Month: December 2012

Ready for the New Year!

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I wish I could explain my absence from the blog saying that I was in just such a writing frenzy that I couldn’t tear myself away from my novel, or my articles, or my work for various clients in order to blog.  Unfortunately I can not say any of that.  I had intended on getting a lot of work done last week but intentions do not necessarily mean action and I hate to say that I did not put action into those intentions.

I had time away from having to do homework for school and my daughter was even gone for a few days with her father but the time just disappeared into thin air.  I did some reading and I did some planning in my head but as for them making them to the actual physical form of being on paper (or on the computer screen), it just didn’t happen.  I’m not going to make excuses because there aren’t any.

If I waste time dwelling in what I didn’t do that was supposed to get done by now then nothing still gets done.  I promised that in this coming year that I was going to direct my focus on the things that I can control in my life and not continue harping on what I couldn’t.  I can’t go back in time and change things to be the way that I want them to be so I will live in the present and just do better.

I’ve already made my lists of the accomplishments that I WILL get done in 2013 and I am already in the mindset to accept that things must change and that all of my efforts will be directed towards making the changes that need to be made in order to get back on track.  Hopefully all of you are geared up and ready for the New Year and have your plans of action ready to be put in motion.  Happy New Year everyone and let’s make this the year it is meant to be!

I have the Write 2 Be Empowered… What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

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Dedicated To the Families in Newtown Connecticut

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A Week ago today in Newtown, Connecticut the lives of 26 people’s families changed forever (28 if you count the families of the shooter and his mother).  An act of horrendous violence was committed and it was senseless.  I still can’t wrap my head around something like that and every time I see the faces of those little children and those selfless hero teachers who died in an effort to protect the children of that school it becomes even more heartbreaking to me.

As Christmas nears for these families there will be less smiles and less laughter because they won’t have their babies but when I heard this poem on the Dr. Phil show the other day it seemed as if maybe there was something that could provide those families comfort.  Knowing that their sweet little angels will never have to experience any pain or suffering ever again because they are in God’s hands now and that they will be watching over them.  I shared this poem on facebook last night but I think that this day, only a week after the tragedy, it should be shared once more.  I hope all of you will share it with someone you know who has lost a loved one and perhaps it will give them some comfort as well.

Twas’ 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38
when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven’s gate.
their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.
they could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.
they were filled with such joy, they didn’t know what to say.
they remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.
“where are we?” asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.
“this is heaven.” declared a small boy. “we’re spending Christmas at God’s house.”
when what to their wondering eyes did appear,
but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.
He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.
then He opened His arms and He called them by name.
and in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring
those children all flew into the arms of their King
and as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace, 
        one small girl turned and looked at Jesus’ face.  and as if He could read all the questions she had
He gently whispered to her, “I’ll take care of mom and dad.”
then He looked down on earth, the world far below
He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe
then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,
“Let My power and presence re-enter this land!”
“may this country be delivered from the hands of fools”
“I’m taking back my nation. I’m taking back my schools!”
then He and the children stood up without a sound.
“come now my children, let me show you around.”
excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran.
all displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.
and i heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,
“in the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT.”

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

 

What If the World Were to End Tomorrow?

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The New Year is approaching and, as you know, I am one of those people that like to plan things out thoroughly.  Of course I know that there are only so many things that I can actually plan but I do like to pretty much plan out the things that I need to accomplish step by step to get the bigger goals completed.

This year there is some skepticism around whether or not any of us will even make it to the New Year seeing as though the Mayan calendar has the world ending tomorrow.  While I do not actually believe that the world is going to end tomorrow (although God might have other plans, and in that case I’ll be very surprised) it did get me thinking about how many people there must be out there scrambling to get their life in order before tomorrow gets here.

I am interested to know how many people are suddenly doing the things that they said they would never do before just because they think they won’t be around after tomorrow.  How many of us would actually be doing the things that we are supposed to be doing (while we’re busy procrastinating) if we knew we wouldn’t have time to complete our goals and satisfy our purpose.

I must admit, I almost wished that I believed that the world was ending tomorrow, because even though I have managed to kick my plans into high gear lately, I imagine I might be in overdrive if I thought for one second that what I would have to do tomorrow is explain to God at the gate leading to heaven why I didn’t do all the things he told me to do with all of the time he had given me.

