as you’d like. Think about the people you want to reach or who will be impacted by your dream(s), and make it your mission to connect with them in a way they can relate to.  Invest the time necessary—however much it takes.  If someone else has doused your dream, decide today to allow it no more. Tending Your Dreams often means taking them back! To find out more about Cynthia Simmons, find her on social media and check out her website, clsimmons.com.   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie26 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, 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.

Most of us are familiar with this word—so familiar in fact, that we often forget what it really means. The word I’m referencing is habit. According to Merriam-Webster, it’s an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary. So what are the bad and the good things you do without even thinking about them?  What are the areas of your life that you’ve become so accustomed to or conditioned to, that you keep behaving the same way over and over, without remembering why? For me, food comes to mind.  When I was growing up, we were pretty poor—to the point that my dad often hunted game and my mom cultivated a large garden, so we could eat. I know what it’s like to wonder where your next meal is going to come from and hoping there will be enough food to go around.   As an adult who doesn’t have the same financial challenges my parents did, I am still conditioned to eat every morsel, whether it’s a candy bar or a full meal. In fact, I have the opposite problem I had in childhood—now I suffer from overabundance. Out of guilt, I can hardly leave anything on my plate. My habit of consuming everything in front of me started from when I was little, as I wondered if I would have anything to eat the next day. That fear still haunts me today. I’ve found there’s only one thing that can help me overhaul my habit hangup, intentional focus. But it’s not something that starts out easy.   Do you remember when you first learned to drive? How focused you were on every gadget, dial, and light. How awkward and uncomfortable the positioning of your hands and legs felt. The pressure to juggle everything in your mind at once: looking in the rearview mirror, watching the speedometer, keeping an eye on the gauges, making sure you looked ahead to approaching vehicles? But after a few weeks, months, and especially years of practice, the juggling act became routine. We can learn to overhaul our habit hangups by studying that example.   We must keep doing something over and over that at first feels awkward, uncomfortable, and stressful, in order to develop habits. If we never tried a different set of behaviors, we’d never learn anything new, or gain strength, and we’d miss out on a whole of good, fun, and adventure. Staying stuck in the same old rut sure won’t lead us to our dreams.   What are you giving in to on a daily basis, what routines or habits that you don’t even notice, are detracting from our dreams?  Only 8% of people who make resolutions achieve them. 25% give up after the first week. These low statistics aren’t all bad news though.  When I wanted to be a writer, an instructor said that only 1% of aspiring authors succeed in getting published by a royalty house, where a publisher pays you to write a book, versus you having to shell out money so your book can see the light of day. When I heard that, a choice was immediately presented to me—I could throw my hands up and give up, assuming any efforts would be pointless, or I could resolve to become one of the 1% who set goals and created new habits to make my dream come true. Since my fifth book is releasing in a few weeks, I’m sure you can guess which choice I made.   Instead of giving up, I ended up setting a goal to read 100 books on the craft and business of writing. I didn’t get stuck on the big number, and gave myself the time necessary for me to succeed. I chunked down the overwhelming dream, and focused on taking a small, but strategic step each day. It took me 18 months to complete that goal, but I did it. Today, I am a successful author, speaker, and coach, because I broke some negative habits and implemented some positive changes in their place.   Today, I’m exercising what I call my 4x4 Habit Overhaul. I’m focusing on transforming four key areas, each week within a month, making a specific change within each target emphasis, and repeating monthly, for a year. At the end of that year, I will have changed 16 important habits, setting myself up to succeed at tending my dreams.    4x4 Habit Overhaul: Are you ready to chunk down your bigger vision into a bite-sized strategy? What are the four most important areas of your life you need to focus on? What four specific changes do you need to make for each important area of your life? How differently will your life look in a year, if each month, you go back to the beginning and start your four target emphasis again? Overhauling habit hangups doesn’t happen on its own.  We can’t enjoy a good quality of life if we don’t incorporate good quality habits. What will help you pursue your dreams, maintain your dreams, and what are the habits that will keep them alive?    This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Good habit practices are like puzzle pieces, when we put one in place, it shows where another piece might fit. Placing one positive habit after another will help you see the bigger picture for your dreams. If you feel bored, stuck, or as if something’s missing, review your life and consider your current habits. What could or should you change to add more passion and excitement to your existence?   Consider the root of the word resolution—resolve. When you want a change, commit to it, resolve to make it happen, unwaveringly transform your habits. Chunk down the overwhelming into smaller areas of focus. Consistently ask yourself, “What’s my next best step?” Then take it.    Without healthy habits, a dream can never take root and sprout from thought to reality.  Review your life, what transformational moments conditioned you to some of the habits you practice today? Which ones benefit you? Which ones need to be replaced?    Imagine what replacing 16 weak habits with 16 strengthening habits would make your life look like a year from now.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaway at tendyourdreams.com/freebie25 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 the 4x4 Habit Overhaul for only $3.97, 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.

Regardless of when you are listening to this podcast, it’s a great time to make a fresh start. But I’m not talking resolutions. Did you know a single word could change your life? In this episode, I talk with Darren Dake, a dream-tender who’s making it happen in his world of emergency services and law enforcement training. The founder and host of CoronerTalk™ podcast, Death Investigator Magazine, and the Death Investigation Training Academy, he’s also a national speaker and author in his own right. Darren understands that some of the most powerful ways to support your dreams come from the simple—though they are not always easy. Darren starts this show off by saying, “Resolutions are for losers.” He’s not trying to offend, but bluntly stated, he’s sharing a statistical fact—90% of resolutions are not followed through with. They represent hope more than reality. A simple One Word focus however, guides every decision you make. It’s a funnel you live life through. In the beauty of its simplicity, a One Word provides clarity.   Some of Darren’s One Words have been: structure, growth, and no. Over the years, each of these areas of focus have helped him build his business and tend his dreams. But as Anita has discovered, not every One Word means exactly what you imagine when it first comes to mind. When Shine came to her, she didn’t realize it meant she would need to concentrate on shining a positive light in spite of some very difficult circumstances. The next year, Rise was the word she felt she was supposed to keep in mind. Anita assumed this meant she would rise past the adversities of the previous year, not yet understanding that she would need to rise above even more challenges. But in each of these cases, Anita’s One Word provided a boost of fortitude and determination, helping her remain clearer and calmer, as she navigated the unexpected. The deeper definition of our words often provides greater inspiration and motivation. One Words help us move past the distractions of life and to get back our momentum after an interruption we didn’t count on.  Anita believes practicing a One Word focus has helped her make her dreams come true—and Darren Dake says the same is true for him.    Filling Needs: Are you scattering your energy in multiple areas, weakening your effectiveness? Do you practice a One Word focus? If so, what is yours this year?  Are you ensuring your focus is balanced between personal and professional endeavors, so you not only achieve, but have people to celebrate with? Ponder, think, and pray to discover what the best One Word is for you. A sharper focus can increase productivity, profitability, and raise rates of achievement for anyone pursuing a dream of any kind.    This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Search your soul—is there a lack, or something missing, that you need to fill? What One Word can help you restore and renovate your life? Is there something you need to reduce or get rid of, to free up time, energy, finances, money, resources, and mental capacity? Filtering your decisions through a singular scope that will reduce stress can change your life. What’s held you back until this point? What One Word would challenge and motivate you to action? If focusing on a One Word for an entire year feels overwhelming, start with a monthly choice. Try a 30 day concentration and see how it changes your perspective as well as your practical decisions.  A One Word focus will carry you toward making the desires of your heart a reality over a mere hope.  Be open to the deeper meanings and layers of your word as you move closer to making your dreams come true and maintaining them once you do.  How can your word inspire others in their dream tending efforts? When we invest in others, our own interest is compounded.  