Weekly Messages

You being consistent in your life has more potential to impact your life than anything else.    We know consistency matters!    Consistency is attractive. It’s contagious. It builds leaders.   And this community consists of leaders that want to share hope, light and a bright future.    But, we are human and sometimes we get sidetracked with our best intentions.    When this happens, three things that will help you reset, grow in your consistency and breakthrough.    1. Start with the Why.   I mean the deeper and ‘real’ why behind it. Your true motives, purpose, and devotion for doing what you’re doing.    I’m talking more than your desires and desired outcome.    Consistency is a result of Devotion, Not out of Desire.    2. Plan to not be perfect.    Lose the “all or nothing” mindset.   Understand being perfect is not the same as being consistent.    Don’t confuse the two. 👆🏼   We will mess up. Plan for this and allow yourself to mess up.    Do not let “being perfect” stop you from getting started.    I’m seeing this way too often in our youth.    “If I can’t win, I don’t want to play.”    “When things don’t go my way - I quit.”   3. Fall in love with the process.   Life is not easy. Troubles, problems, hurts, disappointments happen.    Nobody ‘wins’ all the time.    The great ones take those defeats and use them for fuel to put consistent time, practice, effort into getting better.    Especially, when it’s inconvenient and hard.    Remembering how falling short felt – The ‘pain’ can be a terrific force to o achieve beyond what you thought was possible.   Let us adults, parents, leaders, coaches, never forget that.    We can prepare the child for the path, but we must not try to prepare the path for the child.    In order to grow, improve, overcome, become more - Everyone has to learn to push pass the hard. To climb the damn wall or mountain.    Those trials, failures, hard times serve an incredibly important purpose…they refine us. They help build resiliency, fortitude, and resolve.   They can strengthen us; the Good and the Bad times    “The distance you can go in life comes down to the amount of pain you are willing to endure to grow there” - Darren Hardy   The next time you have a bad day or you’re met with a difficult challenge - lean in and embrace the hard.    In time, Goodness will come from it.  You’ll be better on the other side.    Your friend,   Brock  P.S. Help us Share the Goodness – chocolate sweets and the positive vibes. Send this to a friend and encourage them to join the community. 

We need strong men and strong fathers right now. In many places you look the outside world appears to be on fire. A massive storm of hypocrisy, contradiction, situational ethics, floating morals, and blatant untruths.    Men and Fathers - we must stand up and speak up for what is True.    There is right and wrong - It Does Exist.    And it certainly needs to.    We are NOT to be judge and jury,    but we are NOT to remain quiet in fear of the few loud and obnoxious that would like you to believe they are the many.    Our children’s future and generations to follow are depending on us to fulfill our responsibilities.    To protect the sanctity of life.    Defend family values, and honor godly principles. Including the rules and laws that we know help guide and teach us to live honorable, loving, purposeful lives.   There’s only 168 hours in a week. To be and do what we know we are called to do as men of our homes;    to be a leader to our family, a devoted husband, dedicated dad.    We must be intentional, committed, and deliberate in order to DO our best to GIVE our best energy, time, focus, attention to the one’s that want and deserve it most.    For we must understand it won’t happen on accident. Nothing worthwhile is achieved randomly drifting through life.    My point today is twofold.   To celebrate the Strong Dad’s in the world who are leading by example. Who demonstrate hard work, sacrifice, love and courage in the face of real challenge and imperfection   Who are devoted to their family and honor their wives with their words and actions.    This is not about being perfect. It’s all about being purposeful.   Happy Father’s Day to you.    And to encourage all men (single, married, fathers, uncles, brothers) to Rise Up, man your post - be a watchman, and fight for what is good and true.    To be purposeful and righteous in all that you do.    Now when’s the last time you received a message like this from a chocolate company? 😃   If this resonated with you, and the image of your dad, husband, uncle, brother came to mind why not send him a box of the best chocolates that are delivered with a clear statement of your love, appreciation and respect?    Perhaps a very cool signature “Get Up & Show Up” Dulci Sweets shirt or sweatshirt too. 😎🎁   Wishing you a Strong week and Super Father's Day,   Brock