If the world were to end tomorrow I’m not sure that I would be happy with what I had done with the time that I was here.  It makes me just want to strive even harder then I had already planned to next year to make sure that I start actually fulfilling my purpose.  I suppose I had better go and get busy before the real doomsday actually does get here.  Have you all done what you feel you were sent here to do?  If the world were to end tomorrow, would you be happy with the legacy you are leaving behind?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

What a Better Writer I Will Be…

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As the New Year approaches I become a little more anxious for the year to come.  Not necessarily because I think that something miraculous will happen (one can still hope though) but because I am going into the year more focused on what needs to be done, and more importantly on what I have to do to get those things done.  One thing is for sure, I could stand to become a much better writer because as a writer, your learning is never done.  Below I listed several things that I will plan on doing in the year 2013 to become a better writer and maybe some of these things can be things that help some of you as well.

1.)    Write Every Day— I know that there are some that would argue that you should never force yourself to write if you are not feeling “the muse” to write.  However, I believe that writing everyday is important in becoming a more effective and insightful writer.  It’s just like a regular job.  You can’t wake up and just say I don’t feel like going so I’m not going to go.  This is my job and I will make a stronger effort in the New Year to treat it as such.

2.)    Read Every Day— Okay lately I have not been the avid reader that I once was and that I still would like to be.  There’s been this reason, or that reason, why I haven’t been able to plant my but in a chair and read, but really there’s no valid excuse.  I know that reading more makes an even stronger writer.  So in this year I am going to not only make a promise to just read more, but rather to read everyday.  Whether it’s just a couple of pages, or even just a page, so long as I read.

3.)    Share My Writing More— I’ve always been apprehensive about joining a writing critique group or any type of writing community.  It’s not that I haven’t but I just haven’t embraced the concept as much as I should have been.  So in my effort to make my writing better and stronger, I will share my work with others more this year.

4.)    Take Better Care of Myself— I am already learning that taking care of myself will make it even more possible for me to do those things that I strive to do in a successful way.  I feel myself becoming stronger as a person as I begin to place more priority in taking care of me, and that is making me an even stronger writer.  It also makes me a more confident writer.  I have to keep reminding myself to take better care of me so that in the long run I become stronger and more successful in everything else I want to do.

5.)    Don’t Let Writer’s Block Get In My Way— I have had my struggles with writer’s block in the past and I have allowed this to be the reason why things were not able to get done.  Because of that excuse, I have many novels started and not finished and many missed opportunities that I have let slip through my fingers.  I am not going to use this excuse anymore because it is just that, an excuse.  If I have to balance multiple projects so that if I get blocked on one project, I can simply move to the other project, then that’s what I am going to do.

6.)    Take a Writing Course— As a writer it is also important to keep the knowledge of the craft sharp.  This requires honing your craft more, not only by reading on the craft of writing, but also in taking a course on writing.  I would like to say that I can take several courses in the next year to be able to sharpen my writing skills, but realistically, I may not have the money for that.  But I think I can manage one course at the very least.

7.)    Research More— I have always loved research.  From historical events and historical figures, to the places in the world that I dream of traveling to.  I have to admit I haven’t done much of it in this past year but that’s what I want to get back to.

8.)    Become a Better Marketer of Myself— Okay I know that it doesn’t sound like this has anything to do with actually writing but if I’ve learned nothing else over the past year it is that if no one sees all of your hard work then you don’t get your writing noticed.  In order to get more of your writing out there for all to see I have to become better at marketing my writing myself, and my brand.  I admit I have A LOT of work to do in the area of marketing myself but it is definitely a focus for me in the year to come.

9.)    Attend Writer’s Conferences and Events— This goal may present some challenges because a lot of writer’s conferences and events these days are just not as affordable as they once were.  They actually used to have writing conferences that were free (go figure!) for those who, like me, just couldn’t afford it.  However, I am going to make an extra effort to at least make it possible to attend one at some point this coming year.

10.) Do Things That Scare Me— Fear is something that I struggle with so much.  There’s so many things that I haven’t done, simply out of fear.  So if I can do something that scares me, not just one thing, maybe something every month or every week, then perhaps I can learn to stop being so scared of things that I just can’t control.  Perhaps then I will actually achieve all that I want.

You won’t find too many writers who will say that they are at a point where they don’t need to learn more, do more, or be better than what they already are.  If you do they are either the greatest writer that has ever lived or they are fooling themselves.  We all get comfortable sometimes in the accomplishments that we have made and in how far we have already come.  Often times we forget that there is still so much more left to learn, and more left to do, and even further to go.  We grow as writers, when we acknowledge that we have a lot of growing left to do!

