An Author Collab Conversation
Some books are written to tell a story. Others are written because the author has lived through something that might help someone else find their way.
For award-winning author, inspirational speaker, and life coach Marcia Regina Cook, Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open grew from a journey of searching, learning, falling, rising, and becoming.
At the heart of her message is a powerful idea: our circumstances may shape parts of our story, but they do not have to write the ending.
Born in Brazil and shaped by different cultures, languages, challenges, and seasons of personal growth, Marcia writes about faith, resilience, self-love, personal responsibility, and the courage required to create change. Her work speaks especially to those standing at a crossroads—people who know something in their lives needs to change but may not yet know what comes next.
In this edition of Off the Page, Marcia talks about becoming her own rescuer, what it really means to dream with your eyes wide open, why strength doesn't always feel strong, and the one courageous choice that can begin an entirely new chapter.
About Marcia Regina Cook
Marcia Regina Cook is an award-winning author, inspirational speaker, and life coach whose work encourages people to awaken their inner strength, embrace personal responsibility, and move forward with courage and intention.
Born in Brazil and speaking three languages, Marcia brings a multicultural perspective and a deep appreciation for people, their stories, and the experiences that connect us.
Her award-winning book, Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open, invites readers to recognize their connection to the divine Source of love, wisdom, strength, and possibility. Through her writing, speaking, and coaching, Marcia helps others understand that they are not powerless in the face of adversity and that their past does not have to define their future.
She believes meaningful transformation begins when we become aware of who we truly are, reconnect with the power within us, and take responsibility for creating the next chapter of our lives.
About Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open
Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open is an empowering exploration of self-discovery, resilience, faith, and intentional living.
Through personal reflection and meaningful life lessons, Marcia encourages readers to look honestly at their experiences, release limiting beliefs, and recognize the strength they already carry within themselves.
The book reminds us that dreaming is not about escaping reality; it is about seeing life clearly and choosing to participate courageously in its creation.
It is especially meaningful for readers navigating adversity, questioning their purpose, rebuilding their confidence, or seeking a deeper sense of peace and direction. Anyone who has ever felt defined by the past, uncertain about the future, or ready for a new beginning will find encouragement to take responsibility for the next chapter and move forward with hope.
The Conversation
1. You describe yourself as a writer, dreamer, fighter, and woman of faith. How have each of those parts of who you are shaped the woman—and author—you have become?
Each of those words represents an important part of my journey. The writer in me gives a voice to the lessons, emotions, and truths I have gathered throughout my life. Writing allows me to turn personal experiences into words that may help someone else feel understood and less alone.
The dreamer in me continues to believe that life can become more meaningful, even after disappointment or hardship. She reminds me that circumstances do not have to determine the limits of my future.
The fighter in me was shaped in the difficult seasons—the moments when I had to keep moving forward even when I felt tired, uncertain, or afraid. I learned that fighting does not always mean being loud or fearless. Sometimes it simply means refusing to give up.
My faith connects all these parts of me. It has given me hope when I could not see the entire path ahead and reminded me that my life has purpose.
Together, these qualities have shaped me into a woman who wants to use her story to help others recognize their own strength, courage, and potential.
2. You wrote Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open for those experiencing hopelessness or recognizing the need for change in their lives. What did you most want them to understand about inner peace, strength, and navigating life that they might not learn anywhere else?
I wanted readers to understand that hopelessness is a season, not the final destination of their lives. Even when circumstances feel overwhelming and the way forward is unclear, something within us remains capable of awakening, choosing, and beginning again.
We are connected to the divine Source of love, wisdom, strength, and possibility. Because that power also lives within us, we are never entirely helpless. We may not control everything that happens, but we can choose how we respond, what meaning we give our experiences, and what steps we take next.
I also wanted readers to recognize that inner peace does not come from waiting for life to become perfect. It develops when we become honest with ourselves, accept responsibility for our choices, practice forgiveness, and stop allowing fear, pain, or the expectations of others to define our identity.
True strength is not the absence of struggle. It is the courage to keep believing, learning, and moving forward through it.
Change may begin with a small decision, but that decision can become the first step toward healing, renewed purpose, and an entirely different future.
3. The title Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open is powerful because it combines dreaming with awareness. What does it mean to you to dream with your eyes wide open, and how is that different from simply having a dream?
To dream with your eyes wide open means allowing yourself to imagine a greater life while remaining honest about where you are, what must change, and what the journey will require.
A dream is beautiful, but a dream without awareness can remain only a wish. Dreaming with your eyes wide open means recognizing both the possibilities and the responsibilities. It requires you to examine your choices, habits, fears, strengths, and surroundings. It asks you to believe in what is possible while also being willing to take intentional action.
It means understanding that obstacles may appear and that success may not follow the timeline you imagined. However, you continue moving forward because your vision is stronger than your fear.
For me, the title is also about awakening. Sometimes the life we are searching for begins when we finally see ourselves clearly. When we recognize the power already within us, we can stop waiting for life to change on its own and begin creating the life we want.
4. Your story includes rising from valleys and setbacks with faith and conviction. Was there a particular experience or turning point that changed the way you saw yourself, your purpose, or what was possible for your life?