Don’t keep doing the same things over and over while expecting different results. If resolutions are not working for you, consider a simpler and more powerful strategy.  To find out more about Darren Dake, find him on social media and check out his website, darrendake.com, coronertalk.com, or ditacademy.org.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie24 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.  Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Reliability. Dependability. Keeping your word. Promise-keeping. These are the words that define trust. If people cannot rely on you, know you are dependable, believe you will keep your word, or count on you to keep your promises, they cannot trust you to show up or complete what you commit to. But what about the times when a potential employer, client, or customer’s expectations don’t match your own?  I believe expectation is the greatest culprit behind conflict—due to one of two factors. An expectation is set and not met.  An expectation is clearly set and met, but appreciation is not expressed.  If you want to achieve and maintain any dream, it’s important to note that a perception of promise-keeping is usually behind unmet expectations. You can see how this can cause a cascade or domino effect, leading to relationship breakdowns while undermining our dream tending goals.  Years ago, I learned an ancient proverb that offers a secret to help us avoid potentially dream destroying scenarios when it comes to expectation. It’s insanely simple yet potently powerful, and will set you apart from most people today.  My paraphrase of Ecclesiastes 5:5 from the Bible is this, “It’s better not to make a promise than to make one and not fulfill it.”  Most translations of this passage use vow or covenant in place of the word promise, but in today’s culture, we are more familiar with the term promise. And whether you use the word promise or not, if you tell someone you are going to do something, they have a reasonable expectation to believe you will follow through. However, many people today, barely pay attention to the words flying out of their own mouths—making them appear untruthful and untrustworthy.  Set standards for returning calls, emails, and text messages, especially regarding commitments you’ve made. One of the great dream-tending destroyers comes from lack of communication. If we aren’t careful, we can mindlessly break promises, making others less inclined to join, support, or partner with us, as we go about tending our dreams.   Subliminal ways we can break promises: Do you ever tell people you will call them back in a few minutes, when they are lucky if they hear from you within 48 hours—if ever at all? Have you ever told someone you would take them somewhere or would do something with them, without acting on it? Have you ever said yes to participating in, working on, or being a part of something, but never really showed up? Do you ever avoid a person because you forgot to do something you agreed to? Are you habitually saying, “I’m sorry,” because you failed to measure up in the moment? Broken promises leave a trail of damaged opportunities behind.  Our daily habits need to set us up for success, not drag us down to failure. If people believe in us, they will usually believe in our dreams. Are you a solid promise-keeper? Or do you need to commit yourself to changing habits, so your word becomes something others can count on?   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Start paying attention to what you say. How often are you telling someone you will do something (promising), and not acting on your own words? Realize it’s okay to say no, and that it’s actually more respectable than saying yes and not following through.   Resolve to be on time, every time. When you commit to a job, challenge yourself to show up and get right to work, versus playing or procrastinating.   Finish what you start—a half completed job is a non completed job.  Make it your mission never to miss another deadline.    Think about how you feel when someone tells you they will do something, yet fail to follow through. That frustration, irritation, and anger you feel is how someone else feels about you, when the tables are turned and you aren’t dependable. Reliable comes from the root rely upon. When you tell someone you will deliver, they have a reasonable expectation that they can rely upon you to take care of whatever you promised—whether you used that exact term or not.  Lack of communication or avoidance does not offer an out when you fail to follow through. None of us are perfect, so if you mess up, be willing to fess up, but with determination not to make the same mistake again. Remember, it’s never too late to make a fresh start with fresh faith. Create a new habit of promise-keeping, and not only will your faith in yourself be strengthened, but it will increase in the eyes of others, as well.   Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie23 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.  Until next time, don’t forget to T.E.N.D. your dreams: Take courage. Excel daily. Never stop believing. Dare to dream bigger.

Wisdom doesn’t always come in older packages—as this week’s guest proves. Luke Marks is a very accomplished 13-year-old, this exceptional young man has already written an entire book. Talk about a dream tender who’s making it happen!  Luke has very specific goals, and reasons behind them. He wants to write books as a way to express himself, and to express his feelings. He wants people to hear and read his writing to help change lives.  For Luke, writing is something he stumbled on, it wasn’t a dream he always knew he wanted to pursue. He’s thought about and tried other things, but he always found himself coming back to writing. Like many people, it was a reoccurring theme or pattern he couldn’t seem to get away from, because it’s obviously part of his greater purpose.  As many adults can relate to, Luke also struggles against the draw of the shiny new object. When you’re in the middle of a project or a particular dream, and something else glitters and sparkles on the horizon, trying to pull you away from that thing you’re supposed to finish. Far too many dream tenders have fallen prey to the temptation and allure of a fresh, new idea. As Luke says, “Ideas can be like an addiction. You want to stop and start something new, but then you know you need to go back and finish. It’s really difficult to start a new book when you’re already working on one. So you have to grind it out and keep working on your first.”   Filling Needs: Do you have someone who not only cheers and encourages you, but who also coaches you and pushes you to grind out your dreams? Do you cheerlead and coach yourself when no one else is available or willing to do it for you?  Are you willing to set aside some entertaining and fun things to stick with your dream? Dream big and dream long. Luke has a goal of publishing a minimum of ten books, and he anticipates it taking many years, but he has decided he’s in it for the long haul. How big and how long are you willing to dream?   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Give yourself the gift of completion. There’s nothing like the feel of the finish, especially when you’ve accomplished something difficult.   Prepare yourself mentally for the sacrifice. It will be required, but if you expect it, you will find it easier to delay gratification for now, so you gain a greater reward later. Don’t overwork yourself. Make sure you take care of your body with good nutrition, hydrating drinks, and sufficient rest—otherwise, your work will suffer.  Expect rejection. Know it’s part of the process, but don’t allow it to embed into your person. A project or dream rejection is a temporary judgment from someone who may not be suited to be part of your dream, but the right person, group, or partner will come along.   Use Luke’s creative key bashing process: when looking for a name, title, or simply inspiration, just type letters into your computer, and see what shows up on the screen. Don’t step away from your dream too long, otherwise, you will discover how much longer it takes to regain your momentum.   Let your imagination run free—but equally practice discipline.  Listen to the gratitude and fortitude in this young man’s voice. If a 13-year-old can dare to believe in his dreams, why you can’t you? Try something new on a regular basis, then practice, practice, practice. Even if it seems unrelated to your dream, don’t be surprised if that knowledge doesn’t come into play at some point. But if nothing else, it will grow your confidence, which will enhance any dream you hope to tend. Work hard. Push through the pain. Never stop being a dreamer who is also a doer. To find out more about Luke Marks, look for him on YouTube and other social media platforms. I expect you’ll find a website coming soon. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie22 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD22 to snatch your deal.  Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Is clutter getting in the way of your dreams? Every endeavor requires sacrifice, often leading to a need for downsizing and/or minimizing somewhere in our lives. Imagining the freedom from reducing can feel great, but stepping into the actual process of lessening our stuff can quickly feel overwhelming—whether it’s in a physical, mental, or emotional realm. So how do you prevent downsizing overwhelm from stopping your dreams in their tracks?  Chunk it down into bite-sized bits.  We human beings accumulate. Some of us have rooms where we throw everything we want to stay out of sight and mostly out of mind. These rooms may be harbored in our minds, in our souls, or in our actual homes.  When my husband and I sold the building we’d called home for over twenty years, and traded our larger residence into one that forced us into a more minimalistic lifestyle, we soon learned we couldn’t tackle cleaning the whole house at once. We had to focus on one room at a time, and sometimes concentrated on a single corner. I started with my closets and began cleaning them out. We all have closets filled with things we haven’t used in 6 months to a year. If you aren’t using it—get rid of it. This goes for the mental and emotional items as well as the physical.  