Author: jcladyluv

http://freemynd.wordpress.com/

In The Meantime

April 8, 2010 jcladyluv

Good things come to those who wait but the waiting is always easier said than done. Life has become one big waiting game that always keeps you in limbo and everyday we find ourselves waiting for something, whether it is as trivial as the stop light turning from red to green or something as essential as that job that our whole lives seem to be depending on. I have always had a problem waiting for things to happen and worrying too much that they won’t and it’s because I haven’t always been good at having the patience to wait for things to happen when they are meant to.

People sometimes misconceive having patience as procrastinating and not taking action but I believe that that misconception couldn’t be further from the truth. Patience happens to be inextricably linked with persistence with the only difference between the two being that persistence is visible and patience often is not. But just because something isn’t seen doesn’t mean it’s not there. Being persistent about something is having the tenacity to see it through and is the result of having the patience to stay the course.

As a writer I have found that patience is not only the key component to many successes in life but it’s also what the creative process is built on. No one becomes the established author or an Oscar winning actress overnight. When you want something in life to be successful you not only have to have the will to make it so but you have to have the patience to wait for it to happen. That, for me, is the hard part but I get it. We creative types would love to go from idea to stardom in no time flat but the reality is that that doesn’t always make for the long lasting success that we want. There is a reason why things that are rushed don’t usually turn out the way we want them to and we have to ponder the possibility that it’s because it was forced and because we didn’t believe in ourselves enough to wait for things to happen in their own time.

Patience is necessary. We find that we need it everyday in dealing with the people around us and in the commitments we have made to others and to ourselves. Patience is in waiting for that one person to understand you and respect you for your thoughts and your objectives. It’s waiting for everything that you’ve ever wanted for yourself to come true. Patience is even in the realization that life can not be rushed and that everything must run its own course. In appreciating life and all that it has to offer we need to learn to accept the fact that we don’t always get what we want and when we do it is almost never going to be at the very moment that we want it.

To be determined, to have focus, to have success, you must first have patience and

I must admit that my own patience is tested on a daily basis for what feels like every second of the day. Whether it is in my writing or in what I call a personal life it feels as though I am always left waiting. But I find that if you’re too busy rushing everything along in your life you never get to enjoy the journey that leads you to what it is that you want. The end result isn’t always the best part of the journey, sometimes it’s the things that happened along the way that make it all worthwhile.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date TBA)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

Don’t Just Sit There, Do Something !

April 2, 2010 jcladyluv

When you hold a mirror up to your life do you ever feel the need to ask yourself, what exactly was it that you were waiting for? Sometimes people get so caught up in what their dreams are that they tend to forget that they aren’t going to come true without the action necessary to make it happen. We make excuses from having too many goals and not enough motivation, to lack of time and no financial means but all of those excuses are just utter procrastination. At some point we have to stop making excuses of why we can’t do something and strive to find the reasons why we can.

I’ve had a rough draft of my life plan pretty much since before I was in high school but of course along the way that plan has been edited and re-edited. Now, as I have made a commitment towards accomplishing my dreams, I realized that I myself have turned into the Queen of procrastination. Somewhere along the path of trying to attain all of my dreams I began to sit down and just wait for them to happen on their own. I managed to mask it as being patient but it was just simply me slacking off and becoming lazy and it made me want to get up and do something about the life I say that I want to have.

I’ll admit that although I know where I slacked off I am still guilty of letting my own self judgment distract me from my dreams. A large part of why people continually procrastinate is that too often we listen to the critic we have within ourselves. That, coupled with the fear that they will either fail, or even worse, that they will actually succeed is a scary thought. We can’t let our self doubt overshadow our lives and keep us from moving forward.

We all at some point wish that there was a button that we could push at any time to reset our lives back to the point where we feel we slacked off. But life doesn’t come with do-overs. To me life is about succeeding and succeeding requires that we do something. The longer we just sit there and watch as life happens the less control we have on where our life goes. We can’t take time for granted and keep thinking that we have time left to do what we want to do. We have to make every second count and appreciate life for all it’s worth. Sitting around just isn’t an option anymore.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date TBA)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.pumpkinpiepublishing.com/

My First Novel Coming Soon…..The Diary: Succession of Lies

March 29, 2010 jcladyluv

What if you discovered that the sins of your mother’s past will forever haunt your future and that finding out the secrets that she took to her grave with her would turn the lives of the people she left behind upside down?