If you’re a parent you probably often think about the environment that surrounds your child. Who they’re hanging out with, what they’re watching, and what they’re listening to.    And that’s mighty important because you know just how influential and impactful their environment can be on them.   That’s even before social media and YouTube. iPhones, IPads, and whatever other devices make it easy for the messages and images of all kinds to capture their attention.    Here’s the point of this week’s message….   When’s the last time you applied that same concentration and effort to assess, evaluate and adjust, if needed, your environment? 🤔   We all need a regular check up in this area and would benefit from it greatly.   If we are to be a light in this world and to others we must be on guard all the time.    If you want to perform to your potential and operate at full capacity, being consistent in this area of your life has more potential to impact your results than anything else.    Think of things that are most important to you and that you want to be the best they possibly can be.    Better marriage.  Better finances. Better health. Stronger family. Closer to God.  Greater generosity.  Meaningful contribution and Positive impact on the lives of others.   Now think about your environment; created by your routines and behaviors, and the parts created by others.    A terrific place to start is being intentional with what you allow your eyes to see and ears to hear.    I’ll give you two significant examples.   Sensationalized News media. It constantly presents nothing but tragedy that plays on our fears. It comes at us everywhere and all the time. In our homes, in our cars, on your news feeds. These purveyors of horrid are searching for the most tragic, heinous, negative stories to fill our minds with.    All while many wonderful, miraculous and amazing things are happening in the same 24/7 365 but we rarely or never hear about it because it doesn’t “scare” us into attention.    Include social media madness that thrives on insecurities, comparison, and has become a top distraction and great drain of peoples best – vigilance and consistency of effort is absolutely required.    Both can be stealth-like in their ability to apply little nudges to your behaviors, choices, and habits that will take you in a direction you don’t want to go.    This is incredibly important because what we see, hear, what we feed in our minds, shapes our perspectives of ourselves, the world, what’s possible.    You’re familiar with the saying, “garbage in, garbage out.”    Or, my absolute favorite, “the things that are easy to do are also easy not to do.”   Ohhh, read that one again. There’s not an instance I can think of when that inner negative voice tries to speak up and stop you from doing something you know you should do, speaking that phrase won’t provide the positive kick in the butt to help you do it.     Let both of those simple, yet profound statements of truth encourage you to protect your environment and keep your attention where you are at your best.    Not only for yourself, but for and to those around you.    You Are Different.  You Are Committed to Excellence.  You Know the Great Value of Each Day.    Make it great,   Brock    P.S. If you haven’t heard it yet today: You’re awesome. Keep doing you.

Yesterday, being Memorial Day and the honoring, reverent holiday weekend that it most certainly should be, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude and a concentrated focus of what it means to be an American.  Not surface level either. I’m talking down to the bone. Heart and Soul.  Definitive characteristics and attributes that helped overcome relentless adversity, fight unimaginable battles, and to remain courageously steadfast to the mission at hand…  To gain FREEDOM. Protect and Preserve it. And for many incredible Heroes and their loved ones – at all cost.  Asking the important questions like, how are we able to have and do the things in this country that people in many other countries can not?  And a very real and necessary follow up question – could the Freedom we are so blessed to have be taken from us?  Look, you self-selected to join Mike and I in this community – A community and lifestyle that encourages you to uphold and celebrate the foundational values of God, Family, Country, Community.  Asking you to DO MORE, ENDURE MORE, and BE MORE… Every. Single. Day. And you don't "just show up" for the occasion like 99% of society — You consistently rise up to it. This includes remembering and appreciating the great price that has been paid for our Freedom.  Knowing the service and sacrifice of those who have bravely given theirs is the reason we enjoy the freedoms and incredible privileges we have.  Because of that greatness, we stand on their shoulders today. Able to do more, reach higher, and become our best.  Let us not forget that. Let us not allow comfort or taking the quiet path to avoid scrutiny, because it’s easier, become the acceptable choice of behavior.  The younger generation that follows desperately needs our leadership and to witness our example. Not just today, but EVERY DAY. Thank YOU for inspiring US, And furthering our opportunity to be a positive impact on society. We know NONE of this would be possible without the Brave men and women who risked their lives So that we may lead free lives. May these words not be forgotten and ring forever true…   And this be our motto - "In God is our trust," And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.   To our Freedom and the Courage to Fight to Protect it, Brock 