Kitchens are other great hiding places for unnecessary stuff and clutter. I found a whole drawer full of miscellaneous plastic lids when we moved, almost all with no matching container. Get rid of your lids.  Another area to check is your cookware. What’s hiding in the back of your cabinet? But in this case, don’t rush into throwing everything away. What haven’t you used, what dish haven’t you made in a while, that you’ve missed?  And what about your refrigerator? What’s tucked back on the shelves, hidden behind other food and drink, that has growing things on it? How long has it been since you’ve checked the refrigerator of your dreams? Is your fridge stocked with appropriate staple items? And are you stocking the staples needed to support your dreams? Make sure you have what you need, so you are always prepared to tend your dreams.   Thinking about the toxic things that can grow in the back of our dreams, consider the following: Are there toxic habits you need to change? Are there toxic relationships you need to avoid? Are you holding onto toxic mindsets or listening to toxic childhood conditioning? Are you ignoring the growing things that can poison your dreams? What can you downsize and minimize to make more room for your dreams?  In the bathroom, we might condense to save space. Some of us need to throw out half-used, old hygiene items or makeup. Are those things helping you hold onto a mask you’ve created? If so, get rid of it. There’s power in authenticity.   Filling Needs: Are you being true to you as you pursue your dreams? Do you allow others to see your transparent self, where you let them know your life isn’t perfect, but neither do you wallow in whining?  Have you experienced the beauty that shines out of brokenness shrouded in hope, faith, and determination? This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Don’t overcomplicate your downsizing or minimizing plans. An extravagant plan is not necessarily always the best.   Take a few minutes and do a simple brainstorm, to let every thought related to what you need to diminish come to the surface of your mind. Then remove those things that aren’t feasible or necessary to your downsizing efforts and organize the rest. A cluttered house often means a cluttered mind. Release your creativity by cleaning around you.   Don’t hold onto the good at the expense of your great.  What can you put on to simmer related to your dreams, to bring out some amazing flavor?   Most people will not only accept you for who you are, but they will embrace you.  Expect a minute amount of jealousy or accusation from people who either don’t understand your dream or are angry because you are actually doing something about it. Their emotions are their business—let them think and say what they will, while you go about the business of tending your dreams. Release what you don’t use regularly—or people who can’t or won’t support your God-given dreams.  Guard and protect what holds sentimental value to you—things yes, but people even more. Work to sustain your important relationships, and make them part of your dream tending efforts.  Make sure you compensate people who are helping you tend your dreams appropriately, as you are able. Do not downsize or minimize what others are investing in you. Even if you can’t pay them a fair wage for what they contribute, offer an occasional gift card, or some other form of thanks.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie21 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD21 to snatch your deal. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Deb Crowe is not only walking out her own dream, but she also takes the hands of others and helps them discover their own dreams. She’s particularly impassioned about reaching those at the mid-life point who are doing what they do, simply because they’ve always done it. She helps to stir the fire in the belly of people who feel bored and maybe even dead inside. She wants people to know anything is possible with a few changes in habits and by taking a self-directed approach. She’s used to people telling her, “Well Deb, that’s easy for you to say.” But she knows how hard tending your dreams can be, when your mindset is your greatest enemy, because she had to learn how to quiet her own inner chatter. in her fifties now, Deb feels like she’s coming into the very best of herself and of her life.  We have a choice in whether we tend a dream or not. Fear is the great barrier for anyone who desires to do something different. We can learn to love the valley, because our best growth comes from that challenging place. Clarity is a muscle that needs to be worked every day, and our greatest clarity comes from facing our adversities (present and past) head-on.  Act in spite of what you feel. Do your dreams scared.  Expect the bumps and plan to work around them and to move over them.  When you learn to overcome one obstacle or one emotion, it becomes easier to tackle the next challenge.  There’s power in the decision.  Give yourself permission to view the vision of your dream coming true.   Filling Needs: Are you trying to multi-task, and if so how is it working for you? Which area are you giving 100% to? Do you believe you were created on purpose, with purposes, in order to fulfill an abundant purpose?  How are you caring for yourself so that you have the endurance and energy to tend your dreams successfully? When your spirit is touched by God, you can do anything He has made you for and called you to do, even when His dreams seems overwhelming and too big.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Guard yourself against squelching the dream and purpose you were made for.  Exercise Agape love, the pure, selfless, and highest-form of love in your daily habits. Be willing to serve, and your dreams will begin to align. Lean in and engage with people when they are speaking to you. Communicating through authentic listening makes us more trustworthy, and when we are trustworthy, more gifts, opportunities, and offers comes your way.  Remember what Deb Crowe says, “Self-care is not selfish—it should be part of your daily regime.” Take care of yourself cognitively, physically, spiritually, emotionally, holistically.   Practice meditation for fifteen minutes a day: sit in silence, focus on your breathing, reflect on scripture, allow no negative thoughts to play in your head. Unplug from your electronic devices on a consistent basis.   Seek something enjoyable you might have done when you were younger—something you may not have done for a long time—and commit to picking it up again. Dare to pick up your joy again and become an intentional joy-splasher. Choose to do what is good for you, with no concerns for how others live their lives. Your tastes may not be theirs and vice-versa, it’s okay to be different.  To find out more about Deb Crowe, find her on social media and check out her website, debcrowe.com. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie20 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.  Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Practical tips help us tap into knowledge and use it in an efficient way, while inspiration triggers our spirit and energizes our efforts. Today, as we talk about the power of the human mind and gratitude’s impact on it, we will cover some of both. Thanksgiving is one of life’s greatest success secrets.  Do you feel a sense of peace and purpose, or do you feel as if something is lacking in your life? Your mindset determines your outlook—negativity can destroy our dreams.  In this episode, Anita tells the story of Nick Sitzman, who by multiple accounts froze to death, triggered by the power of his own mind.  Those who focus more on the positive, statistically achieve much greater results. But this does not mean you should beat yourself up for those fleeting negative thoughts that happen to all of us. Simply consider what you do with those thoughts when they come—do you wallow in them, or allow them to control you? Or do you take them captive, and refuse to let them stay rooted in your head?  It’s not whether you’ll have a negative thought or not, it’s what you do with the thought when it appears.  Don’t toss out really good information because you have a bias or prejudice. So for instance, when Anita shares Philippians 4:8 from the Bible, even if you don’t believe it comes from God, consider what it says. “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that excellent and praiseworthy.” (NLT)  One of Anita’s dream tending secrets is taking biblical scripture and applying its relevancy to her life today. With this scripture, she takes her negative thoughts captive and asks herself, What are the facts in this situation and what are my feelings? How can I fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable in my current situation?   Focusing your mind on gratitude can transform your thinking and provide you with peace—allowing you to make more objective and wise decisions. You can save your dreams by closing your eyes and considering the following: What verifiable evidence do I have to support my current thinking? Are my assumptions and opinions true? How are my feelings affecting my confidence? Are my dreams solely about me, or have I considered how I might affect others? Am I practicing gratitude or getting stuck in a perception of lack? Close your eyes and imagine yourself achieving your dreams. What does this look like for YOU?  Don’t let thoughts like, I can’t make my dream come true. What I want couldn’t happen for me. Don’t entertain the thoughts that tell you your dreams can’t come to life. Don’t destroy your own dreams, don’t kill them, before they have a chance to sprout and grow. Do the uncomfortable, the scary, the awkward—take a chance and risk for your reward.    Filling Needs: Are you allowing your thoughts to run wild or are you acknowledging them and taking the negatives captive? If you haven’t tried, who says your dream won’t work?  What’s the worst that could happen if you turn your negativity upside down, and consider the opposite of what your fears, confusion, and anxious thoughts tell you?   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Give of yourself by volunteering with agencies like Convoy of Hope or Reach Beyond. Be grateful you can partner your efforts with those of others to make a difference in the world.  