Tag: writing

Author’s Habits for Success

Self-Discipline For Success

Almost everyday I am fascinated by the whole writing business.  It opens doors. And, some are pleasantly unexpected.  Yet, at the same time you need to be in the receiving mind space, in order take advantage of such opportunities.  Like any career, such as writing and as an entrepreneur, you must take charge of your success.  Aren’t you glad no one else has to be responsible for your success?

After listening to many successful people’s stories, one thing is clear. Practicing self-discipline and creating good habits are the gateway to success.  Any great athlete knows the importance of these practices, along with people like Tony Robbins, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey.  So what kinds of habits or self-discipline does an author need to implement?

Author Needs To Read As Much As Write

Authors are writers.  Writers need to write content.  Content can be anything from poetry, blogs, article in magazines, essays, short stories, novels, memoirs, etc. It is important to get your writing into the world to make yourself known.  Set out an amount of time to write and stick to it. But make it realistic so you don’t set yourself up for failure. An hour a day 4 to 5 days a week or a few hours a couple of times of week are both very doable.  Write a blog a few times a month. Time management isn’t as difficult as it may seem.

Reading is as important, as writing.  There are many different styles of writing. The only way you can learn about them, is simply by reading.  I used read books based on recommendations regarding topics. Now I read for topics and mechanics. It has made my writing better; whereas, I don’t need quite as much coaching as before.

Personal Care

Personal care is equally as important as being productive. Get enough sleep. Being sleep deprived doesn’t help the creative juices.  All work and no play, makes for a bitter and resentful author.  Take time for R&R.  Quieting your mind through meditation or visualization will do wonders.  If you need to be on your electronic devices, limit yourself with a timer.  Make time to go outside in the sun, weather permitting. Minimize your association with negative people.

Diet isn’t something to take lightly, either.  If your blood sugar drops, you won’t feel like doing anything but, sleep.  I personally get “hangry” when I need to eat. When I get to the point of starving, I find myself eating too much, which also results in me being lazy.

Sleep and food keep your body functioning properly and stabilizes your mood. It helps with clarity and focus, allowing you to perform at your best.

The Most Important Yet Easy Habit to Build

If you are prone to reading what is going on in our country today, you might get upset, triggered, or even full on depressed.  I’ve seen tons of people’s posts over the Kavanaugh interview and confirmation, and how they can’t pull themselves out of despair. As much as I don’t believe this man is fit to be on any bench, with a temperament like his, I refuse to let it affect my mental and physical health. Take back your power.

I find listening to motivating podcasts, YouTube videos, audio books, or reading uplifting material, helps remind me there are more positive things going on in the world.  If you only focus on what is wrong in the world, you’ll find it.  Try focusing on what is right in the world. I believe there’s more good than bad.  And so does Ellen.

This YouTube video is after the devastating Vegas Shooting and Hurricane Maria.  This world was riddled with bad news and the world felt almost hopeless. It focuses on the goodness of people in the world. Thank you Ellen DeGeneres for reminding us.  https://youtu.be/Qlp8gtiiNnM

One bad apple doesn’t have to ruin the bunch. It may seem like it, but if we can spread love and positive energy, we may just be able to come up with solutions.

The Choice Is Up To You

The choice is yours.  Do you want someone to be responsible for the life you want? Or are you willing to put in the work to make it happen?  I know for me, I like being in control of my destiny.  I know I can’t control everything, but I do know I can control myself. No one in the world wants me to be successful more than I.  And I’m pretty sure, I couldn’t wish someone else, enough, to make them successful.

“The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.”  ~ Unknown

There is a pattern the game changers have, and I am applying that pattern to my career as an author.  Let’s try it together and see what happens. Wouldn’t it be great to focus on our success one at time?   Leave a comment below I’d love to hear from you.

                                                     

Opportunity and Perception

Things Don’t Always Go As Planned

What happens when something you hoped for doesn’t quite go the way you’d thought it would? Do you get massively disappointed? Do you quit? Or are you able to find opportunity in disappointment?