I want to share with you something very cool that a person I personally know accomplished in the face of many challenges, setbacks, and against great odds.  This very situation and outcome shows us that Winning is determined by what happens BEFORE the “GAME”. “Game” meaning any event, small or large, that’s has meaning and is important to you.  Everyone has goals and dreams. They’re easy to come by and fun to have. However, so many people take it no farther beyond a wish. The moment things don’t go their way, or the effort required becomes too hard, or the work is not fun anymore – they either begin to go through the motions or stop all together.  But not my friend Abu Daramy-Swaray. I met Abu when he came to help us move and pick up a huge roll of outdoor field turf for a speed training facility I’m associated it with in Columbus, Ohio.  He was working multiple jobs trying to pay his bills, while not giving up on his life-long dream to play in the NFL.  No need to be a football fan to appreciate the goodness of this story.  Born in the Republic of Sierra Leone, ranked as one of the poorest in the world and ravaged by an 11-year long civil war that displaced two million and killed more than fifty thousand.  One of those families was Abu’s and one of those lives lost was he father.  In 2000, when Abu was three year old, his mother was able to get out of the country and to the United States where he moved in with family living in Columbus, Oh.  Limited resources, and virtually no money, we can only imagine the great difficulties Abu and his mom experienced.  And today, at 5’9” and 172 lbs. nearly everyone told him he’s got no chance to fulfill his life-long dream to make it to the NFL.  Especially, after the few years that have passed since finishing his collegiate career in 2019 without a single call from any interested teams.  Not giving up, Abu spent 2021 playing in the German Football league.  This year, he did whatever he could, however he could to cover bills and still train to be ready for one shot that perhaps only he still believed would happen.  Well, as you might guess, knowing that Dulci Sweets and this Champion Community is all about Shining a Light on What is Good, Positive, and Inspirational, that one call – one shot presented itself.  And Abu was more than ready. He had stayed true to himself and his dream. He did what most don’t. He practiced, trained, prepared, worked on himself, his skills, his development in advance of the opportunity.  Did you catch that? Not after the opportunity became known or available, but beforehand. All while no one appeared to be watching. No lights, no cameras, no fans. And no one would have known the difference if he had or hadn’t. Until, the opportunity arrived and then it would haven been too late to “get ready”.  Being at the top of his “Game” given his first and only shot, in one 45 minute tryout, Abu shinned and stood out among the rest.  Last week the Cincinnati Bengals made him an offer.  The headlines read, Bengals sign CB Abu Daramy-Swaray after rookie tryout. The news announcement included, “It’s always a good story when a player doesn’t even hear his name called as an undrafted free agent get a shot in rookie camp and earn a spot on the offseason roster and a chance at training camp, especially after a few years.” To me, this situation and process, regardless of the outcome, screams the word Relentless - No walk away. No quit. Continually knocking on the door. Putting in the work. Learn, Practice, Apply, Review, Refine, Improve and Repeat, constantly!  Not because success came quick and easy. He was successful because he was relentless. He remained committed to the process. He was willing to stay in the game, be patient when it often appeared nothing was happening.  Abu’s work, heart, belief, faith, and eventual achievement epitomizes the fruitful reward that comes through perseverance.  Nobody stops their way to success.  We all know what it’s like to have no one ‘open’ the door so we have to keep knocking.  Relentless - keeps us in the game when most people want to stop.  A relentless person WILL Not Be Denied!  A relentless person WILL Keep Coming!  A relentless person WILL Eventually Breakthrough and Win!  Today, go out and Be Relentless. That’s the only way you will get what you need and eventually accomplish what you want.  God allows you to go through tests and trials so you can learn by experience that doing things his way is the best way. If you will not serve and worship him in the hard times of life (the valleys), you may not consistently serve and worship him in the good times (the mountaintops).  Remember that mountaintops encourage you, but valleys mature you. Let us be thankful for both.  Be relentless, Brock