Spend regular amounts of time with people who are likely lonely. The elderly, the sick, the downtrodden. Be thankful you can pour good things into the lives of those less fortunate.  Speak to God and thank Him for your dream.   Thank and speak gratitude for your dream, versus focusing on fears.  Exercise faith—believing and speaking before you can see. Dare to believe.   Be grateful you can do your dreams scared.  Exercise gratitude that you can learn new things.   Practice thanksgiving that you have the ability to do something progressive every day.  Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself about your dreams. Don’t let yourself to wallow in the negatives, instead, focus on the true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable about your dreams.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie19 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Michelle Cox’s granddaughter had one question for Brian Bird, co-creator of the popular TV show, When God Calls the Heart. “Can you make Jack and Elizabeth kiss more? Sitting over dinner for faculty of a writer’s conference where they both attended, Brian shared a secret with Michelle.  Michelle is a dream-doer, so when Brian said he’d always wanted to write a devotional associated with When God Calls the Heart, but didn’t have the time to write or know a publisher who could get it done, Michelle was ready to help him tend that dream. Her response was, “Let’s do it. I think I know a publisher who could get it done for us.” That books released in February 2018, and just in time for this year’s holiday season, When God Calls the Heart at Christmas releases.  Filled with devotions based on episodes from the TV show, prayers, stories, traditions, and recipes, many provided by Hearties, the rabid fans of When Calls the Heart. To get more information on these books, go to whenGodcallstheheart.com.  In her dream-tending efforts, Michelle knows we have to partner our efforts with the dreams God places in our hearts. Like the Israelites backed up against the Red Sea when God parted it had to pick up their own bags and walk across the dry land that was ahead of them, we have to pick up our dreams and walk into opportunities. We must be teachable.  Michelle told God years ago at a writer’s conference, “If you let me do this, I’ll put my running shoes on.” Today, she laughs as she tries to keep up with the dreams God lays before her.  If spending quality time with family and creating lasting memories is one of your dreams, then Michelle has that covered as well. Some of her family traditions include creating unique family ornaments for their tree, making a birthday cake for Jesus and singing Happy Birthday to Him, as well as the family participating as a group in putting their nativity scene out.  Neither Michelle or her husband came from a healthy, wholesome family environment. So, when they came together, they resolved to create a loving home environment, where their children did not grow up afraid of them. By creating special family traditions, and working together, they have done just that. One of their secrets to making this dream come true and maintaining it, is knowing that the ultimate dream is to feel accepted and know they are loved—regardless of their pasts. They pursued a relationship with Jesus Christ, and made that dream of feeling loved and accepted an ongoing reality.   Filling Needs: Are you asking God what big dreams He created for you? Do you know the ultimate dream—that you ARE absolutely loved and wholly accepted?  Are you pursuing all of the dreams that provide happiness? Vocational, physical, relational, and especially spiritual. When your spirit is touched by God, you can do anything He has made you for and called you to do, even when His dreams seems overwhelming and too big.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Study some of the habits of those in previous eras, not only can we learn from the past, but we can often discover treasures for a lifetime.  Always be on the ready, with a willing and teachable spirit, to tend a dream opportunity. Create some new holiday traditions for your family, the kind designed to make your dream of becoming a closer family come true.  Search for recipes that warm the heart, fill the spirit, and bring people closer together. There’s no better atmosphere for dream building and tending, than sitting around the table over good food.  Invite God to participate in your dream tending efforts. Don’t be like my grandson, who when he was small, used to say, “I can do it on my own self,” only to make a wreck of things.  Do you have your running shoes on, ready at any time to race toward the dreams God will place before you?  Pass love and acceptance on to others. There is no greater joy or practice, than to give to those who lack.    Take a tip from Michelle’s granddaughter, kiss and hug more—complain and gripe less.  To find out more about Michelle Cox, find her on social media and check out her website, michellecoxinspirations.com.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie18 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

It’s never too late to make a fresh start with fresh faith—and we need to set goals to help us achieve our dreams. But most people do not understand the difference between a dream and a goal—therefore, setting themselves up for partiality at best and failure at worst.  Are you clear on what you want to do and how to go about it?  Anytime we start something new, we have fresh energy, but how do we keep ourselves motivated for the long road?  Andrew Carnegie said, “If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hope.”    David Cole, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech reports the following statistics: 80% of Americans do not have goals. 16% say they have goals, but they do not write them down. Less than 4% take the time to write down their goals. Less than 1% review them regularly. But that 1% who write down their goals and review them on a consistent basis, have proven to earn 9 times more than the average American makes in their lifetime.  Here are some core principles—proven to be highly effective goal-setting techniques: Write your goals down—putting them in black and white tells your subconscious that you are serious about succeeding.  Formulate a list of action plans to help you hit your targets.  Review your written goals twice daily: once in the morning and once at night before going to sleep.  Send your goals to one support person, but make sure you choose this person wisely. You should feel trust and comfort that they will not only encourage you, but objectively hold you accountable. They should ebb and flow between pushing and pulling, between encouraging and consistently asking you if are acting on the goals you’ve written down.  One great way to find that balanced mix of encouragement and accountability is to join a mastermind group. There are many out there, and these days, the odds are high that there’s an online mastermind available for your dream, whether it’s vocational, physical, financial, relational, mental, or spiritual.  If you want to climb the wall of dream tending success and reach the top, it’s crucial to make sure your ladder is leaned against the right wall. Appropriate support people can help us ensure we are not wasting our time and chasing the wrong steps, leading away from what we really want.   Filling Needs: Have you resolved (made a strong resolution) to pursue and achieve your goals? Do your goals include reading books that will educate you about the most efficient and effective ways to tend your dreams?  Are your goals clearly measurable with a date stamp on them? The goals you set, write down, review, and share with your support people, should have a clearly defined target tied to a specific date. For example: I will lose 15 pounds by December 31, 2018.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: You were made to become one of the 1% who pursues and achieves their dreams, but it’s up to you to take the action steps necessary to succeed.  Have you brainstormed a list of goals out and developed a list for refining?  Write your goals down in detail, put a date stamp on them, begin reviewing daily, and share them with your chosen support person(s)—START NOW!   Make sure your goals are somewhat difficult, challenging, and stretching for you. They should be achievable, but not easy.  Set small goals that allow you to taste achievement. The energy you build from that will propel you into taking more action.   Decide to put yourself in that 9 times higher earning bracket.  Have you researched masterminds related to your dream(s)?  Surround yourself with inspiring thoughts and quotes from dream tenders who are in the 1% who’ve made theirs happen.  When you have a vocational or financial dream, make sure you balance yourself by including relational goals to ensure you don’t lose sight of the important people in your life.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie17 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Faith Blatchford, author of Winning the Battle for the Night, published by Chosen Books, has a dream to help others tend theirs, and I was fascinated to hear how she does this. She helps people get unstuck so they can live their dreams and produce their dreams. She says that when your dream is fulfilled, you are released to change the world.  Faith also believes that God speaks to us through dreams, even in our modern times. She shares how Albert Einstein had his “ta da” moment when the theory of relativity came to him through a dream. But whether God gave the dream in the night, or planted it inside the emotions during the day, Faith points to many world-changers who received epiphanies, inspirations, and specific ideas through dreaming. But Faith is also very practical.  Cautioning us to value our dreams—really value them to the point that we don’t allow busyness, distractedness, or interruptions to get in our way—is something Faith says most dream tenders miss. She says when God gives us a dream, we must see it as a priority. If you’re interested in it, God is interested in it.  Know your why. Why is your dream so important to you? Faith’s greatest why is knowing she will have to give God an account of whether she was a good steward of the dreams He gave her.  