As a new author, many people have big plans to help you. Everyone is going to get your book. All of your friends will buy it.  You’ll get invited to speak at everyone’s book club.  People will be interested in articles you have written and hope to find a spot for them in online magazines. And so forth.

Well, these are the promises one hears up to publication date and a bit after.  Then the excuses come.  We haven’t heard back about the placement of your article from so and so. Or you, actually, do speak at some book clubs, but not nearly as many as you hoped. The best one yet, is when people say they are not going to buy your book, but rather get it from a friend after that friend has read it. Anyone who has published a book, knows how expensive and how much work goes into it. I personally will always pay for someone’s work of art.

Don’t be discouraged.  This is all part of being in the writing business. In fact, it is pretty much any business. Your friends and acquaintances are almost always going to be excited for you and your book. They usually are following the energy of author. I have to say it’s hard to keep the momentum going for long periods of time.

Sometimes There’s An Opportunity Better Than The Original Plan

I recently had some news about a person ordering a set of books for her class, but ended up not being able to get them at this time, due to a drastic budget cut.  I was bummed sort of, but something told me not to worry. Because something very interesting took place.

My friend works at the particular store where the order was placed, then put on hold. I contacted her to see if this teacher had indeed purchased the books.  I felt in my gut that the order might not have gone through.  Funny how things work out. She gave me the news, but followed up with; there’s a field trip with this particular class to visit the bookstore and would I like to be a guest author? And by the way, Guy Johnson, Maya Angelou’s son, would be there.

I have been on cloud nine since this news.  Trust your gut. And follow up with people. I was a little nervous asking if the order had been placed, in fear of the answer. Had I not asked my friend, I might’ve missed an amazing opportunity. It would’ve been nice to sell thirty books to a class, but I know I could sell thirty books at some point on my own.

Overnight Success Is Extremely Rare

Opportunity is all around.  You might have to look hard for it, but it is there. Remember there is no such thing as overnight success. There are stories in which it sounds like overnight success. It’s rare. Ask any famous or successful person.  I heard Amy Schumer in an interview with Oprah and how she was described as overnight success. And her reply to that was something like, “Overnight? Yeah, like after ten years of hard work.” Must’ve been one really long night.

We only hear the quick version of success stories. Because if we heard what really took place, it might seem boring or too hard.  Take a stake out for example.  The real ones almost never amount to anything.  But watch a movie and things are happening left and right.  Folks, it’s television.  People want to be entertained and wowed, and do not have much patience for boring.  Let’s face it, everyone loves one-day or two-day shipping.

Do Not Dismiss The Power Of Positive Thinking

You’re probably thinking I’m writing this because, I’m not making it right this second.  The truth is, I am in the process of making it. Although, I have no idea what to expect. Therefor, I don’t have any expectations.  That maybe a better attitude to have.

Again, I bring up the power of positive thinking. It goes without saying how I feel about the Law of Attraction. It works.  Keeping yourself in a positive and happy space, tells the Universe, Divine, God, etc., (whatever you choose to call it) to give you more of what matches that energy.  I’ve mentioned before in other blogs, the Universe is working for you, even when it feels like everything is against you. Your thoughts and energy are part of the success process. The physical is the only the macro part of life and the thinking is the micro part of life.  Everything starts with a thought or idea.

What I can say and know for sure, is my attitude has everything to do with my success and what types of opportunities and people I attract into my life. I have an unusually sharp memory and can see my own patterns. If you really were honest with yourself, you’d see the patterns in your own life that was created with your energy. Knowing this valuable information automatically gives you power.    Your energy is a valuable resource and it’s free.

Does It Matter How You See The Glass?

Seeing the glass half full is always a better outlook, than half empty. But realize if the glass is empty, you can always refill it.  Writing is my new passion, and I will keep on, keeping on.  It’s fascinating how this journey is unfolding.  Remember, It’s the journey, not the destination.

When there is an occurrence that is perceived as less than desirable, don’t be too upset. Go with the flow. There’s usually a reason when something doesn’t work out. It usually means there’s a better way or an opportunity coming.  I could’ve sulked about the teacher not getting my books, but now I have speaking event. I could get upset by people telling me they aren’t going to pay for my book.  But people are reading my book, anyway they can. The interested parties not committing to running my article, never said no. Which means, maybe they haven’t ran the article, yet. Patience is a virtue.