Did you ever wonder if Nike slogan Just Do It, really started as SHUT UP and Just do it?  I often find my self saying that to myself.  It seems these days everyone has an excuse or someone else to blame.  There is no longer accountability for our actions, words or even our intentions.  Yes intentions.  The graveyard is full of people who had great intentions but failed to act.  It's not hard really to see, from the highest offices in the country we are being conditioned to blame someone or something else for the issues we have created. After all, we are all victims, right? (sarcasm added). This recent leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision on Roe V Wade, was no different.  Clearly the leak was planned with one intention, to create a hate-based narrative and stir up others to do what the left has failed to do for years – intimidate the court to abandon the constitution and follow the narrative.  They have encouraged protestors to illegally assemble in front of Justices homes and families.  They have encouraged hate, violence and vandalism against Pro-life and Christian groups that have nothing to do with the decision but everything to do with what is right and just according to God. If it seems as though I am rambling, I am.  I am so sick of Satan moving and working in the hearts and minds of the lost. Polluting the young minds of our children, through schooling, social media and media networks like Disney, Netflix, etc.  But more importantly I am sick that me as a Christian have let it happen.  Jesus says that we who are filled with the Holy Spirit have the power to remove strong holds; those of Satan and his army.  But I am mad at myself because I haven’t used that power to do so.  So today I say to myself, “Shut up and Do something”.   And before I grab the jawbone of a donkey and go to town on those who oppose God, I want to double down on our vision. We created Dulci Sweets to combat the darkness by flooding it with light.  Buy a gift to share with someone else.  Share a smile along with a piece of chocolate.  A Sweet message right?  But it's more than that.  We started it because we were tired of big business dictating where we are to spend our time, our money, and our energy.  But we can’t do it alone, we need action.  We need this community to act.  Jesus had his posse, we need ours.  Imagine if you set a goal to reach one person, one soul a month with a simple message of love; perhaps gift wrapped as a box of chocolate.  With nothing more than to bring a smile to someone’s face, say thank you for doing what they said they would do, or to uplift and encourage them in a time of need.   One act, one person and one more shining light in this world of darkness.   One person taking action can make a world of difference to someone who is struggling.  So join us in doing so.    Let's Get Up and Show Up Together, Mike

I know you are a part of the Dulci Sweets Community for several terrific reasons, and at the top of that list is you are a warrior.  A wonderful person that chooses to See the Good, Do the Good, and Share the Good. If you see something that is not right, you say something. If you see someone in need, you do something.  I also know that you know we are far from a typical, ordinary, everyday chocolate company.  This is a movement dedicated to helping people shine bright. To use the God-given gifts and talents to fulfill the life assignments God has provided each of us.  And a definite truth of life is that living it is not easy. Our best defense is having a healthy and strong body, mind and spirit to deal with, manage, and overcome. In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, and the reality that we all deal with stress, fear, uncertainty, and doubt I want to equip you with a couple important items to achieve Steadiness despite the stress.  First, know that you are Not alone. The vast and fast paced world can certainly make all of us feel overwhelmed, stressed out and unnoticed at times.   Stress is real and needs to be recognized.  It affects all of us and we must be proactive with our thoughts, behaviors and actions to ensure it does not keep us from being and living our best. Second, Allow me to give 3 ways to find and remain Steady and Stronger in the presence of Stress:   3 A’s - easy to remember and simple to include in your day immediately.    Anchors - your Values, Beliefs, Faith - All of us must Identify what is most important to us. In our lives, work, family, and community.  Our anchors provide the WHY be the What. They center and guide us.  Then they enable us to do something extremely important - Build our “Guardrails”  Guardrails prevent you from drifting off course. Keep you on the right path. And when well defined - they make the many decisions you have to make on a daily basis SO MUCH EASIER.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. - Proverbs 3:6   Associations - Be aware of your surroundings. Choose wisely. Relentlessly Guard your mind. Protect your environment.  The saying, “You will become the combined average of the five people you most often surround yourself with”, is so true.  You will end up with the combined attitude, combined health, combined income. Be very careful, your associations don’t shove you in a direction you don’t want to go.    Actions - Thoughts and intentions are important, but the outcomes we receive, the results we create, are ultimately determined by our actions. Let us Run with Endurance the Race God has set before us. - Hebrews 12:1  As in “I’m grounding myself by taking a walk around the block without my phone.”   Sitting quietly and completing a 3-5 minute Mind-Body Scan. From head to toe. Heart to gut. Ear lobes to finger tips.  Simply taking notice of how you are feeling - physically, emotionally, spiritually. Without being critical.  Just Notice and Name it to learn and increase personal awareness, mindfulness and connection.   As for actions to build and support greater steadiness despite stress, start here… Pick one and commit to following through on it for the next two weeks. Be sure it’s something you’re confident you can do consistently.    1. EXERCISE  Exercise relieves stress by increasing blood flow, burning calories, and  stimulating your nervous system.  In my opinion a most effective strategy includes a mix of intense strength training, conditioning, cardio, and low intensity recovery. When stressors are up, decrease intense exercise; when they’re down, increase it.    2. GET OUTSIDE Being in nature lowers stress hormones and heart rate and improves mood and immunity, giving you motivation and energy to cope with your next challenge.  A nice stroll down the road, shooting hoops with you kids, or simply sitting down for a few minutes, away from the noise, and complete a quality mind-body scan.    3. PRACTICE SELF-COMPASSION Know you limits / Establish Guardrails - Honor Them!!! Ask for help/support when needed Get coaching if you feel stuck Get counseling if you feel helpless Unplug as often as possible - At Least Once Per Week Lastly, Winning on the INSIDE is Always your first Victory!   Beware of your self talk. The little voice inside your mind that talks a lot and can often be a negative nanny.  Notice it. Call it out. And flip it to be positive, encouraging and full of grace.  Please know this truth - You Are Worthy. You are important. You are loved. Have a Steady and Strong week, Brock 

