Tag: Write 2 Be

The Time to Incite Change is Now

jcladyluv

Yesterday was one of those days that make you want to incite change, not only within yourself but in the world.  Between it being Martin Luther King Jr. day and the Inauguration day of President Barack Obama you couldn’t help but to be inspired and hopeful for the bright future that this country has ahead and the mark that you could someday leave on it.  It just feels like the time to change things is now and that in this present moment you have to be willing to stand up and be that difference that this world needs.

When I think of all of the great people who incited the change that has been made in this world, I think about the fact that these were people who refused to remain silent or stand still.  They were people who didn’t care if no one else shared their beliefs or their opinions they were going to make their belief and opinions heard anyway.  They were not going to be afraid to step outside of the box that other people kept trying to keep them in.  They weren’t afraid to be that change that the world needed and make their mark.

I would like to think that I have already started on that journey to make a great change within this world.  While it is only the beginning of this year, with the release of my new magazine and my first guest blog post, which was published last week, that seems to be well received, I am feeling more and more like everything is starting to fall right into place.  There are so many things that I want to do in this world and so much change that I want to make.

My dream started off with just writing, then evolved into wanting to build a publishing house, and evolved even more into wanting to create a media empire to pass on to my daughter that not only encourages artists to not conform to what society says they should be, but that they should celebrate their uniqueness.  I also, as I saw my daughter begin to experience the bullying that I also once went through as a child, developed an urge to want to use my message for my media company to begin communicating to young children that they should feel okay with being who they are and know that being different is not something to be ashamed of but rather something to embrace.

I’m not sure what it is about this year that feels so different but it just feels like it’s going to bring about the changes that I’ve been waiting for.  Of course some of those developments I am working towards are still in the making but I feel like I’m getting so much closer to my destination.  I am going to change this world, in my own way and in my own time.  I believe all of us have that power.  We just have to tap into it.  Did yesterday inspire you to want to move toward change?

I have the Write 2 Be Motivated and 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 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.

Unstuck and Heading in the Right Direction

jcladyluv

I finally launched my magazine the other day and I am feeling really excited about all of its possibilities.  Initially I was scared (or maybe nervous would be a better word) about its release for all of the obvious reasons that anyone would be nervous going into a new venture.  This magazine is a big deal for me and the whole meaning behind Write 2 Be is important for me to get out.

Of course, as with any big venture that you embark on, I am discovering that all of the hard work that went into putting the initial debut issue out is really only just beginning because then there lies the responsibility of promotion and marketing that all falls on me.  Now anyone who reads this blog or who knows me already knows that I struggle deeply with the marketer that is supposed to live inside of me.

As a writer who does not have an agent as her advocate and who has not “hit it big” yet with some big contract from some major publishing house, and without some publicist slaving away on her behalf, I am learning how to market as I go along.  I was one of those aspiring writers who naively just thought that any publishing house would accept her work and of course they would have their own team of marketers and publicists that are working feverishly on behalf of my impending career and success.

Well that just isn’t how things worked out and nowadays as a writer trying to make it you have to be a good marketer of yourself and admittedly I am not.  I suppose it is mostly that I usually feel awkward patting myself on the back and that stems from personal childhood issues but I have slowly but surely started to get past that.  I am getting more adapt to being my own best supporter but it is definitely still a work in progress and is certainly not easy.

Having said all of that, with the release of my magazine I realized that this is a step in the right direction.  I had been feeling stuck within my writing and my drive towards success as a writer but now I know I am heading the right way towards my ultimate goals.  I felt stuck last year, and possibly even the year before that and I hadn’t realized why until I released the Write 2 Be Magazine.

I feel like I am now really beginning to fulfill my purpose and that I am starting to see my vision becoming the reality I knew it could be.  I feel revived and much surer of where I am headed and that I am definitely on the right path.  I feel very optimistic about this year as it pertains to my writing career and I am going to hold on to that optimism for as long as I can.