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

jcladyluv

Behind every great movie, television show, or even a song, is a great director, but there’s an even greater writer. While writers do get slightly more recognition than they have in the past, they are still very under-acknowledged throughout the media industry. I wrote this article for Piehole Magazine expressing not only my appreciation for the writers of the industry that I am striving to be a part of, but in frustration that writers are not showcased as they should be.

PIEhole Magazine

 

There are awards shows for almost every avenue of the arts.  Musicians have awards ceremonies for their accomplishments in the music industry such as the Grammys, the AMAs (American Music Awards), the CMAs (Country Music Awards), the Billboard Awards, and even the MTV Video Music Awards.  Actors and actresses are deservingly acknowledged for their works in film, television (both daytime and primetime), and animated programs with awards shows such as the Golden Globes, the SAG awards (Screen Actors Guild), the Oscars, Emmy’s and the Daytime Emmy Awards.

However, I have noticed there are no award shows for writers.  True enough, writers get slight nods during the Oscars and other awards shows in specialized smaller segments, and that is wonderful.  It is a wonder, with all of the attention paid to the actors, actresses, and singers, that writers get acknowledged at all.  Why don’t writers have an awards show that is all their…

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For Those Who Are Mourning the Lives That Were Lost

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“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

~Matthew 5:4

As I sat here trying to figure out what to write about today, there was only one thing that I could think of.  As you all know the town of Newtown, Connecticut was devastated on Friday after a gunman came into Sandy Hook Elementary School and went on a shooting spree, killing 27 people in total, 20 of which were children ranging in ages from 5 to 10 years old.  It was a tragedy like no other and one that no parent ever wants to have to live through.

I am deeply saddened for the families in Connecticut today.  A tragedy such as this one makes you want to take stock of what is truly important in life and makes you want to grab your children and hold them closer to you.  I know I held my daughter a little tighter on Friday night and have cherished, even more so than usual, all of the hugs and kisses that we love to shower each other with.

There’s not really much that can be said, as funerals for these lost lives begin today, nothing that sounds comforting enough.  I know that I am praying for those families today and I think to honor their memory everyone should make sure that they don’t take anything for granted.  We never know what will happen from day to day so cherish every single moment of every single day.  May God bless the souls that went on to Heaven on Friday, and may he give their families peace in knowing that they are with him now.

 

“But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

~Matthew 19:14

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Lessons to Be Learned From a Media Mogul—Russell Simmons

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I think Russell Simmons has always been right there at the top of my list of people to watch and learn from within the media industry.  What I think I admire most about him is the fact that he almost doesn’t want to be noticed and he is rather shy about his success and what he has managed to achieve in his life and in his career.  That kind of humble attitude is something that I think a lot of successful people could stand to learn because just as easily as the success has come, it can go away just as easily without the right attitude.

Russell Simmons is someone who has really built an empire to be admired.  He has created a company that spreads positive messages throughout the music and media industry.  He promotes empowerment within the younger generation and has produced many different types of creative programs that enriches the industry and the people within it.  Through all of his accomplishments he has remained humble and eager to share what he has learned throughout his life with the rest of the people who are just as eager to get to the level that he is at.  I wanted to share the lessons that I’ve learned from his journey to the top.

1.)    If You Don’t Believe in You, No One Else Will Believe in You— You have to be your best cheerleader.  You have to have the confidence in yourself that you want everyone else to have in you.  You have to trust in yourself and your abilities to do what you have set out to do.  You have to be your biggest fan.

2.)    You Can’t Be So Willing to Receive Without Being Willing to Give— In Russell Simmons book, Do You! He says “instead of waking up trying to figure out what you can get, you should be waking up trying to figure out what you can give.”  A lot of people gain their success doing something that can benefit others as well as themselves so we have to remember that it can’t just be about what we get out of accomplishing our goals and our dreams, but also about what we can give to the people in our communities, in our states, in this country, by fulfilling our purpose.  For instance, Russell Simmons has taken his success and funded so many foundations and projects that help to further the communities and places that he reaches out to.  Lady GaGa has used her success to build a foundation that helps people dealing with issues surrounding bullying and to help encourage people that it is okay to be who they are born to be.  What we do has to matter in more places then just our bank accounts and our own wallets.

