Tag: Jimmetta Carpenter

Put Your Money Where Your Dreams Are

jcladyluv

The idea and title, for that matter, of my blog post today was inspired by my best friend Ms. L’s video blog post regarding her thoughts on the State of the Union Address made by President Obama last night.  One point she made in her post was about us, in our everyday lives, being willing to invest in ourselves and essentially “put your money where your dreams are”.

She got me to thinking of how we can find a happy medium in between investing everything we can into that dream we are striving towards and being able to somehow still reward ourselves for the accomplishments that we do achieve along the way in our journey.  I thought of a couple of things that we can maybe think of doing that might not seem so impossible to actually do.

1.)    Bank on Your Dreams—Give your dream its own bank account.  If you already have a separate business account, this would be also considered your dream account (unless your own business is not in fact your dream- then you still need a different account to build on your dream).  This is an account that is only for things pertaining to making your dream a reality.  This IS NOT an emergency fund for when things start getting tough.  If you are striving to be a successful writer and make your entire income by writing then when you need to go to a conference to network, that would be when you tap into this account.  It is not for seeing a movie that you want to call research for your next great project.  That is not an emergency.

2.)    Be Your Own Bill Collector—Treat your dream, and the expenses for accomplishing your dream, as if it is a bill and you are its bill collector.  Whether it be once every two weeks, or once a month (however your income flows) take a percentage or a set amount each time you get paid and put into your dream.  This is where the dream account comes in handy.  If we treat our dreams as if it is just like all of our bills other bills that come every month, the one’s we stress ourselves over, then perhaps we will actually manage to put some money into it.

3.)    Give Up Unnecessary Wants—Be prepared to give up what you don’t need to have.  You know what I mean.  That night that you ate out when you had food in the house you could have fixed.  That extra pair of shoes that you didn’t really need to buy.  That bottle of wine that you didn’t actually need to get.  Those cigarettes that you bought when you know you need to quit anyway.  Those are things that you want, possibly things you think you need, but that you don’t.  This is money being taken away from that dream you keep hoping to see progress in.

4.)    Reward Yourself Feasibly—Okay just because I said that you have to be willing to give up those unnecessary wants doesn’t mean that I am saying to not ever reward yourself for the things you do accomplish along the way.  If you don’t reward yourself in some way you will most likely start to feel like you’re not getting anything out of this because it is (unless you are lucky enough to make it big overnight) going to take some time to see the complete end result that you are looking for.  However, let’s keep our end results in mind when we reward ourselves.  For instance, I can see buying those sneakers that you really need because your current pair are almost in the category of falling apart, but do you really think the extra pair of $300 shoes is necessary.  That handbag that you want to buy for $100 is not really a need when you have a dozen perfectly good handbags at home (and that one is hard for me because purses are my weakness).  One cup of Starbucks a week is a nice reward but do you actually need to go every day when you have a perfectly good coffee maker at home.  Reward in moderation.

So do you see any of these on the list that you can at least start with this week?  I think that I can see one specifically that I need to do for myself that I can’t even believe I haven’t done yet.  Hopefully you will find some of these helpful and perhaps you can even think of a few that I didn’t include that you can share with me.  Let’s start taking our dreams off of the back burner where we tend to forget about them, and placing them on that front burner so they are always at the top of our agenda.  We have to take our dreams seriously, because if we don’t know no one else will.

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

If Only I Could Have It All…Time That Is

jcladyluv

I don’t think this is the first time I’ve mentioned this but I have extreme issues with time management.  With me and my writing there isn’t a problem with having enough ideas, I have plenty of those (too many in fact).  There isn’t necessarily a problem with drive and determination, I have tons of that.  There is, however, a serious mismanagement of time.  It isn’t always that I don’t have enough time either (although it certainly feels that way), but rather that I don’t think that I am doing the right things with my time.

I know what you’re thinking.  If you know that then it should be easy to fix, right.  Well you know what they say.  Some things are just easier said then done.  I get trapped by the normal time traps that I’m sure trap everyone from time to time; checking emails, checking facebook (both my personal page and the Write 2 Be fan page-seriously for networking purposes mostly), watching TV (especially the shows that inspire further creativity), and just the everyday mom stuff.

