Wisdom from a chocolate: How you spend your days determines how you live your dreams

If you're a Dove {dark} chocolate lover like me, you know the excitement of unwrapping the chocolate, careful not to tear the tin foil. The chocolate is creamy, rich, and delicious and the message on the wrapper makes the sweetness linger a little bit longer... even if most of the messages are a tad dramatic or trite.

Yet as I savored a Dove chocolate the other day, the wrapper's message stood out. It simply stated,

"Engage, embrace, enjoy."

It caught my attention because it included my blog's namesake, but then I began thinking how the message actually included some wisdom. I love when unexpected people, places, or things reveal something to you.

I think the saying stood out because at this time I was setting up the dream jar that I received for Christmas. I was considering my focus for the New Year and how I wanted to be intentional with my days because how you spend your days determines how you live your dreams.

Engage.  What dreams for your life have been planted in your heart? How do you desire to add value to this world?

• First engage yourself with those ideas. Why do you have these dreams?   
• Then engage others. Who can help you with your dream? Who can you bring on board to your vision so that it becomes their own as well? Who can hold you accountable to the work that will precede the dream? 
• Next, engage your calendar. How will this dream come about? What daily or weekly actions do you need to take to realize your dream?

Embrace. If you're like me, I have many dreams that I feel drawn toward. Which one(s) are you going to embrace right now? Some dreams are for a season so which one is for this season in your life? 

• Remember, even though it's your dream, it won't always be easy. Be embraced by the journey.
• Remember why you're pursuing your dream. Keep your focus on the reason (the past journey that led you to the dream) and on the vision (the future journey where you are headed). This focus will keep you motivated in the present.

Enjoy. Since we live in a broken world, paths to your dream will be blocked. People will oppose your ideas. This confusion can often lead to doubt, which can produce despair. Instead:

• Celebrate the successes along the way. One practice that I want to implement is a time of reflection at the end of every week. Marking your accomplishments (however small) will prevent time from blurring together and will show you what traction you are making toward your dream. 
• Celebrate that you get to work toward your dream. Be grateful for the opportunity to dare greatly.

Being fully engaged toward a dream, embracing it as your own, and enjoying the roller coaster journey will make you stand out in only the best way possible. Because not many people have the courage to embark on a journey after their dream. Many will stop halfway. But your engagement with and excitement over your dream radiates through you, and this makes you beautiful.

Today I'm linking up with Holley Gerth's Coffee for Your Heart