Protect your dreams. Put securities in place so nothing can rob you of your dreams. Protect yourself against naysayers. Decide you are not going to allow anyone to steal your confidence, security, and  Use specific planning to keep other things from getting in the way—set dates and times to reach your goals.  Pray your dream with a community of supporters who will help you spiritually protect your dream. Be humble and ask other people to help you.  Write your dreams down, review them, and rehearse them. Regularly and consistently read through every detail of the dream you have.  Use wisdom in what you share and with whom you share, otherwise you will open yourself up to attack. Partner with God who gave you the dream, and don’t let just anyone inside your hopes and plans. But do not go too far, where you become afraid, and refuse to allow anyone inside. You will need the help and support of other people.  Create a community of people who believe in you and your dreams.   Filling Needs: Have you thought through what you are going to do with your dream? Do you confidently and victoriously stand on God’s promises for making your dream come true? Do you believe it’s possible for you and your dream to change the world? Thank God in advance for giving you everything you will need along the way to making your dreams come true. Pray with thanksgiving versus offering the beggar’s prayer.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Don’t be too proud to ask for and accept help when needed. Consider your night and day dreams, what are they telling you? Is God speaking to you when your eyes are closed? Like Joseph in the Bible, do you see your challenges as opportunities? What people may intend for evil, God may ultimately mean for a greater good. Value your dreams—make them a priority that is given the appropriate tending, attention, and focus. Give yourself permission to fulfill your dream, so you can bring blessing and positive change to the world. Consider your why—why is your dream so important to you? What is at stake if you don’t pursue and fulfill your dream(s)?  Make sure you are protecting your dream(s), from naysayers and your own fears.  Write your dreams down, review daily, and rehearse them. Imagine what success looks like, allow yourself to “see” what your future can look like.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie16 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. You can find out more about Faith Blatchford at faithblatchford.com or email her faithunlocksdreams@gmail.com. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Have you heard of my five-minute rule? There are times we all need moments of activation, and the first tip I’d like to share is one of my favorite go-to’s when I feel more like procrastinating than motivating. But you wouldn’t think this would work.  The five-minute rule is something I tell myself to get started on whatever it is I feel like putting off. For instance, if I know I need to exercise, but don’t want to, I say to myself, Just do it for five minutes. You can quit after that.  But in nearly every instance, once I start, I keep going for much longer—often, until I finish what I began.  I’ve discovered that the root of much procrastination for me comes from assuming a project or action will take longer or be more difficult than what it turns out to be. But the start is the hardest part, so once I get going, I typically find whatever I accomplished took far less time and energy than I anticipated. Pushing past the hard start helps you hit your sweet spot.  Another great motivation tool when I don’t feel like working my dreams comes from self-evaluating. The simplest way I’ve found to do this effectively is to go through a simple process I created, called the Facts/Feelings exercise.  All I do is take a piece of notebook paper and draw a vertical line down the middle. On one side I write Facts and on the other Feelings.  Then I ask myself what are the facts regarding whatever it is I’m facing. What can be proven by supporting evidence? What can I substantiate? Those items are listed under the Facts heading.  On the other side, I review all of the emotions I’m feeling about the situation, and I write those down under Feelings. What are my true emotions? Why do I feel this way? These are great questions to provide clarity.  By putting these factors down in black and white, you get a clear and more objective visual, that often frees you up and releases you to progress forward. It uncluttered the soul, and keeps emotions from lying to you.  Another natural motivator is gratitude. Focusing thankfulness in an intentional way makes a huge difference. I’ve been doing this for years, and it’s change my life in wonderful ways.  Work hard to be at your peak. Exercise intentionality in taking care of you. Self-care is not a cliche, it’s a crucial piece to success.   Filling Needs: Are you a “have to” person, or do you remind yourself of how much you “get to” do? Are you taking care of your mind, body, and spirit?  Do you pay attention to the finer details of life? When you notice life all around you, especially when you take care of yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually, it increases your inner drive. Are you paying attention to the birds, leaves, flowers, and clouds? What about the people whose paths you cross?    This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Brainstorm dream ideas on a regular basis to increase your energy and keep you motivated. Think freestyle.  Don’t stifle your creativity or hold yourself back. Allow yourself to entertain fresh ideas.  Use the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo, working in 25 minute increments, then giving yourself a scheduled break. Or do what I’ve done, modify it to a time that works optimally for you—my best productivity seems to come from 40 minute focused work periods.  Remember what Thomas Edison said, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Fight the urge to do anything except taking advantage of the opportunity you have to be productive in this moment. (Scrubbing toilets or washing the car can wait.) Make your work fun—compete with yourself or secretly with someone else. Create some kind of game out of the mundane. Take a moment to breathe in and enjoy a sense of accomplishment after you’ve completed something.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie15 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Carol McLeod’s future is happening now. This joy-tender knew from the time she was in second grade that she was made to be an author . . . there was just one problem. She chose to have five beautiful children with the man of her dreams, the delights of her life, but it meant putting her writing dreams on the back burner.  According to Carol, Diane Sawyer once said, “In a woman’s life there are three things: career, marriage, and motherhood. And you can do two at once very well, but it’s hard to do all three at once very well.”  Carol decided that what was right for her during that season of life was to put her personal dream on hold and give her whole heart to marriage and motherhood. So while her dream of authoring simmered on the back burner, she tended and stirred her dream of marriage and motherhood on the front. She determined to raise world-changing children. But she did not let the flame go out from under her writing dream.  While tending her family dreams, Carol was still strategy-minded. She made it a point to learn about writing by reading books: classics, biographies, works by great theologians, even some books by authors she didn’t agree with. She learned how she wanted to approach her dream and how she did not. The diversity of a variety of styles filled her mind and kept her dream alive while she rocked babies and raised kids through school.  During her season of simmering, Carol also did something very unique—she interviewed people. She would pick their brains, pick their souls, and pick their hearts, to learn what was going on inside of them, helping her navigate her own life, but also fertilizing her dream with the insights she was gleaning.  Once, fascinated by a new news anchor, Carol began the tenacious act of pursuing a connection with her. Finally, she was able to schedule a meeting, and was surprised to find that the news anchor encouraged her, but that Carol was also able to encourage this woman who was on TV. They each learned from the other.  Carol, who calls herself an introvert with good social skills, shows us a courageous method any dream tender can learn from. She didn’t wait for a mentor to show up in her life, she was proactive in going out and finding people to learn from. She picked up the phone and made calls. She was intentional in matching her teachable spirit to those who are out there living their dreams successfully, so she could prepare herself for her future. And Carol’s future is happening now, as the author of ten books who keeps cranking out life-enhancing works, helping thousands of people to live enriched, higher quality, more joy-filled lives.  While she waited for her time, Carol also discovered that the wait was creating a better dream, that the simmering season was showing her the fullness of her true destiny. She learned the importance of waiting well. If you own your dream, waiting will only increase your determination, strengthen your skills, and enhance your opportunities.   Filling Needs: Are you waiting well? Are you making the most of the time while you are waiting for the opportunity to move full throttle into your dream tending potential? Who could you interview—who are the influencers you could learn from?  Are you reading and learning everything you can about what you are most passionate about? Carol knows the pit of depression, but she found the breakthrough as a result of her faith and her absorption of the Bible. Today, she is a force to be reckoned with, because she knows pain, but can share the power from what she’s learned—the perfect fodder for tending great dreams.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Understand the season you’re in—don’t shovel snow when you should be planting flowers. Give yourself fully to the people, circumstances, and breaths you have available right now, understanding that every experience will enrich your dream tending efforts.  Find faith and grip hope. There are countless statistics, studies, and anecdotes proving the power of belief in something or Someone greater than yourself to help make dreams come true.   Remind yourself, you are a force to be reckoned with—made to live boldly and confidently. “Don’t waste your pain,” as Carol says. Let it be fertilizer to help you grow your dreams.  Change someone else’s life in a positive way every single day. Whose life can you change today? Determine to tend your dream very well. If you are juggling too many things, then reduce as you can, until you are able to make dream tending your priority. No matter what season you are in, be strategy-minded. What small things can you plant today that will help your dreams grow and provide a harvest later? Make everyday an tendtalk interview opportunity. Look for people to learn from and then tenaciously pursue every successful tidbit you can.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie14 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Discover more about Carol McLeod at justjoyministries.com, Facebook or Instagram. Host Anita Agers Brooks can be found on various social media platforms, and you can discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com

