Tag: YouTube

Making Necessary Investments in Yourself IS NOT SELFISH

jcladyluv

I was thinking about investments the other day. Not just the investments that we make in other things but also the investments that we make in ourselves or rather the investments that we are resistant to make in ourselves for multiple reasons. I have an extremely hard time doing things that are just for me or that are even for my business related stuff. I always feel guilty, like I should be buying something for my daughter rather than buying myself anything, never mind that my daughter has just about everything she already needs either by me or by her grandmother.

For seventeen years of her life I have had to sacrifice and put things aside for myself because she needed more than I did. I’m not saying that as a complaint either because that comes with being a mother, especially being a single mother. However there comes a time when you do have to put yourself first and that is actually still for the benefit of my daughter. Number one, because if I don’t take care of myself then I can’t effectively take care of her and number two because I want her to learn for the future that taking care of her is not a bad thing. Not only that it’s not a bad thing, but that it is a necessary thing for mental sanity.

I struggled for at least three whole days (it may have been more honestly) last week about buying three items that I needed for my writing office and my blossoming YouTube channel. Things that can inevitably help to grow my business even more. I had to actually seek some counsel from two of my closest friends who understood why I was struggling with this purchase. I had been blessed recently and things are starting to turn around, slowly but surely, enough to the point where I was even able to consider making this particular investment, and I just didn’t want to misuse this blessing.

I also, once again, felt like perhaps I should be buying my daughter something and not something for myself (even though she’s not really going anywhere right now because—quarantine). My two friends, my spiritual consultants if you will (lol) had to convince me that I had nothing to feel guilty about. They also made the very valid point that it was nothing wrong with making an investment in me and in my business which will ultimately make life better for my daughter and me. I finally made the purchase and I am happy about it and I feel good about the growth in my business it will inevitably foster. It just baffles me why I was struggling so much with this.

How do you deal with these feelings of guilt when it comes to doing something that is just for you? What do you do to push through those feelings? For me it was having my two friends give me that nudge and make me see what I for some reason couldn’t see on my own. That God gave me this particular blessing so that I can better myself and better my circumstances. He enabled me to be able to reposition myself so that I can get even more equipped for the purpose that he has for the next phase in my life. However, if I would have talked myself out of making this investment than I would have altered the course for which God was setting me on. Don’t talk yourself out of your purpose! Until next time… #BeOpen #BeMindful #BeWilling

 

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://twitter.com/jcladyluv 

https://twitter.com/write2bemag 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPU35EkFSbuxgekCp4LfI5g

 

One Giant Step Forward (For Me Anyway)

jcladyluv

I did something new you guys! I wrote last week about stepping outside of my comfort zone and how there were some things that I had been putting off doing because I was always waiting for the right (or perfect) time. I wrote about realizing that there is no such thing as a perfect time and in fact there’s just no such thing as a perfect anything so I just had to take a leap and put myself out there.

Well one of those things was starting my YouTube channel within the Author Tube community (a community mostly for writers wanting to get better at writing and surround themselves with other writer friends). I have been unofficially a part of the Author Tube community for a little over a year now, just watching the others videos and commenting when I had something to say or wanted to communicate how much someone’s video inspired me and I knew that I wanted to officially be one with the other Author Tubers by actually putting my own out there but I first had to get around my inherent anxiety and overwhelming fear about being on camera and the doubt that anyone will care about what I had to say.

I had shot some video footage for my first couple of videos and then went back to shoot an intro video and uploaded the videos and taught myself some basic video editing skills and had the videos uploaded and just sitting there waiting to be made public. I had to let them sit there to once again get over the nerves of really putting myself out there for the world to see and I finally did it. I finally hit the public button in my YouTube studio on late Friday night for the intro video and Saturday night for the officially Author Tube newbie tag video.

It’s official now! I am an Author Tuber and there’s no going back now! So join me over on my YouTube channel if you want to join me on my journey to self-publishing my books (I have a couple coming out in the next two months) and learn a little more about the author side of me and my writing process. Don’t forget to hit the subscribe button and leave a comment there or here and let me know what you think. Until next time #BeConfident #BeBold #BeVulnerable

 

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://twitter.com/jcladyluv 

https://twitter.com/write2bemag 

 

NaNoWriMo Day # 11: Mid-Month Crisis Help a Few Days Early!

jcladyluv

Okay I found another youtube NaNo Video clip for you guys.  It’s a video that I particularly enjoyed and that I could’ve used last year when I hit the mid-month meltdown that I experienced.  I thought that I would share it with you a few days earlier because maybe it can eliminate the possibility of you even having a mid-month crisis if you start thinking of some of these tips now rather then later.  Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.  Keep up the good work!  Oh and if you’ve fallen behind, you still have plenty of time so don’t beat yourself up about 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

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

NaNoWriMo Day # 4: Some Tips on How to Reach Your Word Count

jcladyluv

I happened to stumble upon a video on youtube the other day with some tips for all those participating in NaNoWriMo on how you can better reach your designated daily word count.  I found the video both informative and entertaining and I felt that I had to share it with all of you.  While the tips in the video are given at the ten day mark of NaNoWri Mo, I thought I would present them to you a little ahead of the game.  I hope all of you enjoy it as much as I did and that you are all doing well with your novels.