It’s not that I don’t get any work done, I do, but I haven’t gotten back to my novel in months and I miss it.  I miss that side of my writing and it’s not as if I don’t want to finish my novel, I just can’t seem to find the time.  At least it always feels that way.  I know it should be a simple solution but rarely will the things that seem simple ever actually be simple.  So I thought of a few things that I could possibly do to improve my time issues as it pertains to my writing.

1.)    Cut out some of my TV time— Okay not necessarily just completely ignore all of the shows I love and can’t stand to miss.  But perhaps I could block out a chunk of time for my writing that can not be interrupted by the television and just DVR those shows that I can’t miss (after all what else do I have DVR for).  That way I can also have that set time where I’m relaxing and catching up on all of the TV that I missed while writing.

2.)    Not check my emails every thirty minutes— Seriously, what am I really going to miss in thirty minutes.  I just need to set three times in a day that I can check my emails.  There probably won’t be a crucially urgent email in there that can’t wait to be read.

3.)    Not try to make everything perfect—Nothing is perfect and you would think that I would have realized this already.  A large part of what takes up the time that I do spend writing is stressing about whether everything that I produced is perfect or not.  Nothing comes of trying to make things 100% perfect except for a lot of wasted time and missed writing assignments.  Perfection is, after all, overrated.

4.)    Map out a schedule—I know all of the projects that I need to work on, and I know all of the marketing that I need to do to further promote myself, now I just need to set certain time periods to work on certain projects.  That way, if I set a specific timeline to work on a project then I know I have that allotted amount of time to work on that project and that project only.  This way I can make absolute sure that something gets worked on.  It’s more efficient then what I am doing now which is just working in whatever I can whenever I can.

Hopefully if I begin practicing some of these tips I will be able to finish my novel and move and perhaps even start the next one.  Maybe some of these tips can also work for someone else out there who is struggling with actually producing the amount of work they know they should be getting out.  After all, time doesn’t stand still and we can’t keep wasting it by not having a plan of how best to use it.

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Self-Promotion Monday

jcladyluv

The second issue of the Write 2 Be Magazine will be available on Friday and it is just as nerve-racking as when I put together the first issue.  However, nerve-racking it may be, it is still the most purposeful I have felt in a long time.  I am still busy putting together the issue so I don’t have much to say today but I did want to take this time to post a few announcements concerning the magazine.  I guess I am making today self-promotion Monday.  So below are a few things that pertain to the magazine and to all of the fellow writers who may want to join the magazine and who would like to write for the magazine.

Always Looking for Writers and Artists’

Write 2 Be Magazine is looking for writers to share their words through poetry, short story, personal essays, or articles on and about writing.  We are also accepting artwork or photography, book reviews, as well as video clips of spoken word performances.  If you are interested in joining the community of writers that make up Write 2 Be Magazine please feel free to e-mail any submissions and/or inquiries to write2bemagazine@yahoo.com.   

Seeking Authors to Interview

Write 2 Be Magazine is looking for authors to interview and who would like to bring attention to their published work and discuss their journey within their writing career.  Please submit all requests for an email interview to write2bemagazine@yahoo.com and for those who live in the DMV area, you can request a face to face interview if you would prefer.  I look forward to being able to help bring attention to the work of more talented writers and poets, in particular those who are just getting started on their journey.  

February’s Magazine Giveaway

Last month Write 2 Be Magazine was giving away a Starbucks gift card for anyone who liked the Write 2 Be Magazine facebook fan page.  This month I am giving away a FREE copy of my book, The Diary: Succession of Lies.  For more information on how you can be entered to win a free copy of my book tune into the magazine on Friday.  

I hope to see what wonderful artists’ you are soon!

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

The Perception of Strength

jcladyluv

It may sound strange but I sometimes get annoyed with people always using strong as one of the words to describe me.  People tell me that I’ve been through so much and that with all of the struggles that I’ve had and still have they are amazed at my strength and how I manage to persevere through it and towards something better.