I have the Write 2 Be Proud and Inspired… 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 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.

People Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Throw Stones

jcladyluv

So the topic of conversation in the news these days seems to be the whole Lance Armstrong mess.  Now I wrote a post previously regarding my thoughts about this topic but that was before there was any actual proof, and an Oprah interview around the corner sealed with a confession.  Well while almost every news anchor and talk show host seems to share the position that this is a disgrace and that his actions were simply the most horrible thing that an athlete has ever done, I still feel the same way that I did when I wrote about it before, empathetic.

One news anchor even went so far as to call Lance Armstrong a disgrace to all humankind.  I have to admit that comment shocked me because are we really going to put Lance Armstrong in the same category as mass murderers and rapist (because those people are one’s I consider to be a disgrace to humankind).  To tell the truth it made me a little angry.

What right does anyone have to judge someone else on mistakes that they have made?  Are any of us that perfect that we can really throw stones from our glass houses?  I mean obviously everyone doesn’t go around using steroids to perform better in a sport but there are so many mistakes that people make on a regular and daily basis that other people could judge just as harshly.  There are murderers who have been treated in a kinder fashion then the media is treating this man.  He may have been a world class athlete and a wonderful philanthropist (which everyone in the media seems to have forgotten about) but he is still a human being that makes mistakes just like any one of us.

We hold people, particularly those who are in the media spotlight, to such high standards that are impossible for anyone to measure up to.  Why do we keep expecting people to be perfect when we can never be?  It’s a shame that we are always so busy searching for the bad in people that we overlook all of the good in them.  There are so many people who hold themselves back from so many opportunities because they’re too afraid that they can’t live up to being perfect.  When are we going to just accept people for who they are, mistakes and all, and love them instead of choosing to judge them?

I have the Write 2 Be Authentic and Imperfect… 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 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.

Write 2 Be Magazine is Live!!!

jcladyluv

Well after much preparation and weeks of pulling my hair out to put the final product together, the debut issue of Write 2 Be Magazine is finally ready to be shared with the rest of the world.  Write 2 Be is about not fitting into the mold other people want you to fit in.  It’s about not letting other people’s thoughts and opinions of you define who it is that you are.  It’s about making the unexpected and sometimes unpopular choices in order to stay true to yourself.  Write 2 Be is about defining yourself as whatever you feel you have the Write 2 Be…

Write 2 Be Magazine will be designed to give writers and artists a broad platform to showcase their work and share their experiences in dealing with the ins and outs of both the creative and business side of writing and the publishing industry.  It is a magazine that is meant to help people tap into their true creative and artistic selves without giving into others expectations of who you should be.

It has been a true labor of love, one that I pray will carry on for years and years to come.  I really hope that all of you will go and check it out (http://write2bemagazine.com/) and more importantly, that you all will love it and read it on a regular basis.  So go on, check it out and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

I have the Write 2 Be Creative and Inspiring… What is your Write 2 Be?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

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

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

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

Is My Work Ethic Lost in Translation?

jcladyluv

I am in awe of the work ethic of most successful people.  You here stories all the time from Oprah Winfrey, or Russell Simmons, or Tyler Perry, or Steven Spielberg, about how they work nearly 24/7 and the need for them to sleep is something that they continue to put off until the work is done.

It’s something that I admire in all of them and that I wish already existed in me.  I don’t know if it’s just that I don’t have the capability to work that hard (God I hope that’s not it) or if it’s just that the work ethic will suddenly show up in full drive when the success that I’ve been longing for arrives.  But I know better and I know that in order to get that success that I am driven to have the work ethic has to be put in place now.

I will admit that since I got out of my funk and my depressed state at the end of last year and developed a renewed drive to establish my brand and launch my magazine that I have increased my level of work ethic.  However, it’s not high enough, the intensity is not in high enough gear for me and it sounds simple to say ‘well if it’s not high enough then get it there, fast’ but it’s almost like as soon as I reach the peak of my drive to get things done, I get tired all of a sudden and my energy level drops (despite the many vitamins I take).  I’m starting to wonder if maybe this is more a health issue and not an issue of my work ethic.