Hugs and Cheers To All The Mom’s and Mother figures in our community. They’re the women who consistently care for their families. The ones navigating busy schedules, messy rooms, and helping us feel better after receiving some bumps and bruises. They’re the women who mentor others with love, and who lead others with compassion. And they’re the women who keep showing up—when life gets hard, and nobody is watching. These women show us what it means to be a Mom. They are Exceptional and most deserving to be recognized and celebrated. Not just on Mother’s Day, but EVERY DAY! But since Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, be sure to have your plans in place and gifts in hand or scheduled for delivery. This day is a most meaningful day and a special opportunity to show your love, appreciation and gratitude for who she is and everything she has done for you in your life.  I can personally speak to this and know just how wonderful it is to have a Super Hero mom. My mom was a single parent with two little ones; me and my sister. With two little ones counting on her, she faced fear and uncertainty daily with a 'No Quit, Can't Stop' Grit and fortitude that rivals the greatest warriors of all time. She did whatever needed to be done. Reinvented herself to get a couple good jobs. Then work tirelessly to develop her skills to rise up through the corporate ladder. It wasn’t easy. And our childhood was far from perfect, but who’s is? We never went without and knew we were loved. I learned a great deal from her. Hard work, sacrifice and commitment are at the top of the list. A mother’s love has no end. It will overcome all. She will find a way. There's no doubt that my mom's response to adversity and her resiliency impacted and influenced me.  Today, I’m twice blessed to have married an incredible women. My wife Nicole inspires me every day with how Amazing and Wonderful of a MOM she is to our two boys. A Mother's work is FAR reaching and Never Done... So if you're a MOM - THANK YOU! You are more appreciated than you can possibly know. A Grateful Son and Husband, Brock P.S. Be intentional and give her gifts that allow her to indulge a bit. That tell her she is Sweet and Beautiful.

Mike and I, along with our wives, recently attended the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center's 16th Annual Fundraising Banquet.  The evening was a celebration of the sweetness of life!   And you’d be right if you guessed that a Dulci Sweets box with our delicious chocolates was on every table for all attendees to enjoy. 😊   There are three important reasons I would like to share a small part of the evening with you.   First, one of the core missions of Dulci Sweets is to shine a light on good people and organizations that are doing good works.   Please allow us to introduce you to the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center. It is a Christ-centered ministry offering Compassion, Hope, & Help to women and men facing critical pregnancy decisions. They provide many free, confidential services, education, resources, and empower families to live life according to God’s plan.    Second, is a tiny snippet of what we had the pleasure of hearing and feeling from Special guest, Dr. Alveda King. She was such a delight and bright light to the overall event.   In her 71 years of life she has seen and experienced more than most. Being the niece of Martin Luther King Jr. and part of an incredibly influential family in the civil rights movement in our country’s history.   Her Testimony was filled with pain, loss, hurt, anger, that as she shared, caused great confusion, uncertainty, and fueled many destructive decisions. Justifiably, darkness could have easily overwhelmed her, becoming a stronghold that kept her on that path.   However, in those tumultuous times and painful trials, she shared several amazing and loving moments from her family and her lord and savior, Jesus Christ, who by his abounding Grace delivered her from brokenness and made her new.   At one moment in her conversation, Dr. Alveda King took a long pause and with strength, courage, and love, she said these words. “We are One Human Race. One Blood. While we are not color blind, the different colors are beautiful and should be celebrated. There is no one color that makes a life matter more than another.”   As someone has said, Knowledge is horizontal. Wisdom is vertical. It comes down from above. Intimacy with the Father leads to growth in wisdom.   Then something pretty cool and unexpected happened.   You know the old song - “This little light of mine”?…   I’m going to let it shine – let shine, let it shine, let it shine.   Well, Dr. King had all 660 + attendees stand up and sing a few verses as one.   Only she took the liberty of adding a couple new verses to it that I believe you will think are pretty cool too.   This little light of mine…   If you don’t let yours shine, please don’t put out mine.   Think on that 🤔   Extremely wise thing to do.   And then there was this one…   If yours won’t shine, you can have some of mine. 💡🌟❤️   I’m going to let it shine, let shine, let it shine.   We are all little lights shining. When we come together, every light doing its' part, a huge light illuminates, devouring the darkness and removing its presence.   This WE Can ALL DO!   Each of us need all of us. And all of us need each of us. 💯   And third is a reminder to this loving and strong community that a portion of ALL Dulci Sweets orders goes toward a mission driven organization. For this current quarter (April - June) that very organization is the Ashland Pregnancy Care Center.   With love, faith, and joyful action - Be A Light. Shine it bright. As much as you can. As often as you can. Wherever you can. 🌟🌟🌟   May Your Light Shine Bright,   Brock   P.S. Remember to celebrate two groups of people that certainly shine lights in our lives; Teachers and Mom’s. ❤️  Say Thank You to your Teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week May 2nd - 6th and Sweet Treats for all the Mom’s in your life for Mother’s Day, May 8th.