I want to say “it’s not as if I actually have a choice, I can’t just curl up and die”.  More importantly I want to let them know that I am most certainly not strong, at least not any stronger than they are or anyone else out in this world going through horrific tragedies.  What exactly is it to be strong anyway?

I think that people have this idea, particularly about women, that they are always sure of themselves, sure of where they are going, unafraid, and iron willed.  There is this notion that if we are emotional, if we show our vulnerability, if we express our fears and our doubts, that somehow that makes us weak.  I must admit I have played into that a lot.

I’m an extremely emotional person and I don’t try to hide it but I find myself sometimes apologizing for it and in many ways feeling embarrassed because of it.  My mother once told me that tears and crying is for the weak and I have to admit that this made me even more apprehensive about showing my emotions to the general public.

For the people that really know me, on a deep and personal level, and they know my weaknesses and love me because of them as well as in spite of them, I will show that side.  However, for the rest of the world, the outside people who have yet to get to know me, I have discovered that I have become that person who tries to put on the front of strength because I don’t want them to see what they might perceive as weak.

The thing that I have learned through discovering more about myself is that it is okay to not be iron willed all the time.  Showing emotion, shedding tears, being afraid, or having doubts doesn’t make you any less strong than the people who won’t let their guard down enough to show cracks of vulnerability.

Strength is not in just bouncing back from tragedy or powering through the hard times.  Strength isn’t about shutting people out because you are afraid of getting rejected.  Strength is not always proving that you have all of the answers when things don’t go as planned.  Strength is about being able to admit that you are afraid.  It’s about acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers and that it’s okay, because you don’t need all of the answers today.  Having strength is acknowledging that sometimes it is okay to be weak.  As I shift into the next level of my journey and move further towards my success I don’t want to waste time and energy trying to keep up a front of always being strong.  Because I am not.

I Have the Write 2 Be Strong In Spite of My Weaknesses… 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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

When Sweating the Small Stuff Takes on a Deeper Meaning

jcladyluv

There are many myths and associations that go along with being a writer.  Writers are said to be big dreamers.  They are rumored to be alcoholics and deeply depressed.  They are said to be flighty and unreliable.  But one major thing that is associated with being a writer is that we are huge coffee drinkers.  Of course that’s not to say that there aren’t non-writers who love to drink coffee, but rarely will you meet a person who is a writer that does not drink coffee.

Well coffee is one of the things that I get really excited about getting to each morning.  I sit with my cup of coffee (usually the first of two) and read some of the blogs that I follow and get inspired to write and work on what I need to work on for the day.  I must say that it never dawns on me just how important my coffee actually is to me or my creative process until I don’t’ have it for one reason or another.  So all of that to say that I almost had a meltdown this morning because I put my coffee in the filter and the water in the machine and turned it on only to come back into the kitchen and find that there was nothing in the pot.  The light was on but no coffee had come out.

I immediately started to freak out and try and figure out how to get a new coffee pot considering the fact that I was low on funds and even lower on gas.  I’m still not really sure how I managed to scrounge up the money to get, not only gas to get to the nearest Walmart, but also for a coffee pot that was completely overpriced for its size, but needless to say I have now had my cup of coffee.  Ms. L. laughed at me when I told her that I had begun to have a meltdown in the store when at first they didn’t have the coffee pot that I wanted and that I had even shed a few tears.

The thing is that I don’t think that I was actually upset over the coffee (well yes I really did need my coffee) per say, just the culmination of things.  It’s like when you have everything else not adding up quite the way you want to and the one thing that you know you can rely on, for even a slight way to reward yourself, suddenly isn’t there and doesn’t work anymore.  That’s how I felt.