To the rest of the world Corynn Hayes was a brilliant writer and entrepreneur but to Karlee Jones she was not only her mother but her best friend. Until her unexpected death Karlee thought that she knew everything there was to know about her mother. However, after receiving her mother’s diary as a final gift to her, she soon realizes the depth of the secrets that she kept from her and just how devastating her lies would end up being.

The Diary: Succession of Lies is a novel that exposes the secret life of a mistress and is a tale of the trials of love, lust, loss, and redemption from two generations of women. While the mistress has been vilified throughout literature as a harlot and a home wrecker, The Diary takes a new spin on the role that a mistress plays. It’s a compelling and thought- provoking read that goes into truthful and oftentimes painful depth as to why a mistress stays, of whether love is present in taboo relationships, and questions whether love is enough to endure the consequences that come along with it.

Jimmetta Carpenter, writing as Jaycee Durant, is the editor of the Free Fall Literary Newsletter and Spoken Like a Queen. She previously published a volume of poetry, The Art of Love, under the pseudonym Gemini.

– Lamonique Hamilton –

Author of Under Every Deep

Pumpkin Pie Publishing

Write 2 Be Freelance Writing Services

March 28, 2010 jcladyluv

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In addition, our professional consulting services are also available should you need a quick overview of your project.

We would appreciate the opportunity to show you how valuable our professional writing & editing services will be to you and your business. Simply email us your request for Writing Services and a price quote to Write2BeFreelance@yahoo.com. Upon receiving your request, you will be contacted within 48 hours to assess the next step for your project.

Write 2 Be Freelance Writing Services…your source for professional & quality writing.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date To Be Announced)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

In the Pursuit of…

March 28, 2010 jcladyluv

I’ve been thinking a lot about what it truly means to be in the “Pursuit of Happiness” and if it really is as hard to attain as we sometimes make it out to be. Then I began thinking about whether or not those of us who are pursuing happiness are in actuality going after the wrong thing. I mean don’t get me wrong, we all want our little piece of happiness whenever we can get it but what about the moments of sadness that we have in between. Do those moments just overshadow all that we have achieved and allow the good moments in our lives to get lost in the pursuit? Are we pursuing something that is impossible to maintain? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself whether you were content with trying to find your happiness or if you would rather be satisfied in finding your joy?

The two, although similar in meaning, mean different things depending on the person you are asking. While happiness is very much desired by all, it is fleeting. It is a feeling that even when reached can not really be kept. It’s one of those emotions that when we can get it, we grab hold of it but still have to understand that it will not last. I believe that people’s pursuit of happiness is more so based on the assumption that there is an ideal that we need to match up to. It’s more about what feelings we project to others and what others see when they look at us and examine our lives. If life is based on obtaining happiness, then we will always fall short because life is always changing and what we need to be happy will change right along with it. We can choose whether we want to be happy or not but generally what will make us happy at one particular moment will not keep us happy throughout our lifetime.

Joy, while intertwined with happiness, isn’t dependant on your circumstances and unlike happiness it requires no effort. It is something much deeper then anyone can see and is something that is constant. Joy is that feeling that you still feel deep down in your soul even if you aren’t happy and your world may very well be crumbling around you. It is what gets you through those periods of sadness where you might wonder if you will ever be happy again. It last through your trials in life and is what gives you strength that you sometimes don’t even realize that you have. When trying so hard to pursue your happiness you may sometimes overlook the joy that is right in front of you. Having joy, to me, says that you are at peace within yourself and that is a step beyond happiness.