I’m pumped! Mike and I want to share some exciting news with you. As you know, we started Dulci Sweets, Co. for specific reasons. At the top of that heartfelt and purposeful list is to celebrate the values of Faith, Family, Country and Community. To honor those core values BOLDLY through our words and action. We speak boldly about what we believe deeply! While having the courage to acknowledge the things, behaviors, people, institutions that try to dismantle and destroy the very things we hold dear and know to be true. This includes apathy and complacency. Apathy create atrophy. It is the enemy of fulfillment. WE must GET UP & SHOW UP! ...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 Complacency is the human default characteristic. Comfort is the enemy of success. We need to act with URGENCY. Today Matters. Make it Great in all you do – the best that you can. WE must Take Ownership & Take Action! For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV This is why we are excited to release our very first apparel design (T-shirt, Long Sleeve, and Sweatshirt) that provides that very message. To celebrate the people in this growing community that embody the actions and defend those values. As it is written on the back of this shirt – This is not your typical, ordinary, everyday chocolate company.                 Check out the new merch and Get yours HERE! Mike and I would be honored to have you wear one with pride and help us share the message, attitude, and action with the people in your world. The plan is to create more apparel as we continue moving forward. If you have suggestion or ideas, we’d love to receive them. Thank you for being part of the fight, commitment, and this community. Taking Ownership and Taking Action. Brock  P.S. Several have asked, and the original “Keep Calm” Dulci Sweets shirt and sweatshirt is now available to everyone too.

This is a marvelous time of year marking a new season with much to celebrate. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this week occurs when it does. Coming out of a long winter, where days were short and nights were long. Nature bursts back to life. Birds chirping, tress and flowers blooming. The emergence of Hope, Rebirth and Renewal. So many sights, sounds, and reasons to make sure you stop, listen, and take it all in. Heck, I don’t even like golf, but when it’s the final round of the Masters Tournament, I’ll turn the tv on and check in every now and again just to see the pristine beauty of the scenery. I get outside more. Feel the suns warmth on my face. Slow things down a bit. Remove myself from worldly chatter. Just hang with my wife and boys. Playing games, having quality conversations with no distractions. Not always easy to do, but this week helps me be more intentional. Taking many deep breaths. Concentrating my thoughts and emotions on Gratitude… Gratitude for God who has provided countless blessings. For Jesus who walked this earth and endured great pain and suffering. All to deliver us from sin and separation from God.  His sacrifice, crucification, death, and resurrection – the defeat of death. WOW…It takes my breath away every time I think about what Jesus did for you and me. And what it means today and forever… The GIFT of Eternal Life in heaven. Wherever this week takes you and whoever you are surrounded by, I hope you choose to be present – fully present. This Easter weekend, if you are fortunate to be with family and friends, be sure to let them know what they mean to you. These opportunities to come together and connect over holiday celebrations have become even more important in recent years. So let me ask you. What does Holy Week mean to you? What are some of your favorite things to do to reset and renew your focus? Please share your memories and plans with us. We’d love to hear them. Happy Easter from our family’s to yours, Brock & Mike P.S. Easter memories most certainly also include chocolate. Order now to get your favorites delivered on time.