Something better could be lurking around the corner.   Nothing is a failure, until you deem it so. Manifesting Me shows how the law of attraction works, when it was on purpose and when it was not. You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control your thought process around it. It’s all perception.  Never give up. You never know what opportunities will show up.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ~ Lao Tzu

 

 

Thoughts and Energy Are the Key Ingredients in Attraction

Thoughts, Energy, and Attraction

Thoughts have assisted me well, in manifesting and being resourceful. I mentioned this in my previous blog. What does this mean? It’s quite simple. It’s an energies game. Some of you may be rolling your eyes about now, and that’s okay. It tells me, you may not have a clear idea of how the Law of Attraction works. You might not be aware that your thoughts are energy. Science is catching up with the mystics. Look up quantum physics. Thoughts eventually turn into things.

Things don’t usually fall out of the sky and land on your doorstep, although sometimes, they do. Generally, no one sends you a book deal out of the blue, because you were thinking of writing a book. What you might get is an idea that can lead to making money through action of some sort; writing a story, starting a business, an invention, etc., which could lead to an opportunity that snowballs into something amazing.

“If I didn’t have Bad Luck, I’d have no Luck at All”

Law of Attraction is like energy that attracts like energy. Everything has a vibration, like a radio frequency, including thoughts. It’s about tuning into the frequency of the thing that you want. I’m sure you’ve heard someone in your life say, “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” And bad things actually happen to them. It’s not because they’re bad people, but rather where their energy and thoughts are.

Then there are those which seem to be blessed by the heavens above. Everything comes to them easily. The “knowing that they are lucky,” is the energy put into the “luck” vibration, which attracts more luck.

I’ve learned from dirt bike riding where your focus should be. It shouldn’t be on the rock or tree that you don’t want to hit. Focus your attention on where you want to go. If you focus on the tree, 9 out 10 times, you will hit the tree. Don’t focus on the things that will ultimately hurt you. Focus on the destination and the prize.

What are you focusing your attention on?

What are you focusing your attention on? Things you attract aren’t always as blatant; like a person calling or texting a few minutes after they popped into your brain. Many people have had that experience.

 The beginning of last week, my client had come back from Africa talking about her trip, giving me information for my latest working manuscript.  I’ve been obsessed with Africa since last December.

My son is in a rock band. He’s in the process of finding a drummer. Lots of drummers have been over to audition.  Drummers are a constant topic in our household. My focus is on Africa and drums.

By the end of my workweek, a client of mine, which is an artist, mentioned news of getting his artwork into a place where African drumming is taught. He had this beautiful painting of an African woman playing on a Congo Drum. Did you get it? Do you recognize the obvious signs and connections, when they happen to you? I love the validation!

 Energy and Thought Patterns

Learning about energy has guided me to examine my thought patterns and how they affected my life events. This led me to writing my memoir. I wanted share how this worked in my life through example. Manifesting Me, gives samples of outcomes, while living in a state of worry and fear. I new I needed to break the patterns of unhealthy thinking. Eventually I learned the benefits of living in a state of happiness and love. The outcome speaks for itself.

With an enthusiastic and confident vibe, anything is possible. Somethings have a longer gestational period. Patience is truly a virtue. I own a salon, I read Angel cards, and I am author. I’m in control of my schedule and make time for recreation and relationships. None of this happened overnight and without completing the steps to make them happen; salons don’t build themselves, books don’t write themselve. There is another law; Action.

Where are your thoughts and energy ? It takes about 28 days to create a habit. Not everyone is happy-go-lucky naturally. Even the most positive people have off days sometimes. Some people have experienced great loss. By no means am I negating anyone’s tragedies or suggesting you have control over every event in your life. I am merely suggesting to focus to the best of your ability on something that brings you joy. Try it out for a month. Live life on purpose with calculated thoughts and see what happens. You might surprise yourself!

What Is The Law Of Attraction? Open Your Eyes To A World Of Endless Possibilities