My transformation was not the result of one perfect moment. It developed through a series of experiences that challenged me to look honestly at my life and decide whether I would continue allowing difficult circumstances to define me.
There were seasons when I felt overwhelmed and uncertain about who I was becoming. Eventually, I realized that waiting for someone else to rescue me, validate me, or create my happiness was preventing me from discovering my own strength.
That realization became a major turning point.
I began to understand that I am my own rescuer, and taking responsibility for my future did not mean blaming myself for everything that had happened. It meant recognizing that I still had the power to choose my next step.
Through faith, reflection, and self-discovery, I started seeing myself not simply as someone who had survived difficult experiences, but as someone who could transform those experiences into wisdom and purpose.
That shift changed my direction. I realized my story could become more than a record of what I had endured—it could become a source of hope for others navigating their own valleys.
5. Faith, self-love, courage, and inner strength are important themes in your work. How do those ideas connect, and what have you learned about finding strength during seasons when you may not necessarily feel strong?
Faith reminds us that there is meaning beyond what we can currently see. Self-love teaches us that we are worthy of patience, forgiveness, and care. Courage helps us act even when fear remains present, and inner strength allows us to continue when the journey becomes difficult. Each one supports the others.
I have learned that strength does not always feel powerful.
Sometimes strength looks like getting out of bed, asking for help, setting a boundary, forgiving yourself, or taking one small step when you cannot yet see the whole road ahead.
Above all, strength is the courage to show your vulnerabilities.
Self-love is especially important during those seasons. It is not selfishness or pretending that everything is fine. It is learning to speak to yourself with compassion and refusing to abandon yourself during your hardest moments.
Faith does not guarantee that we will never struggle. It gives us something to hold on to while we do.
When I do not feel strong, I remind myself that feelings can change and that courage is often revealed through action. We may discover our greatest strength only after taking the step we were afraid to take.
6. What do you hope happens after someone finishes the final page of Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open? Is there a particular thought, feeling, conversation, or action you hope the book inspires?
I hope readers finish the book feeling awakened to their own worth, strength, and ability to create meaningful change.
I want them to close the final page and think:
“My story is not over. I can begin again.”
I hope the book encourages honest conversations—within families, friendships, and perhaps most importantly, within ourselves.
Many people carry pain silently or remain trapped by old beliefs about who they are, what they are capable of, and what they deserve. I want readers to question those beliefs and recognize that their past does not have to become the permanent definition of their future.
More than temporary inspiration, I hope the book encourages action. That action may be setting a boundary, forgiving themselves, repairing a relationship, pursuing a long-delayed dream, asking for support, or simply making one healthier decision.
Transformation does not always begin with a dramatic leap. Sometimes it begins with one courageous choice.
If readers leave the book willing to take that next step, then the message has fulfilled its purpose.
7. What dreams are you carrying forward now—for the book, your writing, your community, and the next chapter of your own journey?
One of my greatest dreams is for Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open to continue reaching people who need reassurance that adversity does not have the final word. I want the book’s message to grow beyond the page through speaking engagements, interviews, workshops, coaching, and meaningful community conversations.
I am also carrying forward the dream of writing more books.
My next book, Hanging by a Thread, speaks to people who have felt overwhelmed, uncertain, or close to giving up. It is a reminder that even the smallest thread of hope can guide us back toward strength, purpose, and a new beginning.
As an inspirational speaker and life coach, I hope to create spaces where people feel seen, supported, and challenged to recognize the power within themselves. I want to build a community centered on courage, intentional living, faith, personal responsibility, and transformation.
My own journey is continuing to unfold. I am stepping into new opportunities with gratitude and with the belief that when we share our stories honestly, we give others permission to believe in new possibilities for their own lives.
One Reader, One Conversation, One Courageous Step
Perhaps the most fitting way to close our conversation is with something Marcia wanted readers to know about the story behind the story:
“This book was never created from a place of having every answer. It was created from the process of searching, learning, falling, rising, and becoming.”
For Marcia, our stories do not need to be perfect to be meaningful.
As a woman born in Brazil who has experienced different cultures, languages, challenges, and seasons of personal growth, she has discovered that courage crosses those boundaries. Our backgrounds may be different, but so many of us share the same desire—to be seen, to be loved, to find purpose, and to believe something better is possible.
Receiving an International Impact Book Award for such deeply personal work was an extraordinary honor for Marcia. But she says the greatest reward comes when someone tells her the book helped them see themselves differently or encouraged them not to give up.
That may ultimately be the heart of Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open:
We don't have to know exactly how the next chapter will unfold before we begin writing it.
Sometimes we simply have to believe another chapter is possible and have the courage to take the first step.
One reader. One conversation. One courageous step at a time.
Connect with Marcia Regina Cook
Website: marciareginacook.com
Social Media:
Facebook: Marcia Regina Cook
Instagram: @marciareginacook
LinkedIn: Marcia Regina Cook
TikTok: @marciareginacook
YouTube: @Marciareginacook
Dare to Dream With Eyes Wide Open is available on Amazon.
Off the Page is an Author Collab interview series exploring the stories, experiences, turning points, and ideas behind the books—and the authors who write them.