One of my goals this year is to take better care of my health and I have already made the first step to tackling that but I won’t see my new doctor until the end of the month.  I know that I am anemic and I am not currently taking any iron pills so that may very well be a large part of the problem but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m a little worried that there might be other things wrong.  I can’t wait to figure out the problem so that I can address it and get the level of my work ethic back on track with my actual desire to accomplish all of my goals.  I suppose this is why they say you have to take care of you first so that you can take care of everything else 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 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 like my 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.

Nervous But Ready (I Think)

jcladyluv

It is only the second week of the New Year and already (or should I say once again) I am feeling like I’m having twinges of doubt about being successful.  I am sure it is only because I am literally a week away (6 days to be more exact) from the debut of my new online magazine and I am nervous on many different levels about it.  I am sure that it is just the devil trying to get in my ear and discourage me from actually releasing it because of all of my uncertainty but I have put it off long enough already (in large part due to the devil whispering to my subconscious) and I don’t intend to do that any longer.

When I talked to Ms. L. last night about it I told her that it was far from the perfection that I want it to be and that I wasn’t sure I could get it to be perfect by next Tuesday, she reminded me that it probably won’t be when it’s released and that there may be kinks that still need to be worked out but that I just have to do it and make the adjustments as I continue along.  She reminded me of what I already know and continually have to remind myself which is that shooting for perfection is what tends to keep me from just getting things done.

We all get a little nervous when venturing out into some new territory and even though writing isn’t new to me, having a magazine all my own to manage and having to make sure everyone (or at least the vast majority) will love it is new and it’s fun, but most of all it’s nerve wracking.  I think I would bite my nails off if I had any left to bite off.  I do have a strong feeling that this is the right direction for me and that this is the right time for me to be doing 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 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 like my 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.

Who Knew I Would Like a British Television Show

jcladyluv

I think I am getting back to feeling like myself again (well almost anyway) but I can’t say that the devil has not been busy trying to keep that from happening.  Although I must speak about one good thing that has come from my confinement to my bed this past weekend and sadly to say this has absolutely nothing to do with my writing projects, or my brand, or my magazine.

I discovered the world of British television, well more specifically the world of Downton Abbey.  Long story short, it’s been a long time that I’ve wanted to see it but the time just always interfered with other television shows that I wanted to watch more.  Needless to say, I love the show and just finished watching my DVR’d recording of the season 3 premiere so I am officially completely caught up.

Now I know that this was not necessarily productive towards my own writing projects but it does broaden my artistic horizons a bit because the way British television is written is really different from American television.  I have a whole new appreciation from British shows now.  Hopefully tomorrow I will feel 100% again.

 

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.

Circumstances Beyond My Control

jcladyluv

I had this past weekend all planned out.  I had written up a very specific list of things that needed to get done in reference to the magazine to better prepare for its launch (on January 15th) and I held out lots of hope and promise that I was going to get more than half of that list tackled.

What I hadn’t planned on happening this past weekend was me getting sick with a cold that was actually quite debilitating.  So much so that I could barely muster up enough energy to do anything but lay in the bed (I assure you it was not the flu, I’ve had the flu and I know what that feels like).  I mean of course I had to pull myself together at times to do the duties that a mom just can not shrug off but other than that I was in the bed.

Every time I even tried to do anything on the computer it just drained my energy so much and so quickly that it was pointless to even continue trying, I was doing more harm than good.  Even today I can’t say that I am feeling 100% again but I was able to write this blog post which I couldn’t have done yesterday so I suppose that’s saying something.

Well although I did manage to get two or three things on my list accomplished before my being sick got the better of me, I still have a lot of ground to make up for and with school starting back up for me this week it will be challenging to get absolutely everything done.  I am reminded by the unavoidable circumstances of this past weekend that I can not control everything (especially not personal illnesses) and that the show must go on.