I am trying to work on the things that I need to work on within my writing so that when the shift that is going to come happens I am prepared and I am ready (at least as ready as I can be anyway).  Even when God places things in your path and he is working in your favor, you still have to be prepared for all that he has to offer.  Having said that, I am not quite as prepared as I would like to be for the changes that I know are coming my way and the one thing that I treasure every morning is my cup of coffee.  It helps me to relax, it allows me to think better, and allows my creativity to flow a little smoother.  So when my relaxation was gone, and my creativity wasn’t flowing right it made me a little on edge.

I guess I’m sharing this with all of you because I know that someone else out there has some ritual or some routine that works for them and when it’s broken or disturbed in some way it may make you a little crazy (not literally of course) and out of sorts.  I just want you to know that you’re not the only ones who feel this way and as trivial as your rituals or the things that keep you going may seem to other people, if they are meaningful to you then they matter.  Everyone has their own way of dealing with things, of coping with setbacks, of balancing their risks verses their rewards.  You should be okay with whatever gets you through and helps you to push forward to that next level of preparing yourself for the shift that is to come.

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

A Shift in Your Favor

jcladyluv

Last week was a week of doubts and second guessing myself.  I have those every once and a while and I try not to have moments like those too often because it interrupts the progress that I do make when I get sidetracked by my own doubts.  As usual, when I am in the need of some extra guidance and I am feeling doubtful God seems to put the right message in my ear that I need, at just the right time.

I was flipping through channels late the other night (about 2 am) and I stumbled upon a Joel Osteen program.  I was actually getting ready to turn to something completely different but something told me to keep it right there on that channel.  So I kept it on that channel and I watched and the first several words that I heard was him talking about 2013 being the year of the shift, when everything is going to start shifting in your favor.

Right then I knew what that something was that told me not to turn that channel.  Joel Osteen continued his message, saying that while you (the audience) might feel that you have been struggling a little longer then you thought you were going to, and as if it may be too late to accomplish your dreams, and like the obstacles that are in your way are just too big to get past, don’t give up because God is about to shift things in your favor.  I felt as if he was talking directly to me (even though I know there are a lot of people who need that message as well) and it gave me that drive back again and even a little more hope.

He reminded me of something that I should make sure to never forget and that is that even the things that seem like they are not even in the realm of possibility, are possible when God moves it into your path and when he places things in your favor.  What God has created for you, is for you no matter what because he is not going to allow anyone to keep you from your destiny.

Even when we do receive the blessings that we ask for, we tend to question it, feeling as though sometimes we don’t deserve it or as if we didn’t rightfully earn it.  In Joel Osteen’s message he made sure to address that as well by simply saying “don’t question God’s favor and the blessings he has given you on purpose.”  Some things just sound so much simpler when you hear it out of someone else’s mouth.  Why wouldn’t we deserve the blessings that we have asked for and what really constitutes earning it.  Really all you need to do is have hope and faith that when you go to God, he will answer you back favorably if it is meant for you.

I have said it since the beginning of this year that I really feel like this year is going to be different.  I feel like this year is somehow the time when things are going to move around for me and start working in my favor.  I feel like all of the goals and dreams I have been moving toward accomplishing are finally going to begin coming into fruition.  I have spoken all of things that I aspire towards into existence for so long that I believe they are finally going to start becoming a reality.

I know that I have my moments where I am doubtful of what I am doing, I think we all do.  However, one thing is for sure, I will never allow myself to give up because to me that would suggest that I don’t believe that God wants all of the best for me.  God wants the best for all of us.  There is no one that he wants to fail.  We fail when we don’t believe in the power of God’s favor.  So this year, let’s start speaking the good things that are meant for us into existence.  Let’s embrace the shift that is going to come our way this year and the God is always working in our favor.

 I Have the Write 2 Be Hopeful… 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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Fun For Your Friday—The Top 100 Movie Challenge

jcladyluv

I read this blog post this morning by Nathan Bransford about his list that he had compiled of his top 100 movies that he’s ever seen.  Apparently it had taken him a while to put this list together and he was challenging anyone who read the post to compile their own list and share it with his readers.  It got me thinking about what it would take (for me personally) to put a movie on my list of top favorite movies.  Considering I don’t just like one certain type of movie it was interesting for me to see what I would deem worthy to put on this list.