3.)    You Have to Stay Open to Change— Everything is not going to stay the same.  It can’t stay the same in order for those on their journey to success to actually reach their goals.  You have to be willing to change with the situation at hand and adapt to what has become the reality of things and not reside in the circumstances of how things were.  I have learned that change is simply inevitable and trying to fight it and keep change from happening is only hindering your growth and your progress.  You can not succeed staying right where you are, unchanged.  When I think of it like that I say “bring on the change.”

4.)    Always Be Honest With Yourself— Yes of course you should try your best to be an honest person all around but when I say be honest with yourself, I mean be honest about who you are, faults and all.  Other people’s criticisms will always bother you but they won’t hurt nearly as much if you are already honest about who you are and you know yourself and the areas where you can improve and areas where are satisfied with the person you have become.

5.)    Don’t Give Up YOUR Vision Just to Grab a Chance at Success— Along your journey, there will be people who will get just as excited about your vision as you are, but then they will try and convince you to change it.  They’ll say “maybe it will be better if you do this,” or “maybe you’ll have a better chance at it if you do it like that.”  They will have you believing that their suggestions to your vision will propel it forward.  That is simply you, relinquishing your vision to someone else, to do with it what they will.  Your vision is yours and should never be shaped and molded to fit anyone else’s views.

Being open, not just to change within your circumstances, but the changes that take place within yourself, is an important part in succeeding.  You can’t take your life and your career, your dreams and goals, to the highest heights without changing some things up along the way.  More importantly, you can’t do that without staying true to yourself and true to your vision.

People will try to hold you back.  People will try and change what your vision is into what they think it should be.  It will sound convincing and it will sound like they know exactly what they are talking about and that maybe you should be listening to them.  But it is your vision and your dreams.  Don’t let anyone take your dreams and try and change them.  Hold onto them and make them a reality, but do so in your own time, and in your own way.  Believe in yourself and what your vision is and when you make it there, to the top, don’t forget to help someone else up along the way.

I have the Write 2 Be a Visionary…What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Lessons to Be Learned From a Media Mogul—Steve Harvey

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I probably would never have put Steve Harvey on this list of people I admire as a Media Mogul about a year ago.  Mostly because I hadn’t really saw him that way until I started researching just how many things he had a role in within the media industry.  There was once a time where you would here the name Steve Harvey and the first word that came to mind was Comedian.  Now there are so many other things that would fit in a description of him.

He fought hard to be noticed for something other than just being a Comedian and to be respected as a true change within the media industry.  And he did so with some simple principles that he follows from lessons that he has learned while on his journey.  I wanted to share some of those simple principles and lessons with you and hopefully they will help you in your journey as they are beginning to help me in mine.

1.)    Taking Care of You Has to Take Precedence— If you don’t take care of yourself, then you won’t be around to take care of the family and people that you love. You won’t be able to accomplish the things you dream of doing.  Health is a priority that far too many people take for granted and keeping yourself healthy is going to allow you to build up your endurance and stamina to work hard to get the things that you want and to hold onto the things that you want.

2.)    Some Rules Are Meant to Be Broken for All the Right Reasons— Of course most rules should be adhered to in general.  However, there are times when it is okay to toss the rule book out the window.  Rules like “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket,” or “always have a plan B,” are rules that people will tell you to live by because it’s the practical thing to do.  It makes sense for some, but for those out of the ordinary people whose dreams go way beyond the scope of anyone’s imagination, those particular rules only set you up to fail.  Some rules truly were made to be broken.

3.)    Just Because Other People Place You in a Box Doesn’t Mean You Have to Remain There— Just because people label you as one thing, doesn’t mean that is the label you have to accept.  Everyone put Steve Harvey in the box as Comedian and that was it.  Just another one trick pony.  But that is not where he chose to stay.  He didn’t want to just be known as a comedian.  So he stepped out of that box and became an Actor who not only went and took on acting roles but who actually got his own television show, a Radio Host of a nationally syndicated radio program, an Author of a book that is now a major motion picture, and now a television game show and talk show host.  See what can happen when you think outside of the box.

4.)    If You Don’t Work Hard for Your Dream, No One Else is Going To— You can’t expect other people to work hard to help you get where you want to be if you aren’t willing to work ten times as hard.  The goals and dreams you are working towards are yours, no one else’s.  If it means you have to wake up early and go to bed late in order to make things happen, then that’s what you are going to have to do.  Yes it is wonderful if you manage to surround yourself with a team of people who are on your side and are working to help you further your dreams, but they’re not going to work any harder then they see you working.  You can’t really rely on anyone else to help you get to that place of success, just yourself.  Your work ethic is what is going to get you there and it’s what’s going to keep you there.

