“You can’t stand out unless you are willing to be outstanding!” ~Bishop John A. Cherry II
The message from my Pastor this past Sunday via live stream church service was about setting things in order in our lives. He stressed that in this current time we should not only be using our time to get things back on track in our everyday lives (that is of course if you entered into this Pandemic with things being off track—as I did) but he also spoke to the efforts we must consciously make to keep them moving forward and in the right direction to fulfill your purpose. A part of those efforts have to include being willing to stand out and a large reason as to why anyone stands out is by doing something worth noticing.
I desire a career that will give me a platform with the ability to use my words and other creative talents to make big and bold changes, not just within the literary world, but in the hearts of people in general. Yet I spend a lot of time trying to not be noticed, to not do anything that any one person can single me out for. I try to separate my personal from my professional, often times hoping the two will never meet but that is not because I don’t in fact desire to change this world in a big bold way. It is because I fear that I won’t change this world with any real significance and if I fail to be of good use to this world somehow, then I can’t be singled out for not fulfilling my purpose. As if God wouldn’t automatically know that I was too busy trying to hide my light instead of focusing on doing what He called me to do which would directly place me into the path with the most light.
I was asked once why I don’t share certain things that I do on my professional pages, onto my personal social media pages and I didn’t really have a good answer for them. I suppose I’m too afraid that I’ll fail and that way if you see the Author version of me fail it’s not like you saw the real me fail. If you see my magazine fail, it’s not like you saw me fail. There’s also the thing about me being apprehensive about asking people I know in my personal life to support my professional endeavors. It’s not by any means because I don’t want their support. It’s because I’m afraid I won’t get it anyway and if I don’t ask I don’t have to hear someone I know personally, someone who I might have thought was for me, and wanted me to succeed, blatantly refuse to be supportive of my art. I guess it would be a little hurtful and thus I don’t ask. However, I leave out all of those who would by doing that.
Now I can’t promise to change this practice overnight and suddenly merge the personal side of me with the professional, because we are in fact one in the same. I will acknowledge that I need to be a little more willing to share my light and not be afraid of the result, whatever that may be. I do want big things out of my life. I have a big, and bold legacy that I would like to leave behind for my daughter and any children she may have in the future. I also want to be someone who empowers others to live out their dreams, especially because I didn’t really have anyone to empower me to live out mine. But I can’t do any of that if I am too afraid to stand out. If I’m not willing to do anything outstanding, then how can I ever truly inspire others to be? So if you are dimming your light for the sake of someone else, don’t! Let your light shine bright and be the outstanding and amazing person that you were always meant to be. The world needs your light! Until next time… #BeBrave #BeBright #BeOutstanding
Jimmetta Carpenter
Writer/Editor
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310
https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJCCarpenter
Write 2 Be 
What a lovely post! I think you’re wonderful! Keep up the great work!
Awe! Thank you so much Ruthie! I think you are wonderful as well. Thank you for brightening my day with your lovely comment. Take care