Mostly I like movies that inspire me to think and to create, and I like a lot of suspense and drama (definitely suspense), I even like some action packed movies as well.  What I don’t like is scary movies and usually I don’t like sci-fi either (with the exception of a few sci-fi movies that actually made my list).  I thought it would be fun to not only share my list with Nathan and his readers, but with mine as well, and perhaps get you to thinking about the movies you watch and what would make you list a movie as one of your top favorites.  Now this list is in no particular order accept for the number one pick is actually my absolute favorite movie.

1.)    The Shawshank Redemption

2.)    It’s a Wonderful Life

3.)    Pretty Woman

4.)    Dirty Dancing

5.)    Entire Twilight Series

6.)    Entire Harry Potter Series

7.)    The Bone Collector

8.)    The Wizard of Oz

9.)    The Sound of Music

10.)The Pursuit of Happiness

11.)The Princess Diaries

12.)The Devil Wears Prada

13.)Fresh

14.)Alex Haley’s Queen

15.)The Women of Brewster Place

16.)Save the Last Dance

17.)Sex and the City (1 & 2)

18.)Miss Potter

19.)To Kill a Mockingbird

20.)Of Mice and Men

21.)A Few Good Men

22.)Men of Honor

23.)Losing Isaiah

24.)Speed

25.)Titanic

26.)I can do bad all by myself

27.)Poetic Justice

28.)Enemy of the State

29.)Kiss the Girls

30.)Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

31.)Love Story

32.)Edward Scissorhands

33.)Cry Baby

34.)Coming to America

35.)America’s Sweethearts

36.)The Sixth Sense

37.)Don’t Say a Word

38.)The Lovely Bones

39.)I Am Sam

40.)The Secret Life of Bee’s

41.)The Parent Trap (the original one)

42.)Steel Magnolias

43.)Riding in Cars With Boys

44.)Little Women

45.)Beaches

46.)The Long Kiss Goodnight

47.)The Little Mermaid

48.)A Time to Kill

49.)The Negotiator

50.)Million Dollar Baby

51.)The Bodyguard

52.)Good Deeds

53.)For Colored Girls

54.)The Hours

55.)Uptown Girls

56.)Murder by Numbers

57.)Salt

58.)Girl, Interrupted

59.)Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

60.)The Man in the Moon

61.)Lean on Me

62.)Set It Off

63.)Their Eyes Were Watching God

64.)Malcolm X

65.)Mary Poppins

66.)The Color Purple

67.)Moonwalker

68.)The Pelican Brief

69.)The Firm

70.)Panic Room

71.)Corina, Corina

72.)Ghost

73.)Sleeping with the Enemy

74.)Secret Window

75.)Ray

76.)John Q

77.)Remember the Titans

78.)A Raisin in the Sun

79.)Sparkle (the original)

80.)Bridget Jones’ Diary

81.)Disappearing Acts

82.)The Lady and The Tramp

83.)Waiting To Exhale

84.)A League of Their Own

85.)Cast Away

86.)Dangerous Minds

87.)What’s Love Got to Do With It

88.)The Five Heartbeats

89.)The Jackson 5: An American Dream

90.)What Lies Beneath

91.)The Talented Mr. Ripley

92.)Precious

93.)Little Shop of Horrors

94.)Waitress

95.)Abandon

96.)Where the Heart Is

97.)Cruel Intentions

98.)Stepmom

99.)Daddy’s Little Girls

100.)White Oleander

Okay so that took a lot to come up with and some of those movies I hadn’t even thought of in years.  What movies are your favorite movies over the course of your whole life?  Hope you have as much fun reminiscing as I did when I was compiling this list.  Happy Friday everyone and have a great and wonderful weekend!

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

Right Where I Belong

jcladyluv

I’ve felt a little unsure of myself this week.  I guess you could say I’ve been doing a lot of second guessing (and I know that I shouldn’t) which is a bad habit I am trying to get rid of.  It’s been a week of feeling uncertain but I was watching a program this morning where the focus was the film director James Cameron and how he became such a visionary.  He said a lot of things that struck a chord with me and it kind of put things into perspective.