In examining the two I’ve come to believe that happiness has more to do with what you have and what can be attained where as Joy is about who you are inside. Joy is about what is in your heart and what’s in your spirit. I think that maybe the key to finding your happiness lies in truly discovering your joy. If you were to loose everything that you felt made you “happy” tomorrow would you still have that feeling of inner peace within. If not then maybe happiness isn’t what you should be in pursuit of. Happiness can come and go in an instant but joy can last a lifetime. Once you have found your joy no one can use it, no one can borrow it and no one can ever take it away.

Jimmetta Carpenter

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date To Be Announced)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

Time Waits For No One

March 25, 2010 jcladyluv

It seems no matter what things in life that you push aside and what responsibilities you overlook for the day you never get the time to yourself that you so desperately need and deserve. It may often seem like our lives have just become a series of tasks to complete rather than moments to enjoy. But whatever happened to making every moment count? Did it get replaced with the job, the kids, the housework, the friends and the bills that never go away? At what point did we abandon our responsibilities to ourselves and our own sanity? And at what point do we stop and take some time for ourselves without any interruptions? Have we somehow managed to put our needs on a shelf that we can no longer reach?

Okay getting a moment to yourself without interruptions may never really happen but in theory it’s certainly something to strive for. As a mother, and a writer among many other things I find that it always seems like you just never have enough time to do everything it is that you want to do. But who does. My problem, however, isn’t knowing how to make time for myself. I’m the opposite. I always manage to sneak in a little relaxation or a late night movie with a snack here and there. My problem is that I tend to feel guilty about the time that I do steal for myself. I sometimes feel as though I shouldn’t have stopped to take that moment and that there is so much more that I could be doing or writing with that little “break” in time. But I’ve realized lately that I had the right idea all along and that maybe those little “breaks” in time are what keep me going.

If I always kept going and never stopped to appreciate what I have and the fact that I made it through yet another day I think that I quite possibly would’ve gone crazy by now. There’s no sense in feeling like your at your wits end and wanting to pull your hair out if you can avoid all of that by simply stopping to breathe and regain your thoughts. I often feel like those moments I’ve stolen for myself are one’s that I could’ve used to write something worthwhile but if I hadn’t taken those moments I wouldn’t have had ideas for other stories and other projects and I’d find myself hitting a mental wall more often than not. When I don’t take the time for myself I begin feeling frustrated, and overwhelmed and I start to loose sight of what’s important to me. Sometimes I just have to stop doing for a while and just be.

It’s an odd concept but I sometimes think that people with a full life really have no life at all because they never take the time to enjoy it. They are consumed with the day to day worries of the children, and the friends, the boyfriend or the spouse, and those ever so popular bills that you think if you give your undivided attention to will somehow go away. They never just go take a walk and soak up the environment, or go out to eat by themselves to just enjoy their own company. They are so busy taking care of everything and everyone else that they forget about themselves and just put themselves off until later. But how long can you really put yourself off? Taking time for yourself brings a sense of peace, renews your thoughts and taps into that creative energy that you may not even know you possess. Don’t take time for granted because it tends to fly by when nobody’s looking. I’m not saying that you should all of a sudden neglect the rest of your responsibilities but while you’re looking after everyone else, who is it that’s supposed to look after you?

Jimmetta Carpenter

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date To Be Announced)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

Leave Your Regrets At The Door

March 23, 2010 jcladyluv

There are always going to be mistakes in our lives that we wish we hadn’t made and things in our lives that we tend to regret. The problem lies in when those mistakes and those regrets start to take up too much of our thought process. We either forget the good things that might’ve come out of those mistakes or we dwell on the regrets so much that we can’t get our lives back on the right path. What if we are so stuck on regretting what we didn’t get accomplished or not being at the place in life that we feel we should be that those regrets start to turn into procrastination and even worse, excuses. Okay so you’ve now realized where it is that you went wrong. Are you going to keep dwelling on that regret and that mistake or are you going to stop turning that regret into your next excuse and get your life back on track and back into high gear.