The celebration of salvation, love, and resurrection. Life over death. Light from darkness. Eternal hope and power in Jesus. A day spent with family and friends taking a moment away from the busyness of the world. Slowing down and taking in the sights, sounds, smells, and feels of Spring. Gathering with the kids and grandkids for a simple or extravagant easter egg hunt. Just be careful, some easter egg hunts can quickly escalate and become pretty cut-throat. Whether it's because grandma and grandpa decided to fill some eggs with money or you make the bold choice to participate in community egg hunt where eggs are dropped from a helicopter, a whistle blows to signal the release of the hounds, and the free-for-all begins. That's a real thing too. I'm not making this up.  I actually did this one year when the boys were six and three, by myself, without the wife present. I have no idea what I was thinking, but I never did that again. Once I realized how competitive this was, I told the boys – "we've got to go fast or you'll get run over and not get any eggs." I mean this got serious in an instant. So I did what any good dad would do. I swooped up Brexden (my little man) in one arm and grabbed Camden's (the oldest) arm and directed him by pulling him around. It was a flurry of "pick up, put down, pull and point, scoop and secure." I felt like I was moving at Flash like speed. I was in the zone. I'd like to say we covered serious ground. When the time was up and no more eggs were to be had, I looked up and I think we kept repeating the same small circle of space because the boys were dropping the eggs from their bucket and we kept having to pick them back up. Let's just say the boys were looking at me with wonderment in their eyes, unsure of exactly what just happened the last 3 minutes. But, all was good. My kids were unharmed and within a couple minutes they asked, "Can we do that again?" However you choose to celebrate EASTER or how adventurous your Easter Egg Hunt gets, know that we've got the fun and charming chocolate sweets you and your kiddos will love. Choose from the EASTER CHEER products on this page. And Oh my goodness - the chocolate peanut butter eggs are Uh-Mazing. Blessings and talk soon, Brock P.S. Easter is Sunday, April 17th. Order now to get your favorites delivered on time.

Have you ever struggled with feeling stuck? I don’t just mean stuck on a problem or project. I mean stuck in major areas of life – Business, Family, Marriage, Faith, Health. I certainly have. And the cause of which is not always the same either: Comfort and Complacency.  Fear of failure. Excuses. Burned out. Routine. Fact is, the feeling is real to you, and It can be debilitating if you don’t have a process to help you get unstuck as quickly as possible.  So if you find yourself stuck now or in the future, here’s a few ideas to help you build a process that can work for you. What do you want? Identify it!  Define it! Call it out! Then write it out. What does “better” look like? If you don’t know where you are headed any road will take you there and you’ll never know if you’re heading the right direction. Thus, you are even more easily distracted, sideswiped, and vulnerable to getting repeatedly stuck. This involves so much more than goals. This step is about values and priorities. Knowing what truly matters to you allows you to prioritize and then establish clear and specific goals that reignite your spirit. Identify what is stopping you for getting what you want in the area you identified? Is it a belief, mindset, excuse, fear, fear of what? Is that fear real, or imagined? You can’t defeat the enemy within if you don’t identify it. And simply identifying it can destroy it. Speak it out – verbalizing can simply provide the opportunity for you to hear yourself outside of your head, and have you realize, for yourself, how weak of a delusion and excuse you’ve been cycling in your head. You should also speak your thoughts to a friend. And I don’t mean just any friend. A real friend. The one that will not just simply nod in agreement and tell you what you want to hear. They’ll call you out. Provide some tough love. Heck, maybe even punch your arm or take their foot to your butt to help wake you up and shut down the pity party.  This is probably the same friend that recognizes the importance to letting the special people in their life know that they’re valued and loved by sending them a Dulci Sweets Trio just because. 😊 What do you need to do? What actions do you need to take? I recommend you start small. Doing so will help you build confidence. What small steps can you make towards the thing/area you wrote down that you want? The great prophet Mark Twain once said, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started. The secret to getting started is breaking your overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” I think the very same logic applies when you find yourself feeling stuck. Action solves all problems. Get into motion. Focus on one right task every day that moves you forward. With consistent action the wind will soon shift from being in your face to being at your back. Your Friend, Brock