I get asked so many times by people who don’t consider writing an actual job (at least not a very viable one) why, when my reward thus far has been so little and the struggle has been so hard, why do I continue to pull my hair out over it.  Why don’t I just get a regular 9 to 5 job and settle with the joy of having a steady paycheck will do for my life.  They tell me it would make me so much happier, steadier, and that I would be able to do so much more for myself and my daughter.  Some days I don’t know the answer to those questions.  Not any that would make sense anyway.  But most days, the answers are simple, maybe not easy for others to understand, but they make sense for me.

For a large part of my childhood, all of my adolescence, and the vast majority of my adulthood I have doubted everything, and I had believed what my mother always made sure to remind me of which was that I was never going to be anybody and I was never going to get anywhere.  I let her words carry over into too many aspects of my life and while it was her lack of support that fueled my own doubts, it was my mistake for not recognizing that she was one of those negative people that I needed to steer clear of.  However, the one thing that I have never been uncertain of was my writing.

Sure there have been times that I have wondered if my writing could measure up to others, and if it was really truly about who you know rather then your actual talent, but I’ve always known that writing was what I was supposed to be doing with my life.  I never really had to be one of those people who had to search for what God’s purpose was for me because I’ve known from a very early age that it was my writing.  Not necessarily writing just in the form of novels, or poetry, or even launching my own magazine and eventually my publishing company.  But my words, they mean something and what I have to say matters.  My vision for where I want to go within my writing career has the potential to really change things and that is something I am not doubtful of.

I made a decision years ago that I could no longer do the 9 to 5 thing.  I couldn’t work towards building someone else’s dream while mine continued to sit on the back burner indefinitely, and on top of that, miss the most important moments of my daughters life because of it.  It’s not that I think that there is anything wrong with that, there are plenty of people who do it and I admire their ability to make that work, it just isn’t something that was working so well for me.  I wasn’t happy, in fact I was miserable, and I feel like my daughter could sense how miserable I was and that it weighed on her too.

I had always felt like I didn’t fit in at those places I worked at, like I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.  Now, I may not have as steady a stream of income coming in as I would like (for now anyway), and I may be seen to those people who don’t consider writing to be a job as always struggling (which may not be far from accurate) and doing nothing, but I am actually a lot happier then I was when I was working a regular full time job and trying to cram in my dream a few hours every night.  I feel as though, as uncertain as where the journey I am on is going to lead me, what isn’t uncertain is that I am in deed on the right journey, for me.

What is the meaning of going through this life if what you are doing, on a day to day basis, pushing towards your future, is not what you want to be doing, if it’s not your purpose?  I feel as though being among other artists; other creative people, other people who are considered to be weird and strange; other people whose broad and elaborate imaginations are considered to be eccentric and unrealistic; this is where I belong.

I Have the Write 2 Be Where I Feel I Belong…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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

 

I Should Have Kept a Diary As a Child

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I started to think about all of the wonderful autobiographies that are written and a great deal of them stem from diaries that the authors kept when they were younger.  I feel like the childhood I had could fill at least two books of teachable moments that could somehow help some other person out there who dealt with some of the same things I did.  The only problem when I try and sit down and capture all of those teachable moments on paper is that I have spent so long trying to forget a good majority of my childhood that now it is hard to piece together every possible moment that would be important to remember.

I never kept a diary when I was younger because I honestly didn’t feel that I had anything good to capture on a page.  Most of my writing that I did was poetry which was how I expressed my emotions but a lot of it wasn’t literal, it was more metaphorical.  The other half of the time I spent writing it was creating stories that were far away from my reality, stories that were much better than my reality.

More and more as I get older and as I realize that a lot of what I went through as a child could really help someone else who might be going through the same thing now.  Now I am really wishing that I had kept a diary when I was younger.  If I am being honest with myself (and I try to be) I sometimes wish that I had kept a diary during childhood because the only memories I seem to be able to access were painful and hurtful ones, and I would like to think that there had to be some good memories in there somewhere.

