Month: January 2012

Are You in a Role That Serves Your True Purpose?

jcladyluv

I firmly believe that everyone is put on this earth for a specific purpose.  Though you may not realize your purpose in its entirety all at one time, by the time you reach a certain age you realize what you were meant to do.  Of course you have those that are indefinitely seeking out their purpose and that are not yet sure what it is they should be or do but somewhere deep down inside once they figure it out they most always realize that they knew it all along.  

I also believe that when you don’t serve the purpose you were meant to in this world you not only do yourself a disservice but also those around you.  Let’s take the Captain of the Italian Cruise Ship disaster for instance.  Now clearly he thought that he was cut out for the job, maybe out of some sense of wanting to be in a position to be a hero and to have the power of being Captain over all of the lives that he is in charge of protecting on any given trip.  However, it is clear that he was not cut out for the task of what that position of power and heroism entails.  

With any such position you have to know your role.  A Captain is supposed to be the last person off a ship if his ship should happen to go down.  A Cop has to put the lives of others around him before his own.  A Fireman has to be willing to sacrifice his life for those inside of burning buildings.  But along with knowing your role you have to be sure that you are meant to be placed in that role.  I knew a long time ago when considering roles like a Cop, a Fireman, or a Captain of a ship, not only was it not my purpose to serve those types of roles, but I am not built for those types of roles.  I would let the fear of risking my life take over in a heartbeat and I would not apologize for it.  That is why I never sought out those types of positions.  

I think that this Captain, somewhere along the way, did not follow his true purpose in life. He did something that he thought he could possibly be good at, maybe that would give him a sense of power, maybe it was just good money for him.  But ultimately he did not think about the fact that he might at some point have to act like the Captain of a ship and save lives.  

I think that when people are not serving their purpose in life that it hinders them and it affects the people they come in contact with.  I think that if you follow your heart and work hard to fulfill your purpose that you will eventually land right wherever it is that you are supposed to be.  If you are not fulfilling your purpose then you are only hindering yourself from making progress.  You have to know your role, and you have make sure that you were meant for that role, or else it is all for nothing.  Until tomorrow…Are you serving your true purpose?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Where There’s A No There’s a Yes Right Around The Corner

jcladyluv

Rejection is a part of the process of becoming a successful writer.  I mean unless you have a lot of connections and you know all of the people you need to know to be placed right where you want to be in your career then you are pretty much starting at the bottom of the barrel.  That means that you will more than likely be rejected more times than you would care to count.  Now if you have nerves of steel and can stare adversity in the eye with a straight face then you will have no problem forging ahead right out of the pile of rejection letters that you are likely to receive before you become that top selling author you desire to be.  

However, if you are anything like me, where being rejected makes you rethink every decision you ever made and has you constantly second guessing yourself, then this business (writing) is going to take some getting used to and quite frankly a lot more of a backbone.  I’m not talking about having the talent for writing, that’s only about 20% of being a successful writer.  It’s the other 80% that takes diligence and determination to really make it as a writer.  Now I’ve always been afraid of the rejection, and with writing it’s so much of it, but I know that I can’t give up on my dream.  

I was watching an up and coming author who was on the Anderson show yesterday (Amanda Hocking) and she spoke of how she had been rejected at least a thousand times before she went the route of self publishing in which she sold over a million copies on her own and then was eventually picked up by a major publishing house.  At first I was taken aback by the amount of rejection she endured but then I was just in awe of how she powered through it and moved her own career forward and look where she is now, on a nationally broadcasted talk show talking about her books.  

So from now on I am not going to be discouraged by my rejection letters (I have a small stack growing on my desk) and I am not going to doubt myself every time someone decides to pass on an article.  I am not going to stop at one rejection, but rather power through and press on until someone gives me the yes that I know I deserve to hear.  Of course when I get my media company up and running I may not even need someone’s yes, I’ll just create my own.  Until tomorrow…Don’t let rejection stop you when there’s a yes right around the corner!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Someone’s Always Watching You

jcladyluv

I was told today that I was a motivating source to someone who I hadn’t even realized was paying attention to me.  This guy in the gym said that every time that he thought about staying in the bed and not dragging himself to the gym he thought about me and my hard work that I put in at the gym, and the fact that I constantly push myself to do more and to push through even when I don’t feel like it.  He said that I motivated him to push through and come to the gym even if he didn’t feel like it.  I was amazed and shocked because this was a guy who was relatively new to the gym and who I would’ve never known was paying attention to anything that I did.  As he was leaving out the door he said that you never know who might be watching so keep up the good work.  

Aside from feeling flattered I felt confused because I never saw myself as motivation for anyone but I suppose that just as there are those that might not realize how much they motivate me, I too, might be recognized by others.  As someone who is naturally an observer I notice people and their actions all the time.  I find myself continually motivated by these ambitious people (unknown to me personally) that I see striving to be successful in everything they do and who are determined to make their dreams a reality.  