I was traveling with my hubby one morning when we stopped at a convenience store—to get him a soda and a coffee for me. A man who appeared to be between 30 and 35 years old walked behind me as I topped off my cup of joe with a little cappuccino flavoring. I couldn’t help noticing the man’s attire.  He wore a wrinkled black tee shirt that did not coordinate well with his pajama bottoms and tennis shoes. I’ve seen this kind of 21st century casual wear plenty of times now, and though it’s not my style, I mostly think, It’s their life. I wouldn’t go out in public wearing my pajamas, but hey, I live in America, it’s a free world. In this young man’s case, however, I could not have predicted what happened next.  Before I tell you what shocked me, let me first preface it by saying I am a business coach, and have been for several years now. I work with multiple millionaires, CEO’s, CFO’s, and board of director members, helping them solve problems, improve processes, and celebrate victories. Through that part of my work, I also interact with many of those on the front line, many whose dreams are simply to get out of debt, learn skills, and possibly make the most of their current situation as a stepping stone to something they hope to do in the future.  So when I share the rest of this story, please understand, I have a great deal of insight when it comes to what employers, customers, and clients want from those who are hired and expected to earn a paycheck. And I equally know what most employees would tell me their dreams, goals, and desires are. From either perspective, I can assure you, what I saw that morning would not lead to a positive outcome for anyone.  As the man in the pajamas moved past me, he made his way behind the counter. At first, I believed the female cashier I saw must be his significant other, which would still make his presence behind the counter very inappropriate, but I thought to myself, Surely, this guy is not working dressed like that. But when he rang someone up on the cash register, and then began stocking shelves, there was no question, pajama man was on the clock.  Here’s where this connects to dream tending—I am confident that if I’d had time to sit down with that young man and ask him, he would tell me he had dreams. If he’s like most young people, he would probably go into great detail about what he wants to do with his life in the future. But sadly, he doesn’t realize that the habits he plants today will determine the crop he harvests later.  Tending Your Dreams often begins in the fertile soil of what happens beneath the surface. When you put the time and energy into making a good presentation, it will often pay in unexpected ways. You never know who you might run across, or what that stranger may do for a living and/or have connections to. The impression you make could impact an unseen opportunity that suddenly appears. Possibilities often present themselves when we least expect them. You want to be prepared by making sure your face is in place—and there’s one easy way to accomplish this every day.  When you get ready in the morning, imagine meeting the most influential person who could help make your dreams reality—then dress for them. Before you leave your house, do one more double-check, envisioning that unexpected meeting with your influential person, do you feel good about what their first impression would be?   Filling Needs: Who are some of the people who might influence your ability to make your dreams come true? Brainstorm a list of at least three people if you have not done this already. Have you imagined the scenario if you were to meet one or more of those influential people? Do you know what you would say, what questions you would ask, what you would like to accomplish from that meeting?  When you go out in public, does your presentation match your desires for a better future? Making a successful appearance before you actually achieve success sets you up to make the most of every opportunity—expected and unexpected—and can help you reach your goals faster.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Take a bath or shower at least every other day. Poor hygiene has cost more than one person a big opportunity.  Dress as if you want and expect success. Tell others and yourself that you are serious about your endeavors.  Solid neutrals such as black, gray, brown, or navy are great, but add a pop of energy by adding splashes of bright colors known to boost the human spirit. Great accentuating tones include crimson red, sunshine yellow, brilliant purple, royal blue, and emerald green.  Spend a few minutes on your hair. A brush or comb does wonders, and a touch of style held in place by the right product can keep you looking sharp for hours.   Brush your teeth and use mints or spray for freshness throughout the day. It saddens me that in the 21st century this needs to be said—but this needs to be said. Don’t delude yourself—just because you can’t smell your bad breath doesn’t mean others can’t. This is a professional turn off. And teeth that obviously haven’t been brushed says to decision-makers that your habits are sloppy, translating into, “You are not reliable, trustworthy, or productive.” If you’re going to wear cologne or perfume, do not splash it on. Remember, a little often goes a very long way, and many people have scent sensitivities. Wash your hands after you use the restroom . . . with soap! Dedicate yourself to preventing the further spread of germs. Not only will you be helping the environment and improving your own health, but the inner “feel good” you get from taking better care of yourself just might surprise you.  Make eye contact and use your God-given smile. There’s a subconscious trust exchange when we look people in the eyes and offer a welcoming expression.  Be constantly aware and open to the unexpected opportunities that may come your way, and prepare in advance by making sure the image you present matches your desires and dreams.  Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie13 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Find host Anita Agers Brooks on various social media platforms, and discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynnette Eason has published nearly fifty books . . . so far. Known as a writer who brings readers to the edges of their seats, her Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense books, as well as romantic suspense available through Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, are wildly popular. One of Lynette’s books has even aired as a story on the Lifetime Movie Network.  As one of our mutual friends says about Lynette, “She kills people for a living.”  Lynette laughs at this, and adds, “I do have quite a body count among my characters, but they all have good reason to be dead.”  On this episode of Tending Your Dreams, we get the inside scoop on who the real Lynette Eason is. So, if you are a fan, have always harbored a secret dream of writing a book, or maybe as Lynette describes herself from a couple of decades ago, just a lonely mom or dad looking to fill some time, you won’t want to miss out on this interesting interview. One of Lynette’s first insights about making her writing dreams come true, was that she simply sat down and did it. Even though she describes her initial attempt at writing a book as being bad, she still acted on her thoughts—and the result was the completion of an entire book.  Another snippet of wisdom from Lynette comes from her description of being a life-long reader.  If you follow me long, you will often hear me say, “We become the most like the people we spend the most time with.” But I also know that we absorb the most what we spend the most time doing. So, if you want to learn good habits about a particular profession, it’s smart to spend time listening to, observing, and learning from those who have succeeded.  A third hint front Lynette comes from her courageous decision to reach out to someone she admired, Dee Henderson, who was already doing what she wanted to do. This act led to a mentoring relationship that eventually turned into a peer friendship. But things did not start out easy.  Dee edited, critiqued, and as Lynette said, “There was so much red it looked like she slit her wrists across the page.” But herein lies another secret to Lynette’s success—she was teachable.  Learning often means a temporary season of hurting. As you till the soil to plant your dreams, you may develop emotional blisters, but stay at it, until you can develop callouses, thickening your skin, reducing the pain, and strengthening you to continue on.  Lynette Eason’s success as an author is an inspiring story, filled with many practical and motivating ideas that can help any of us achieve what we hope for.    Filling Needs:  Are you bored, lonely, or frustrated with some extra time on your hands, enabling you to invest in some dream tending? Are you willing to keep working your dream, even when by all appearance, nothing is happening yet? Are you resolved to become your own supervisor, pushing yourself and developing strong self-discipline habits, so that you make consistent progress? Dedicating yourself to acting on your dreams will set you apart from those who simply think and talk, making you a dream doer and tender.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:   Do life while you regularly tend your dreams, if you forget to live you’ll soon lose your dreams. Remember, when you plant dream seeds, there are often things happening beneath the soil of what you see, so don’t give up just because you can’t see anything sprouting from your efforts yet. Be teachable. When critiques sting, determine to learn from them and work past the pain. Keep working at your craft. With every effort, you will improve, gain admirers and fans, as well as building up a master dream tender’s resume. Most overnight successes take an average of ten years, but don’t let that number overwhelm or frustrate you. Focus on good daily dream tending habits, and the time will fly by, leading you to that day when you look back and say, “Wow! Every step led me to where I am today." Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie12 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.   Follow Lynette Eason at lynetteeason.com, and look her up on social media platforms. Find additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

What could you do with an extra 21 hours per week? I can show you how to gain just that. By showing you how to do this, added to a handful of dream tending ticklers—prepare yourself—those dreams of yours are going to come true!  If you reduce the amount of television you watch in a day by only 3 hours (the average is 5 hours and 4 minutes), multiplied by the seven days in a week, you will have an extra 21 hours to participate in life, versus watching others live. And if you were to spend half of that three hour gain actively tending your dream, your own progress will amaze you. Another way to gain productive time is to support your body and mind with restful sleep. Go to bed one hour earlier per night (it may take some time to retrain yourself to actually start resting sooner), and ultimately, your dream tending efforts will improve.  Take a Sabbath rest every week. It may seem like a time-waster, but in reality, this is a time-generator when it comes to having the strength and endurance to make your dreams come true, and to maintain them when they do.  A mental trick that will infuse you with energy is to make your bed every morning. This little change in habit will fill you with an inner sense of deep satisfaction. Once a human being feels good about accomplishing one thing, they are often motivated to tackle other projects.  If you fight the procrastination monster, take my challenge and do one thing every day that you’ve been putting off. It doesn’t have to be something of great magnitude, but a little progress is like a magic potion to the human spirit.   Filling Needs:  Do you want to waste your life watching other people fulfill their dreams, or would you prefer to pursue yours, so you feel better about yourself and can contribute to the greater good of other people? Are you supporting your body, mind, and spirit in healthy ways, so you are equipped and strengthened to tend your dreams? Do you act on your dreams, or simply think, talk, and fantasize? A few simple changes can produce powerful, life-altering results.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Turn the tube off and turn your mind on. Focus more attention on tending your dreams and less on watching others cultivate theirs. Try some natural insomnia remedies such as lavender essential oil or Melatonin to help you rest deeper, as well as training your body to go to bed at an earlier hour. Give yourself a mental break by taking a weekly Sabbath from work, including email and text responses on your phone or other devices. Become intentional to develop order-inducing habits, such as making your bed every day, doing your dishes as soon as you finish eating, and picking up after yourself before going to bed. Science has shown that a neater environment leads to higher productivity. Remember, most of the things we dread take approximately half as long to finish as we feared. Training yourself to overcome procrastination in small things will lead you to overcome greater projects you’ve been reluctant to finish. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie11 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Have you dealt with your stuff, so you are free to make your dreams come true? Some of us have some pretty heavy duty stuff. A substantial segment of our population are walking around with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), but this is not strictly a military issue. Even if you don’t struggle against PTSD, perhaps anxiety and depression threaten to diminish your ability to make your dreams come true.  If you suspect that PTSD may be an issue for you, maybe these statistics will help you know you are not alone, and let you realize that your adversity may actually contribute to what you have to offer the world.  7 out of 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives 5.2 million adults develop PTSD in any given year Approximately 10% of women develop PTSD  4% of men will wrestle the demon of PTSD All of these numbers represent people—people who need help, support, encouragement, and healing. What have you gone through that might contribute to a greater good?   Filling Needs:  Are childhood issues like sexual abuse, bullying, name-calling, or emotional abuse, holding you back as an adult? Do you challenge your mental self-talk, refusing to allow old emotional lies to have the upper hand in your mind? Have relational issues or grief caused you to give up on your dreams? Whatever hurt you’ve experienced, after time and practice, you’ve likely learned enough to offer solace and support to someone else. Your purpose may be birthed from your pain.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Few if any of us are asked permission before a tragedy strikes. Remember, it’s likely not your fault that you are struggling with emotional weights from past traumas. Pay attention and develop awareness of emotional triggers: specific dates, the approach of a month, smells, colors, vehicles, sounds, certain textures or tastes. Feel, face, and do something about your emotional triggers. Create an advanced plan to help you get through when you hit an emotional brick wall, where you don’t feel like doing anything productive. Give yourself permission to take time off to deal with your emotions, or to flex your schedule, so you can feel what you need to feel, face what you need to face, and remember what you don’t want to remember.  Like anything else, facing past pain gets easier with time and practice. Resolve not to allow old wounds to poison your current dreams.  Offset negativity with positivity—music is an especially powerful mood booster. Music can also lead us into a healing place, where we vent pent-up emotions.  Use essential oils to help alter your emotional state. Be intentional with your food choices to soothe your senses in a healthy way.  Get outdoors and let nature heal you in her own special way. You cannot think of two polar opposite thoughts simultaneously—so focus on what you need to give attention to, so that distracting thoughts cannot steal your dreams.  Refuse to let pain debilitate your dreams. Don’t become so focused on what happened to you in your past, that you miss what’s available to you in your present, or the opportunities in your future. Adversity and challenges provide substance, infusing our dreams with something others can relate to. Three predictors for successful healing: Faith in something or someone greater than yourself. A positive, determined attitude. Strong support network—family and friends. Get involved with those who can help you, and those you can help.  What if you allow the past to hold you bondage, keeping your from making your dreams come true, and maintaining them when they do?  Challenge yourself to do something progressive daily, in spite of your pain. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie10 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.   Discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

When it comes to pursuing your dreams, do you ever feel like you’re behind the gate? A few years into my own dream tending quest, I felt like a thoroughbred racer, snorting and stomping, stuck behind a gate, with the track I wanted to run on, in view in front of me.  Intrigued by the metaphor that came to my mind, I decided to research thoroughbred racing. I ran across a fascinating book first published in 1953, and written by Preston M. Burch and Alex Bower. I learned some very interesting things that connected directly to tending your dreams, no matter what track lies ahead of you.  Regardless of how you were conceived, or what happened in your background, even difficulties, challenges, and adversities are part of the unique offerings you bring to the world. You were made for an abundant purpose, but the timing for its release can be a deciding factor in whether you succeed or fail.   Filling Needs:  Do you believe you are set apart before birth to achieve your dreams? Are you willing to follow long enough to learn and practice thoroughly, so you can succeed? Do you allow the occasional pull on the bit or crack of the whip to teach you, or do you fight against wise leadership? Those who buck against necessary teaching are destined to fall behind, or never learn how to run, once a gate lifts.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips:  Remember, you cannot pull ahead until you have learned to follow behind great influencers. Quietly follow, learn, and practice, often over and over, until your skills become second nature.  Expect to circle back to places you’ve been, as you practice and hone your craft. The necessity of going round and round circumstances strengthens you.  You are meant to fulfill a unique purpose.   Don’t let your enthusiasm smother your ability to listen well.  Pressure provides strength and beauty that enhances our dream tending efforts. Listen to that inner voice providing a gentle pressure telling you there is danger ahead, or leading you a different direction.  Look back and think about how much you’ve progressed so far.  