You may or may not know this about me, but going on 25 years I have been a fitness and performance professional. Yeah, not a background exactly in line with chocolates. If you have recently joined our growing Dulci Sweets community and haven’t checked out the story behind it all, I encourage you to read about it in a previous letter titled “Origins of Dulci Sweets” – https://dulcisweets.com/blogs/news/purpose-moves It will make a lot more sense, I promise. And it’s not as far off as you might think. Ultimately, Mike and I are here to share joy, spread hope, and shine a light that uplifts people. The world is tough, loud and distracting. In my opinion, it has become more of each of those in recent years. As a coach, owner, operator of several fitness businesses I interact with hundreds of people on a weekly basis. All different; backgrounds, professions, experiences, goals and dreams. And yet the majority of them share a significant challenge. One that appears to unfortunately be increasing its hold on us. That challenge comes in different forms by different names – Worry, Depression, Anxiety, Fear. Make no mistake, it affects us all. It can overwhelm and debilitate. So I ask you, what do you do to stay encouraged, faithful and hopeful?  Take all the outrageous fitness claims that exists. Lose 21 lbs in 21 days. Drop two dress sizes in 10 days. Get shredded abs in two weeks. What's the point of having a “perfect” body if you have no hope? What's the point of going on a run to exercise your heart if you're still clinging onto buried resentment you can't sweat out? In addition to shutting off your television and avoiding most social media channels, there is a routine, simple and highly effective. Proven to carry you through and set you up for consistent joy and happiness. It’s a daily workout that a special friend of mine gave me.  He said I can share it. In fact, you probably already have his training manual. Look for the book on your shelf called "the Bible". If it's not handy, you can get an app on your phone for free that has it in digital form.  Warm-up Sit in silence and be still (minimum of 1 minute) "Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10 Then Do This Following Circuit (preferably in the mornings): Exercise 1: Realign your priorities – Praise Him for the blessings you have... including the little things we might be taking for granted like waking up next to love of your life, eating dinner with your family, seeing a friend, answered prayer, and more. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."- James 1:17 Exercise 2: Give it to God – Pray. Don't hold anything back. Reveal your dreams to Him. Cast your worries at His feet.  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 ESV Why? He knows what to do with it ... "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8 Exercise 3: Take Action – Open up His word and read it. Not sure where to start? Go to Proverbs. If today is the 5th, read chapter 5. If it's the 22nd, read chapter 22. You get the idea. You will be encouraged!  Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. - Proverbs 16:3 Do this workout every day and you'll experience more peace, clarity, and hope. Your friend, Brock

“Goodness Created to be shared.” That’s our mantra...woven tightly with the values of God, Family, Country, and Community. And the belief that Every Day is a wonderful day to tell the people in your world that you love and appreciate them. They are important and valued. Being that today is International Women’s Day I want to share with you what the women in my life have taught me. Here’s something you may not have known. I was mostly raised by a single mom. When my sister and I were young, my grandma would always watch us. We spent a lot of time with grandma, especially in the summer months. If my mom needed some additional help, my aunt would be there to help watch us. Each of these women were very strong and independent. Although I’m sure they didn’t intend for life to go the way it did in many cases, circumstances made it necessary for them to become so. You know what? Even as a little boy, five or six years old, I noticed. They were tough ladies. They didn’t put up with much nonsense. In fact my grandma would make us go to a tree in the yard and pick our own “switch”. In case you are not familiar with a switch — it’s a thin tree branch that made for a serious butt whooping if you did something pretty darn stupid or badly wrong. Depending on what age you are and where you come from, this is where reactions differ. “Oh my goodness, that’s awful. There’s no way that should be done to a child.”  Or, “Now that’s a solid upbringing, and you certainly must have done something really bad to deserve it.” While the “switching” sucked, I would agree with the later. During those days, I learned many lessons. Starting with love, sacrifice, toughness, hope and faith. Lessons that undoubtedly influenced and shaped the man I am today. In a world where people live a ridiculously self-centered life. Always craving comfort. Rejecting sacrifice and avoiding persecution. Loving this world like it is all there is. The women I witnessed instilled principles and character traits in me to become more. My family didn’t have much. But, my sister and I didn’t go without. And I never felt I didn’t have all I needed. I wholeheartedly believe that’s why I look at life the way I do. Placing great importance on having values and doing all I can to live by them. Renewing and maintaining steadfast faith in God and the plans he has designed for me and my family. To be forever vigilant to not allow the world to consume me. Keeping my focus fixed on Him. The world is extremely LOUD and it is easy to let it take hold, but the women in my life, including my incredible wife, remind me, by their own example, there is a standard — to live and love like Jesus. A standard each of us undoubtedly falls short of, but keeping it at the forefront changes our priorities. Impacts how we treat others. It changes what we do about stuff. What we worry about, and what we don’t worry about. How we forgive. How we live the here and now. Today and tomorrow. I pray you have great women in your life that have done for you and given to you what my mom, grandma, aunt and wife have done and given me. May you celebrate them today and many days and years ahead. Talk soon, Brock P.S. This Month - ALL SWEETS orders over $50 gets FREE SHIPPING!!! 🙌🏼