I guess if I’m watching others it’s not so far fetched to think that someone could be watching me.  Hopefully someone is watching this blog, and my writing development through the internet world and recognizes that some day as well.  For whoever is watching (or should I say reading) this blog, I write articles on a multitude of topics, I edit manuscripts for a reasonable fee, I am perfectly fine with my blog being turned into a book, and I am always looking for new clients to work with.  Until tomorrow…Work hard and be diligent because you never know who might be watching you!    

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

In Tribute

jcladyluv

I didn’t have much to say today (due to computer issues all day which are just now getting fixed) and I was just going to let this day go by feeling like it was a total bust.  Honestly I thought that I wouldn’t even get to post anything but my computer literally just got its act together so I will just post this quote in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King and that goes so well with how I am feeling today (or should I say a quote that I needed to tell myself today).  I hope this makes someone else feel like they can make it to the next step in their journey. 

“You may not see the entire staircase, but it is important that you take that first step.”

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

Until tomorrow…Hope you keep taking steps until you get to the top!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Slow Progression

jcladyluv

It is coming up on the third week of January and I already feel like I am so behind on my action plan to accomplish my goals this year.  Yes I know that it is only week 3 of a new year and I have the whole year ahead of me.  But in case you’re not aware of it, that time will fly by without you even realizing it.  I suppose that the important thing is that I acknowledge I can be doing better and I put forth the effort to continually make progress. 

I know that next week will be a challenge because I am finally going to get around to getting started on sending out at least one of the four query letters that I set out to send on a monthly basis (I might increase that number later on in the year).  Also I plan on getting back to the novel that I worked on during National Novel Writing month which I took a longer than unexpected break from.  Not to mention that I have a Magazine to finish putting together for its debut.  

With all of that said I am going to go read now because to be a better writer I also have to become an even more avid reader.  I know that I’ve got to get moving on my goal list (because it is quite long) but I am just glad that I haven’t completely stalled.  I am making progress, even if it is a slow progression, it is progress nonetheless.  Until tomorrow…What counts is that you make progress, not how quickly the progress is made.  

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

From the Outside Looking In

jcladyluv

It is funny how the people closest to you can see things in you and possibilities for you that you never even had in mind for yourself.  We plan things for our life and never count on the unexpected opportunities that pop up along the way.  You know those things that you never thought you would be good at but that somehow fit right into you niche that you are carving out for yourself.  

Ms. L has foreseen something for me that somehow fits right into my other plans for my Media Company and that might actually help elevate things to the next level but it is something that I never even thought about doing before.  I must admit (she’s going to say I told you so later) that her foresight could be quite lucrative if it is as successful as she thinks it could be.  But I am just afraid that because it’s something I could never see myself doing, that other people will look at me with that judgmental look and the lingering questions in their mind of ‘how can she possibly be successful at this’.  Why not, it’s the same question I have for myself.  

But I promised her that I would give it some thought (and I don’t want to say what it is until I’m sure that I would actually do it) and that I would stop putting that wall up for myself and telling myself that I can’t do something before I even try.  Sometimes Ms. L sees things in the bigger picture that I never even saw and it’s amazing what the opinion from someone on the outside looking in can mean to your projected future.  I think I like Ms. L’s view of my projected future.  Until tomorrow…What do you project for your future?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Romanticized Notions of Being a Writer

jcladyluv

When I was a little girl and first dreamed of being a writer I just thought of all of the wonderful stories that I wanted to tell and all of them would have happy endings.  When I was ten and started to write poetry to essentially pour my heart out on the page I realized that I had something other then fairy tale stories inside me and that there was a poet in there.  When I realized how long winded I could be in my storytelling and that I had some really unique stories to tell in the form of novels I dreamed of being on the New York Times Best-Seller’s list.  

No where in any of my romanticized dreams of becoming various versions of a writer did I factor in the business side of it all.  In my daydream I had a wonderful agent who got me this wonderful five book deal with Random House and of course once the first five are done they option me for another five book deal.  Of course because it’s Random House all of the marketing and getting my author name to known as a household name to book lovers everywhere is taken care of by their in house marketing team.  Never did I plan on trying to do this myself or that it would be so incredibly hard to get an agent.  Never did I factor in having to market myself.  

Writing is for the creative and the imaginative but it is also indeed a business.  You can only romanticize the idea of being a writer for so long before coming to terms with the fact that only about 25% of your time (if that) will be spent actually writing and the rest will be spent on the business of getting yourself out there.  No one is going to know your name, your work, your talent, if you don’t put yourself out there and hustle for that recognition.  