5.)    Everyone That is Around You is Not There to Help You— When you are younger you thrive on how big your social circle is.  When you get older you start to realize that your circle of “friends” may be too big.  What will hold you back from becoming successful like you are striving to be more than anything is having the wrong people around you.  Some people are just simply too toxic to have in your life.  They want to ride on your coat tales and if you don’t take them with you they will try effortlessly to drag you down right back to where you started.  These are the people who, while they say they want to see you succeed, what they are really hoping you do is fail.  These are the people that you don’t need around you, but you have to know that and realize that before it’s too late.

There are so many rules that you aren’t supposed to break.  There are practicalities that everyone is supposed to take with you through life.  But sometimes being practical is just another way of playing things safe.  There is nothing wrong with saying that you have a plan for your future, you know what you want to do, what you want to be, and where you want to go in life, and focusing on that goal and that dream, without a back-up plan.

I heard once that sometimes back up plans are for those who are not really sure what it is that they want.  Now I don’t mean people with multiple roles within life such as being a singer, an author, and an actress.  That is simply a person who had a broad vision for their future.  I mean those who go down one path and then prepare something to fall back on that is practical but not necessarily something that they are passionate about.

Why isn’t it okay to put all of your eggs in one basket if there is no other basket that you are interested in pursuing?  There are all kinds of rules that people will try to make you adhere to and labels that people will place on you.  Who says that you have to live by anyone else’s rules or labels but your own?

I have the Write 2 Be Different…What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Lessons to Be Learned From a Media Mogul—Oprah Winfrey

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Who hasn’t ever admired all of the accomplishments that Oprah Winfrey has been able to achieve.  I sure have a lot of respect and admiration for the empire that she has created and built up, literally from nothing.  What I admire most I think is the humble beginnings that she came from and how, not only did she never let any of that get in her way, but she in fact let it drive her forward.

Her success came in small doses and she savored those lessons that she learned along the way.  She didn’t rush her success and she didn’t hold onto any of the negative criticism that she received from others who tried to make her be someone she wasn’t.  I wanted to share some of those lessons that I have learned from Oprah Winfrey and plan on implementing on my journey to where I want to go.

  1. There’s No Sin in Failing, the Sin is in Never Trying—  You always hear people use the excuse “What if I Fail” when it comes to trying something different but you rarely here anyone ask the question “What if I actually Succeed”.  Not trying is the greatest harm that people can do to their dreams.  It is always better to try and to fail than to have never tried at all.
  2. There’s Nothing Wrong with Setting the Bar High for Yourself and Your Life— I’ve always had people tell me that people shouldn’t have such high standards for what they are going to get out of life.  For a moment I’ll admit that it seemed that the higher I set my standards the more I ended up being disappointed by the outcome.  I’ve come to realize that it wasn’t the high standards that ended up disappointing me, it was the lack of belief that I had in accomplishing those high standards that left me disappointed.  Now I realize, the higher the standards the better, so long as you believe that you can attain them.
  3. Having the Ability to Forgive Can Allow Your Journey to Move Forward— Oprah particularly likes to drive home the fact that forgiveness is not for the other person, it is for you.  It made sense to me when she pointed out that if you don’t allow yourself to forgive the people that have hurt you in your past you will remain stuck in your past with all of that hurt and anger.  Forgiving others for their mistakes allows you to move forward and become a better version of yourself.
  4. Always Be the Best You— You can’t really get anywhere trying to be what everyone else wants you to be and trying to live up to other people’s expectations for you.  All you can ever really do is be the best you and fulfill the purpose and expectations that you have for yourself.
  5. Do Something that Scares You— If you never do anything that scares you, something that is different from your normal activities, then that means you’re never really taking any risks.  Taking risks is scary.  Starting a brand new company and working for yourself is      scary.  Putting yourself out there to market your business or the book you’ve written is scary.  Doing something that you’ve always      dreamed of doing but never took the chance to do (like sing in front of a room full of people) is scary.  But in the end all of those things bring you to an end result that could be amazing if you are not too scared to take the risks.

You know there are so many people out there (myself included) who were always told to be more like someone else and so that’s what we aimed for.  I can remember so many times saying that I want to be the next Oprah Winfrey, or that I want to write as beautifully as Maya Angelou.  I was always striving to be a version of someone else that I thought was so great and so talented when the reality is that I can never be anything other than myself.  Why spend so much time trying to emulate someone else’s talent, someone else’s goals, someone else’s dreams, when that will never get me what I want.

Truthfully, just as there is no one that is ever going to be like that one person you strive to be like or that person whose talent you wished you had, there is also never going to be anyone like you either.  You have a talent and a uniqueness that is all your own and that no one else could master but you.

I am just going to take what I admire about the people who are where I want to be and the lessons that I have gained from them and fuel my journey with that knowledge.  While I may never be as successful as Oprah and I may never change the world in the ways that she has, who knows, I may be more successful and I may change the world in a whole different and remarkable way.

I have the Write 2 Be Unique…What is your Write 2 Be?

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Lessons to Be Learned From a Media Mogul—Tyler Perry

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In reading about Tyler Perry’s journey; both his struggles and humble beginnings, as well as his rise to success and his eventual triumph; I can always point out a lesson that he has learned along his road to success that I can apply to what I am currently going through now.  Some of the things that I have learned from reading and just watching his journey are things and words that were never spoken to me growing up.

They are things that I have been struggling to comprehend for a long time now.  They are things that are finally starting to sink in and I am realizing that these are things that will help propel me to where it is that I want to be, and where it is that I need to be.  So I wanted to share with you a few lessons that I have learned from observing Tyler Perry that could help steer you on a more sturdy road to success.

1)      Don’t Let Anybody Define You— People have hated on Tyler Perry since he became a success.  They’ve tried to tear him down, say what they think he should be doing.  Even some people in the industry still don’t take him seriously enough just because he started off in the comedy arena.  None of that matters to him.  He has never tried to be anything that other people wanted him to be.  He has never tried to be anyone other than himself.  And look at where you can go just defining your own identity instead of letting others define it for you.

2)      Guard Your Heart—When Tyler Perry speaks of guarding your heart he isn’t talking about heartbreak (like I initially thought).  He is speaking of keeping your heart in tact when others continue to try and change you.  On your road to success people are going to do cruel and unforgivable things to you, things that you never thought they would do.  Guarding your heart is going to keep you from allowing those cruelties and those unforgivable things to change your heart and turn you into someone that you are not.

3)      Never let the word NO stop you from succeeding anyway—Tyler Perry’s first play that he wrote in 1992 and took his whole life savings to produce and put on was not well received and it placed him back into the poverty that he dealt with in his childhood.  He spent months sleeping in seedy motels and eventually in his car.  He never let the No’s keep him from powering through the rough times and eventually someone said Yes!  The rest is history.

4)      Don’t let the bad that’s in your past hold you back from receiving the good that is in your future—Tyler Perry had an abusive and poverty stricken childhood that could’ve made him shut down and give up.  He took his painful and hurtful past and let it be the fuel that drove him to succeed and to make his life better.  He refused to let his past hold him back from all of the blessings that he was due in his future.

5)      Never question what God has in store for you—No matter what hard times he faced and no matter how bad it got, Tyler Perry didn’t just maintain a strong belief in himself and his talent, but he maintained his faith that he had in God and what God had planned for him.  He maintained his desire to fulfill the purpose that God had given him in life.

I know that they say success is all in who you know, and I do believe that to an extent.  However, in observing some of these powerful media moguls and seeing what lessons they have to teach along the way, that may be an over-exaggerated phrase that everyone just would like to be true.  I mean it’s a good excuse to use for why you’re not where you want to be right?  You don’t know anyone so that’s why you’re not where you want to be.  It’s the excuse I’ve been using for quite a while now.

It’s more about knowing yourself and knowing what your purpose is and never questioning it.  It’s about not letting other people’s ideals for you turn you against what you know is right for you.  It doesn’t help to know all the right people, if all they’re going to do is tell you all of the wrong things and lead you down the wrong path.  You are your best bet to get where it is that you desire to be.

 I have the Write 2 Be Authentic…What is your Write 2 Be?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

https://write-2-be.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

 

Write 2 Be Magazine will be debuting on January 15th, 2013 so please go join the magazine on twitter before it debuts on https://twitter.com/write2bemag and join the email listing for the magazine at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.  Also please feel free to go and friend me on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310 and like my Write 2 Be Magazine fan page.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.