Dedicate yourself to getting back up and dusting yourself when you fall, or going back and forth around the circle eight, or patiently waiting behind the gate, until you are strong enough to achieve the dreams you desire.  Temporary restraints or not there to hinder or hurt, but exist to protect and progress you toward your dreams and benefitting others. Don’t get ahead of yourself and the knowledge and wisdom you need to succeed—otherwise, you will hurt yourself and others. If you started at the top, you would soon fall to the bottom.  Equip yourself to be what you are meant to be and to do what you are meant to do.  Run in such a way that you win, and then be willing to begin again, as the next race approaches. You were made to be a winner! Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie9 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.   Discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Whose path will you intersect with that you are supposed to influence? All of us meet people, but have you considered your opportunities for making a lasting impact? Part of tending almost any dream is influencing the influencers, when you can. I’ve been blessed to meet several famous, rich, and powerful people, but I’ve found if you treat them with the same dignity and respect you treat other people with, no more or no less, they respond. This is the frame of mind I had when I first met Troy Gentry of Montgomery Gentry country music fame. Of course, this didn’t stop me from embarrassing myself, initially. But I was still surprised, when after spending only a few minutes together at our first introduction, he asked to speak with me privately. Troy Gentry had just come off a big New York tour, including several TV interviews on the big networks, as well as concerts in very large venues—but he had something even bigger on his mind. Troy and I started by sharing a little about our families, in an appropriate way. One of the things I most appreciated from the start of our conversation, was the way he spoke of his wife, behind her back. Sadly, his public appreciation is a rare thing among spouses today. I, in turn, told him about my amazing husband and marriage, (after going through some really rough bouts.) Integrity matters—in all you do. Carefully tend your faith and your family, and tending your dreams will become more meaningful.   Filling Needs: Are you putting God and family first—knowing your dreams will only thrive if they are priority? Are you confident in what God’s purpose is for you? Are you investing as much into your relationships as you are your endeavors? Don’t discount the power of spiritual moments to help ensure you are tending the right dreams.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: If you are a person of faith, you don’t have to shove it down people’s throats, but neither should you hide that it’s a part of who you are. True faith is a positive influence for those who feel dissatisfied. If you need to respectfully agree to disagree with someone, that’s fine, but continue to appreciate them as a human being. You don’t know when your life will end, so grab every moment as if it were your last, and don’t miss a single opportunity to tend your dreams while you can. Act on what you are meant to do with your life. Follow through when you are given words of wisdom from people who have succeeded before you, people whose lives reflect what you would like to have more of in yours. Be an influencing factor for every person you interact with, whenever possible. Think about the potential impact you are making on others. Choose integrity—at all times. Do the same thing whether you believe anyone else can see or hear you or not. You were created on purpose, with purpose, in order to fulfill an abundant purpose, live like it. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie8 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

What kind of legacy will you leave behind? What kind of imprint will you leave when you pass on? Taking a very short excerpt from John McCain and Mark Salter’s book, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations, we look at why tending our dreams is so important. Don’t take your blessings for granted. The little things like the ability to get walk and get a drink of water, or to take a shower or bath, make it possible for us to work toward making our dreams come true. For many around the world, those daily luxuries would be the dream come true. Slow down and think about what others have sacrificed. Are we ungrateful? Are our expectations reasonable? Or, are our difficulties catalysts for a greater purpose? Don’t discount the value possible from the knowledge you gain or the growth you experience, when facing hard times. People who’ve made great differences, like John McCain, are people who have also endured great pain. Never lose sight of your opportunities and blessings, or the need to celebrate with people you care about, and who care about you.   Filling Needs: What is your motive behind the dreams you wish to tend? Do you remember to focus on gratitude and purpose, regardless of the challenges you face? Are you maintaining your important relationships as you chase the dreams in your heart? Determine to never give up—no matter how tough things get. Cultivate and tend your relationships, so your dreams will be sweeter, because you have people to share with.   This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Hitting targets and making goals doesn’t have the same impact without people to share and celebrate with. Invest in your family and friends. Live life fully and in a balanced way. Take occasional breaks from your own dream—give yourself periodic mental breaks to infuse yourself with fresh energy. Schedule relationship time. Intentionality trumps spontaneity. Every. Single. Time! Things and accomplishments will not hold your hand as you pass into eternity, but if you are intentional to maintain your relationships, your loved ones will. Determine and decide to reflect on your blessings, versus focusing on the storms of life. Everything you go through offers you a choice. Will you allow adversity to defeat or define you? Or will adversity project and propel you into becoming more efficient and effective with what you are called to do with your life? Resolve to become one of the 1% who succeeds at a high quality level. Turn problems upside down—turning them into surprising solutions. Set goals (with dates, timestamps, and deadlines) to help you achieve your dreams. Focus on the business side of dream tending, as well as the inspiration and the perspiration. Surround yourself by other dream-doers. People who aren’t just thinking or talking, but who are the dreamers that dream and the doers that do. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie7 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal.   Discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.

Linda Gilden, like myself, is a Certified Personality Trainer, national speaker and published author. With her co-author, Linda Goldfarb, she recently released her new title, LINKED Quick Guide to Personalities: Maximizing Life Connections One Link at a Time. Linda was following her dreams to be a writer and speaker when she a conference she attended offered an educational session on how to understand personalities for speaking and writing. At first she thought, I came to learn about speaking and writing, I didn’t come to learn about personalities, but she soon found the very short session was life-changing. Learning about human personality helped her understand herself and her reactions to other people. Are you a: Socializer (Sanguine) personality? Mobilizer (Choleric) personality? Organizer (Melancholy) personality? Stabilizer (Phlegmatic) personality? Find out more by listening to this fascinating episode on human personality. What you learn about yourself and others could become a catalyst, helping you make your dreams come true. Some of the most powerful gifts we have to offer others is to let them know they matter, at least to one other human being. Never discount your word of encouragement—not only will it help someone else, but in turn, it could come full circle to help you in your own dream tending efforts. Filling Needs: Are you imposing your personality needs and desires onto other people, preventing them from being themselves, and hindering your own attempts to tend your dreams? Do you assume others are trying to frustrate or annoy you? Or do you realize their expectations and yours may differ based on your personality traits. How can personality information help you feel more comfortable with yourself and how you approach your dreams? This episode’s Dream Planting Tips: Understanding human personality deepens personal and professional relationships. Personality knowledge can help lead us to greater peace as we tend our dreams. Even basic personality information can lead to greater productivity, profitability, and peace. Understanding human personalities can help you achieve your dreams faster and accomplish more, for the benefit of a greater good. Different personalities are energized in different ways, and when you realize what drives someone else, it can lead to greater efficiency and effectiveness when working collaboratively. Stop pressuring yourself to be someone you are not. Accept your personality and YOU for who you are. Personality “tells” can help you work better with others, as you are able to understand what their perspectives and expectations are, based on what their personality traits need. No dream is tended alone. When you understand the personality inflections of others, you will discover the balance you need to support your dreams in the most powerful way. Different personalities have varying strengths and weaknesses, bringing balance to any relationship or project. Grab the Tending Your Dreams’ free giveaways and discounts from every episode. Go to tendyourdreams.com/freebie6 for your gift, just for tuning in. Don’t forget our product discount—20% off on all autographed books. Enter the coupon code TYD20 to snatch your deal. Find information on Linda Gilden and her personality perspectives at linda@lindagilden.com, or her co-author, Linda Goldfarb, at livepowerfullynow.org and discover additional dream tending tips at tendyourdreams.com.