Of course when you are out there and everyone knows who you are and you make enough to outsource your marketing efforts, (which is definitely in my plan) then that is certainly a good option but you have to put in your fair share of work first.  I am still a work in progress on this aspect but I know that if I don’t step my game up and market myself as if my life depended on it (because it actually does) then I won’t get where I want to be, where I need to be.  My romanticized notions of being a writer are certainly gone now (at least until I get that five book deal) and now it’s time to get down to the business of really being a writer and a media mogul.  Until tomorrow…Have you tapped into your business side yet?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

The Support Around You

jcladyluv

Ms. L wrote a blog post the other night about hustling hard for what you want out of life.  I will say that she has got to be the best hustler I know.  When she sets her mind to something and decides that it’s going to happen, she makes it happen, one way or another.  She is a perfect example of the type of friend and person in general that you want surrounding you when you are on a mission to greatness.  They say that birds of a feather flock together and when I was in high school I never understood what that really meant, nor how true that statement was.  

My mother used to hear about certain people that I associated with in high school doing something they didn’t have any business doing, and she would just automatically assume that I was doing the same things (which I wasn’t).  She said that if you surround yourself with certain types of people then that’s the type of person people will think you are.  At the time I thought that it was her being highly judgmental and unfair.  I felt that if you liked someone or at least a lot of their attributes then there shouldn’t be a problem being their friend even if the two of you were total opposites on everything.  I learned as I grew into an adult that my mother (I cringe as I say this) was right.  

You don’t want the people in your circle to be exactly like you (that would just be boring) but you do want them to be people who understand you and your goals and ambitions and who are as ambitious about whatever they want as you are.  You want people surrounding you that are like-minded and that are going to push you when you need a push.  You need people who have their own sense of direction and motivate you to find and follow yours.  

A writer in particular needs a good source of support and motivation in the people that they associate with.  While I have other good supportive people in my circle that motivate me in various ways (as I hopefully motivate them), none of them I admire quite as much as Ms. L.  Her post the other night about hustling harder (and our conversation that came afterwards) gave me great encouragement and motivation.  

I am probably not the best hustler in terms of going after everything I want with extreme vigor but because I am not, it is good to have someone in my corner, in my circle, who is.  Someone who can be a model example of the kind of hustling I should be doing.  Surrounding yourself with the right people, as a writer, is vitally important and should be something that you should definitely reevaluate if you haven’t before.  I thank Ms. L for being the kind of friend and fellow writer that I can take a multitude of notes from and for not being stingy with your secrets along your pathway to success.  I hope all of you out there have someone in your circle that pushes you to be your very best.  Until tomorrow…If you haven’t already, make sure you have your support team in place!  

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

What is There to Wait For?

jcladyluv

“Waiting is a trap.  There will always be reasons to wait.  The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don’t count.”

~Dr. Robert Anthony 

When someone in the gym this morning asked why I didn’t wait for them to go start my running I simply said I’m not waiting for anyone this year.  It got me to thinking about just how much time I have spent (or rather wasted) waiting around for something or someone.  It seems like I was always the one that would wait for people to come along, or come around and who in turn wanted people to wait around for me.  

I guess I must have had some sort of revelation when this year kicked into gear because my attitude became one of not wanting to wait around for anyone anymore, or for anything to just happen.  Not even waiting around for the other shoe to drop as I typically do as well.  How many minutes or hours do people spend just waiting?  I am tired of waiting for other people, or even having people waiting for me to do something that they already know they need to do.  

Now I am not speaking of every single aspect of your life but when it comes to doing something that you know has to get done, don’t sit around waiting, not even for that person that said they were going to be right there alongside you.  I wish I could get back all of the time that I’ve wasted waiting around for something to happen, waiting for someone to get their act together, waiting for someone to give me great opportunities to exercise the talent that I possess, even waiting for inspiration to just strike (as I posted about yesterday).  

The fact of the matter is that I can’t just sit and wait because there isn’t anymore time for that.  Too much time has already gone by.  Now it’s time to get my butt into high gear and get busy making what I want happen and not waiting around letting opportunities just fall through the cracks.  Until tomorrow…Can you count how much time you’ve wasted just waiting around?     

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Looking for Inspirational Surroundings

jcladyluv

I am sitting in the corner of my room that is designated as ‘my office’ and looking at my empty bulletin board and I am not feeling inspired at the moment.  I run into this problem at the beginning of every year.  I want to put new and inspiring things up on my bulletin board but I don’t quite know what to put up there.  I have some pictures up surrounding the bulletin board but I’m thinking about changing them.  I am trying not to let the lack of inspiration in front of my desk stop me from being productive but it is easier said than done.  

I had a battle with procrastination today and I think that procrastination may have won this one.  I think that I am going to take a little time this evening to finally fill my bulletin board and the walls around my desk area full of inspiration and try again tomorrow to be my most productive self.  I guess every day can’t always be a good writing day.  Until tomorrow…What inspiration is surrounding you in your office?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress