Month: September 2020

I Can’t Control What I Can’t Control

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The world has gone crazy and everyone is losing their mind. Well not everyone but you get it, you know what’s going on. More recently things have just gotten even more unbearable for the vast majority of people and there are a lot of people who are completely stressed out. I’m not saying that I don’t feel the frustration or the stress and worry but I will say because I have tapped into more spiritual sustenance I am not pulling my hair out (like my sister is lol) and panicking. I stay reading my devotionals and the Bible, praying and talking to God and I know that it sounds a little simplistic but it has been working for me and I feel an incredible sense of peace.

Someone asked me recently how am I not freaking out and going crazy and my response was simply “I can’t control what I can’t control” to which they replied “huh”? Basically there are things that I can control but there are far more things that happen in this world that I just have absolutely no control over. Those are the things that I can’t control and I just am not going to worry and stress about what I have no control over.

When it comes to what is happening in the world of politics right now, which my sister is literally freaking out over and reacting to every news sound bite and news story that comes out about you know who and this election, while I am also worried and concerned for the state of this country I just can’t give that amount of energy to worrying about something in which the only bit of control that I have is to be at the polls on November 3rd (COVID be damned) and stand in line for however long it takes to cast my vote. That is the only thing I can control unless I had any plans on running for some sort of political office (which I don’t).

However, this mantra that I’ve enacted for myself I am now trying to also apply it to my writing as well. I am really hard on myself when it comes to all things writing because I want things to be perfect, or as perfect as possible, and there are so many things that I want to be able to do and I don’t want to have to give up any of the project ideas I’ve had for any reason. That said, when it comes to the ever present procrastination that I have done and am currently doing, it stems from things that I just have no power over.

I hesitate on putting my work out and sometimes stall the process, yeah because I want things to be as perfect as I can possibly make them, but more so because I’m afraid if they are not perfect in the audience’s eyes that they won’t buy my work and I won’t become the success I’ve dreamed of becoming since I was a little girl. The fact is I can’t control whether someone purchases my books or any products I might put out and when they do purchase it I also have no control over whether or not they will like it. If I query to agents and publishers I can’t control whether they will like or buy into my work.

I can’t allow myself to stress about those things any longer because the only thing that worrying about it has done was kept me from actually attempting any of it. People certainly can’t buy my work or products if there are none that are out there to buy. Agents and publishers can’t even have the opportunity to reject or accept my work if they never see it. I have to work hard at the things that are within my grasp to control otherwise I will drive myself crazy, like really crazy, all over what is not in my power to change.

So all of that was to say I know that things are hard right now, and not just in the world of politics but probably in your normal everyday life, with your job or career. Don’t let the fear of what may or may not happen consume you. Don’t let the anxiety that you feel over things that are out of your control, take time away from focusing on the things that you do have control over. Be careful where you put your focus right now and let God take care of those things that make you a little restless. Until next time… #BeMindful #BeOptimistic BeGrateful

 

Jimmetta Carpenter 

Writer/Editor 

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

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Why Do Old Habits Have to Die?

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Wouldn’t it be really nice if we could just balance out all of our habits to work all in one accord with one another? Or am I the only one who, when I further develop good consistent habits in one area other areas begin to suffer? A couple of years ago I had been vigorously working out, consistently and faithfully, and I had been on and off with the habit but around that time I had finally gotten my shit together health wise. I cut out most of the unhealthy foods; I don’t really eat a lot in terms of quantity but I had gotten really good at keeping my diet on track; I even got to the point where it just felt wrong to not go to the gym and work out. But you know what wasn’t as consistent as I wanted it to be then? My writing!

Cut to a couple of years and two car accidents later (one in which I was hit walking across the street by a truck) and my working out has obviously grown stagnant again and my diet, well we’re not even going to get on that (I mean I still eat mostly health but I’ve snuck a lot of the junk snack food back in somehow). I can’t workout as hard as I used to and definitely not everyday like I used to because of the physical issues that stem from the accidents that I keep messing up my recovery from because I’m hard headed and I tend to try to exercise as hard as I used to and then I re-injure myself which delays the healing. It’s frustrating as hell and I was at least going to the gym to do some strength training but then the world shut down and even though the gyms have opened up again I personally don’t feel comfortable going back right now until they get a better handle on COVID.

That said, my writing habit has never been better (well not since I was a college student anyway) and I am continually developing my writing routine to work better and better and trying different methods to determine if there’s routines that work even better for me. Although I have not found a solid writing routine that I can use day after day, I have still been extremely productive and I am absolutely loving the work that I have been able to get accomplished and it’s been wonderful. But again, when one habit is strengthened the other one (working out) seems to fall by the wayside.

Is there some secret to balancing everything so that it all works together? If there is I want to know because it frustrates me to no end to struggle in something so much, finally hit my stride, and then get the other thing I’m struggling in on track only to fall off track with the first thing. I suppose in this case my physical limitations have played a part in my falling off track with the workout but the perfectionist in me just says I need to suck it up and just push harder anyway (until I’m exercising and then my knee or my back will quickly let me know that I’m doing too much).

I suppose that just means that the area that I really need to work on most is the one in which I realize that I am not Superwoman and I can’t do it all and that I can’t just ignore what my body tells me not to do. I suppose balance is all in the hands of the producer (lol). Well that is my Monday rant and I really would like to know what you guys do to find balance in your life with the things that you love to do? Until next time… #BeProductive #BeMotivating #BeInspiring

 

Jimmetta Carpenter 

Writer/Editor 

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

http://write2bemagazine.com/

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Progress Is Still Progress, Right?

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So I told you guys that I was doing this writing challenge called the MilWordy challenge (I did a video about the challenge so you can check it out by clicking on this link) right? It is where, simply put, you aim to write a million words in a year. It includes drafting words, outlining words, blog post words, editing and revised words, basically any words for your writing projects except for text and emails. Sounds crazy right?

Well just call me crazy because while I was hesitant at first I jumped on board the MilWordy train soon after getting past the initial shock of just how many words that is. The challenge is from September 1 (of this year obviously lol) until August 31, 2021 and honestly if you think about just how many words can be counted it seems fairly doable but make no mistake I don’t really think that I will get to a million words (but I’m still aiming for it). So then why am I doing this challenge if I already am saying it’s not going to be achieved right? Well because I don’t know unless I try.

Well so far it’s not going all that great (and I mean I haven’t even reached 15,000 words yet) and I have been a little down about it. However, it’s making me realize a thing about myself and that’s that I am very quick to count myself out before I even give something a try. I’m also not nearly as productive as I truly desire to be and while I have my days where I feel super productive, even on those days the productivity is still not enough. Which brings me to the other thing about me that I’ve noticed that I need to work on and that is knowing that progress of any kind, no matter how small, IS ENOUGH.

Now I know that it seems counterproductive to do a million word challenge that heavily relies on productivity when one of the issues I want to address is not beating up on myself for not being productive enough but I promise they go hand in hand (at least for me). Essentially there can still be productivity in the still moments, those moments when your brain is working but nothing comes out on the page so it looks like nothing is being produced but the brain is always at work.

Anyway, I’m getting off track. So the main reason I’m doing this challenge is to become more productive but also to become less critical of myself as well. I’m not saying that I’m going to be that successful at the being less critical part but I have to get to a point where I’m not going to just downplay any productivity I do have because it wasn’t at the level I thought it would be. At some point, the best I can do for any given day will have to be enough.

So what about you? Do you ever have that feeling like your best still might not be good enough? Are there some days where you just want to let things marinate in your brain for a while before putting them out there but that makes you feel like you’re not doing enough? I hope that you will get to that place where what you are able to accomplish, no matter how big or small it is, will make you feel like you’ve done enough. Until next time… #BeConfident #BeBrave #BeDriven

 

Jimmetta Carpenter 

Writer/Editor 

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

http://write2bemagazine.com/

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

https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine

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With the Mountains Comes the Valleys

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“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

~ Psalm 23 (KJV)

I am terrified of heights and yet I still desire to reach the top of the mountain. By that I am specifically speaking of the mountain of success. The thing is that I would really like to skip all of the rock bottom parts of the journey, along with the valleys and pitfalls that you are going to inevitably go through in order to get to the top of said mountain. I basically just want to zip line my way to the top (no, no I don’t because zip lining is extremely high up lol) and say I made it. I mean don’t all of us wish that we could just go from dreaming really big to completing the dream in a nanosecond? But of course that is not the reality that we live in. It is also probably not the best way to be a well rounded human being and serve a purposeful life.

I read something in my devotional the other day that made a really good point that I think we should all try to keep in mind when we start to get frustrated with whatever journey we are on. It referred to Psalms 23 and talked about going through the valley in order to get to the mountaintop. The hard times that we go through are what help to produce even greater results.

God gives us many battles along our path in order to strengthen us for the ultimate purpose that he has for our lives. Those obstacles that we encounter are what will build up the overall strength that we’re going to need once we reach the top of that mountain. Keep in mind that reaching the top of the mountain (i.e. reaching the level of success that you’re aiming for) in no way means that the hard work is done. Often times the hard work is only just beginning once you get into fulfilling your actual purpose. It just shifts into a different kind of work and the goal posts for what you want to accomplish usually changes.

So just remember that those valleys that you (and yes me too) keep trying to avoid walking through, the parts of the path that you keep wishing away, those are the tools that you need for when you reach the top of that mountain. You can’t get to the top of any mountain without first walking your way through the valleys. Until next time… #BeGrateful #BeMindful #BePatient

 

Jimmetta Carpenter 

Writer/Editor 

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

http://write2bemagazine.com/

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

https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJCCarpenter

https://twitter.com/jcladyluv 

https://twitter.com/write2bemag 

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