 

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.

Being Optimistic Is Giving Me More Drive

jcladyluv

The first week of the New Year has actually started off pretty good.  I mean nothing miraculous happened, nothing earth shattering or life altering, but on the up side nothing terribly bad happened (at least nothing that I couldn’t handle).  I’ve actually been rather productive, at least more than normal, and while there are still things on my to-do list for the week that haven’t been completed yet, I would say that I am very proud of what I’ve accomplished so far.

That’s not saying that I don’t have a lot of improvement to do, especially in my time management skills, but I am a work in progress (as we all are) and I have progressed into not beating myself up over the things that didn’t get done.  I just know that I have to be more determined and more persistent in getting my list completed next week.  I do have some major things that I have to tackle over the weekend in the efforts to finish putting the magazine together and that is actually going to be my main focus for the weekend.

I don’t know why I have not mastered the art of time management yet but I really hope that I can shuffle things around a lot better in the coming weeks.  I have been replacing most of my negative thoughts and fears with positive outlooks and all in all (unlike the last few years) I am feeling very optimistic for this year.  Well I hope all of you have had a very productive first week of the New Year and that all of your projects are off and running.

I have the Write 2 Be Productive and Prosperous… 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.

Tapping Into the Inner Child In All of Us

jcladyluv

I wrote yesterday about the fears that hold me back and releasing those fears.  Writing it down was quite therapeutic in many ways.  Then I read a blog post this morning from one of the many that I follow that made me think about when I was a child.

When we are children there is rarely anything that we are afraid of.  We are told (well I wasn’t told this but most children were and I believed it was true as well) that anything that you want is possible if you put your mind to it and go after it.  Children don’t really see the negative when it comes to their dreams and the future that they think up for themselves.  They try time and time again and they NEVER give up.

Think of how many times your children have tried to persuade you into getting something that they wanted and were relentless until (most likely) you finally gave in or miraculously made it happen.  My best friend Ms. L. and I are always having the situation where our kids are asking for something that they really want (because everything kids want is a matter of life or death in their mind) and it usually seems impossible for us to get them those things but their faith is unshakable and they hold firm to the fact that they are going to win out in the end.

Meanwhile we are both scratching our heads trying to think of how to make what they want possible.  Needless to say, some miraculous way we manage to be able to give them their hearts desire and all the while they never had any doubt that we would.  In their minds it was always going to work out to their benefit and just the way they wanted it.  Now that’s some kind of faith.  Just imagine if we could all tap back into that childlike faith when it comes to our dreams and our hearts desires.

I go to the skating rink all the time and I watch these kids do all of these tricks and amazing things on skates and it’s not that they are all trained to do them, it’s that they are fearless in trying.  They don’t care if they fall because they’ll just get back up and try it again.  They don’t care if they don’t get it the first, second, or third time around, they will just keep going until they finally do get it.  Meanwhile the adults (myself included) are watching in awe, wishing that we could do just half of the things they are able to do instead of actually just going out and trying it.

If we could all just stop standing by and watching while everyone else is doing the things that we long to be doing then just imagine what we could do in this world, for our lives, for our children’s lives.  We keep limiting the things that we can do but should we be.  I mean obviously we can’t miraculously (by ourselves) make the world the better place that I’m sure we all desire it to be and yeah sure we can’t actually hold the whole world in the palm of our hands but why the hell can’t we at least try.

Perhaps we could try looking at obstacles and struggles from a child’s point of view; with unyielding faith and unstoppable determination.  Think about it this way, children seem to get everything that they want simply because they believe that they will.  So let’s try having a little more faith and a lot less wonder.  They more you keep wondering about whether or not something is going to happen, the more you are actually wondering away from the very thing that you want.  Don’t wonder away from your dreams, just have faith that they ARE going to come true.

I have the Write 2 Be Persistent and Determined… 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.