I know that it couldn’t have been entirely bad but all that seems to stick with me is the abuse that I went through at home and the bullying that I endured, both at school and at home.  Then there were the people in my childhood who I should remember and yet I have no recollection of.  One person in particular who is important to me and I have no memory of them.

I almost admire those who keep a diary or a journal because they will be able to hold onto those memories every single day of their lives.  Even when they are older and can’t remember every detail they want to remember, they can just open up an old diary and there those memories will be.  I sometimes feel like my memories are lost.

I think that it would be a good idea to encourage my daughter to keep a diary so that she can capture all of the things that she wants to remember and express any emotions she needs to get out that she might feel she can’t talk to me about.  I think a diary could be a good outlet for children to express themselves so that they don’t turn to the wrong things or the wrong people.  If you are one of those lucky people who has documented every single detail of your childhood and your adolescence right into your adulthood, then make sure you celebrate those memories and perhaps even share them with others.  You never know what part of what you have experienced on your journey could end up helping someone else.

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.

If Life Were But A Dream

jcladyluv

Today I got to thinking about all of the things that I would do if money was not a road block that was standing in my way.  For instance, if I had the available amount of money necessary I would be with my best friend Ms. L. (who just sent me a picture of herself meeting Judge Joe Brown) at a Conference in Miami right now.  I would be able to write down in my calendar all of the other conferences that I would like to attend this year, two of which are in New York, one that is in L.A., and another that happens to be in London, and I would be able to book rooms at the most prominent hotels in which I might run into people who were necessary for me to network with.

I would actually probably already be living in some condo in Manhattan and I finally wouldn’t have to worry about the monthly mortgage.  I could have already taken my trip to Europe by now and have a first hand knowledge of what it is like to dine in ParisFrance, or in RomeItaly, or in London.  I would already have been able to start my research for my historical fiction novel by my extensive trips taken to Germany and visiting all of the important landmarks that were important to the history of World War II.

If money were not a hindrance I certainly would have a car that is paid for so I don’t have that dreaded feeling of worrying about whether the car note is going to get paid on time this month, or at all.  I would have some of the best artwork from some of the world’s most famous artists hanging in the walls of my home as well as floor to ceiling handcrafted bookshelves in a separate room that I have made into my own personal library.

I know that we are supposed to not let the little things stand in the way of getting what we want and reaching our destination and as many times as I have seen people who struggle just like me with money accomplish what seems impossible, lack of money is not one of those little things that you can just bypass.  I read countless stories about how successful writers have gotten to where they are regardless of their lack of money and I am a tad bit envious.  As many times as I have managed to string together my own share of miraculous feats without two nickels to rub together, those miracles still haven’t gotten me to my goal yet.  All I keep seeing every time there is something that I need to accomplish for my business and for my writing career is the money that I don’t have staring me right in the face, day in and day out.

I try not to let it get me down most days and I certainly try not to let that discourage me from continuing to push and move forward but some days it gets a little daunting.  Nevertheless, I will not give up, that’s just not in my nature.  However, every now and then I have to get my frustrations out and not let them fester in my mind because I have learned from experience that that just isn’t a good thing to do.

The reality is that money is a huge issue in a lot of the goals that I want to accomplish but as it comes my way (little by very little) I try to put as much of it as I can afford to spare towards my dreams and it gets me a little closer to my destination.  I know I can’t be the only person who feels this way so I just wanted to share so that anyone else out there who is feeling the frustrations that lack of money sometimes make us feel knows that they are definitely not alone.  Just keep moving forward!

 

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 is now out so please go check it out at http://write2bemagazine.com/.  Also please go and join the magazine on twitter https://twitter.com/write2bemag, join the email listing for the magazine or submit a request for an author interview at Write2bemagazine@yahoo.com, and also like the Write 2 Be Magazine fan page https://www.facebook.com/Write2BeMagazine.  Please help support my endeavor and my new journey and help me spread the word about Write 2 Be and its meaning.