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

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Could Reality TV Be the Next Best Marketing Strategy?

jcladyluv

The other night Ms. L. and I were talking about reality television.  You know the usual, what train wrecks are worth watching and what is just simply too much drama even for us.  We both talked about how we are not really ‘Reality TV show watchers’ even though there were some that had managed to reel us in over a period of time.  I’ll give Ms. L. credit in the fact that she hasn’t been as reeled in as I have.  

There was a time that if the caption about the TV show said reality I would instantly turn away and wouldn’t even give it a second look.  But then I realized something that I think some people still have not caught onto yet.  Reality TV is not truly Reality.  I mean think about it, they have writers on Reality TV shows (why if the show is in fact unscripted as they try to convince us).  Not only that but there is a whole lot of editing film to make the show’s end result look just real enough to not look like most other television shows and yet still fake enough to know that this much drama could not possibly happen this often to this person.  

But the reality shows that I truly love the most are the one’s with a purpose at the end of it.  You know, the competition one’s like America’s Next Top Model, Hell’s Kitchen, Master Chef, HGTV Design Star, Food Network Star, those types of shows.  However, I have been thinking a lot lately about what a Reality TV show can do for a person who might be trying to make a name for themselves and isn’t having much luck at getting their name out there.  If you think about it, these people (you know, the one’s who are at the center of all the drama) are actually smarter then we give them credit for.  

Let’s take Snookie from Jersey Shore for example.  If she ever decides to stop boozing it up and grows up (hopefully before her child gets here) and she decided that she wanted to start a new business, she doesn’t have to worry about getting her name out there, it already is.  Everyone and anyone knows who she is and like her or hate her, she has made probably millions off of the drama that she is the center of.  She could literally forge any type of career she wants all because of her stints on reality TV.  

It just makes you wonder, just how easy could it be for any one of us to make the name for ourselves that we want.  I’m in no way, shape, or form, interested in ever being a part of a reality show (not that I think anyway) but that is largely in part because I care way too much about what people think of me.  But if I had the nerve, I can’t say that it wouldn’t be a consideration.  Hell these days with the new phenomenon of web series on YouTube you could really start your own.  I mean personally I think that there are way more talented people out here then the Snookies and Kardasians of the world that could stand to make a name for themselves.  Reality could be the next new way that people can market and brand themselves and become the household name that they want to be.  Would you ever consider starting or being a part of a reality show so everyone can know your name? 

 

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

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress

Who Needs A Plan B?

jcladyluv

“God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow into them.” 

~Author Unknown 

Was it unrealistic for me to think that I could have a successful and fulfilling life as a writer?  Just doing what I love to do full time and not having to make it a side job that I only get to do whenever I am not completely exhausted from working a job that I hate just to pay the bills.  Maybe I was crazy to think that that would be possible in the beginning stages of my writing career and not have a plan B for just in case things went downhill quickly.  

Well the other day I stumbled upon this clip from Youtube of a compilation of comments by actor Will Smith on success and fulfilling your dreams, and his philosophy about different aspects of achieving that success.  One of the most standout statements that he made in the clip was that “the first step, before anybody else in the world believes it, is you have to believe it.  There’s no reason to have a plan B because it just distracts from plan A.” 

When I heard that it made so much sense to me.  Why would I spend all of this time doing something that I hate doing, that keeps me from doing what I really love and really want to be doing, for the sake of just in case.  The time spent on putting together a plan B does two things; it distracts me from the original plan, and it creates doubt as to whether or not plan A was really the right one to begin with.  

Yes it may be unrealistic to bank all of my hopes and dreams and livelihood on plan A without a safety net but why be realistic when it comes to your dreams.  Another thing Will Smith said in this clip was that “being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity”, and I believe that to be true.  I’ve never been one to just settle for only what seems possible and within reach.  I’ve always wanted way more than what was within my grasp and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. 

We should never settle in life.  You have a dream, you make a plan to attain that dream, and you go for it.  You protect that dream at any and all cost.  It’s really just that simple.  Yes there are times where you are going to have to include things in that plan that you are not thrilled about doing, but in the end it has to be included simply to attain that plan A, and not just in case plan A doesn’t work.  

I think that once you set a plan in motion towards what it is you want, and you decide that you are going to stick to it, everything else will fall into place.  I am glad that I stumbled on that clip because it reminded me that I should never lose faith in myself, and what I believe is possible for me, and more importantly, in what I have decided I want for my life.  To, once again, quote Will Smith, “I know who I am, I know what I believe, and that’s all I need to know.”     

 

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

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

https://writetobe.wordpress.com/

http://jayceedurant.wordpress.com/

http://unpleasantlyplump.wordpress.com/

http://spokenlikeaqueen.wordpress.com/

www.lulu.com/ladybugpress