I say this as I am really just now beginning to fully understand it but our past is not our present nor does it have to be our future. So often we become so obsessed with all of the regrets we have over what goals we were unable to achieve that we end up convincing ourselves that it is too late for those goals and that we are doomed to fail at anything we do. Regretting what you did or didn’t do doesn’t enhance you in any way. In reality all it does is drain you emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We can’t allow our regrets to keep us chained to a prison of should of’s, could of’s and would of’s or else we will never turn them into a reality. Plain and simple, regrets are just a waste of time, and time that none of us have to waste.

We don’t plan on making as many mistakes in our lives as we do. We make plans and navigate paths on how to get to our destination and just assume that everything will turn out the way we intend for them to. We don’t leave much room for any error or account for any mistakes so of course we are taken aback when these mistakes that we didn’t see coming take us so far off course. However the way to get back on track is not to fill our heads with regret after regret. Eventually you have to take those regrets and turn them into awareness. Become aware of your mistakes and instead of letting them become your regrets, let them remain your life lessons.

At some point in our lives we all find ourselves wishing that we could go back and change our approach to different situations. But some mistakes and outcomes are just beyond our control and no matter how much we would like to we can’t go back. So why waste time wishing we could. Why not take those moments we regret the most and use them as our motivation to turn things back around. If we hold on to those regrets for too long they will eventually hold us back and they will become the next excuse of why we couldn’t accomplish something else we wanted to accomplish and inevitably they will breed new regrets. It would be a shame to close the door on our future accomplishments by dwelling on the failed attempts at the old ones. It is better to look ahead and prepare for what could be than to keep looking back and regret what could’ve been.

Jimmetta Carpenter

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Release Date To Be Announced)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

The Makings of a Writer

March 20, 2010March 20, 2010 jcladyluv

When I tell people that I am a writer it bothers me to hear those who say, “Oh that’s a nice hobby, what do you really want to do with your life?” I just reply, “Writing is my life, it’s who I am.” That’s really the only way that I can address those kinds of statements. People have no idea just what it takes to be a writer. It may look as if we just sit around and write all day and get to be free spirits but it’s so much more then that. Writing is reading, and researching, and conversing with a multitude of people. It is being confident in what you write and who you are within that particular piece of work. It is being determined to not let the cynics and the pessimists get inside your head (which is harder than you would think). It’s withstanding the constant rejections and being able to press on. Writing is an art and a writer is the person who transforms that art from idea to actual vision. We writers have what is called a calling, not a drive, but a pull that leaves us no choice but to follow it.
Writers are more than just people who write down words as a way of life. Writing involves so much more than that. We are people who live and breathe words. We are people who are truly in love with words and the meanings behind them. Writers are surveyors, reporters, interpreters, storytellers, and most of all observers. We have a passion for ideas that is almost too intense. We are fearless explorers who are engaged in life, and love and know what it means to be alive, to grow, to experience, to know, to learn, to love, and to fear. Writers ask what if? We want to know more than just the who, what, when, and where, we want to know why? We need to know why.
Writers are complicated to say the very least and contrary to popular belief this profession does not come as easy as it may be perceived. There are a lot of ups and downs that accompany being a writer but the trick is having or forming really thick skin. That mixed in with patience, persistence, and perseverance might get you really far in this line of work. We’ve learned to laugh at ourselves and throw out those perfectionist standards, which we sometimes set. Rejection is a way of life for writers but we come with an odd mix of optimism and humility along with a humble heart and a healthy dose of realism that seem to help. Writers have to be confident. Sure we let that circle of doubt cloud us from time to time wondering whether or not what we’re doing is really worth it or not. But we get through it and move past it and move on.
Writers are an example of many things such as strength, extreme willpower, and a huge amount of creativity and idealism. We find the discipline and stamina to support our love of words and we use our vigorous imagination to interpret our experiences in life. Writers are people who have something to say and something that they absolutely have to get out. Writing to me isn’t a choice, or just a profession. It is who I am and it is how I express myself and it’s how I get heard. It is where I implement the voices in my head that are trying to get through to someone else but have no way to do it on their own. Writing isn’t just a career it is an existence. I not only write because I can’t fight the urge, but I write simply because I have no choice.
Jimmetta Carpenter

“The Diary: Succession of Lies” (Release Date To Be Announced)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”