Success Strategies

Need Inspiration To Write? Writers Share 23 Ways…

Where does a writer derive the inspiration to write?

That was the question a new writer asked on a public forum. Here I share as experienced veteran writers excitedly chimed in.

Writers Inspiration

The desire to be heard
From within
Life experiences
Prayer
Observations and creativity
From being disciplined
Desire to entertain. Seen housands of movies and read countless books.
Culture
Inserting imagination into current events.
Nature. Walking around the beach, rivers, forests. Observing the moon and the stars
Sitting and watching people walk around
Learning something cool and new
My imagination – lot of times from photos of places and people
The need to share what I know
Jesus Christ
Life experiences – history read
Love, hate inferences. Sit in a pub or hotel and watch. Watch as a woman looks at a man with love or fear. See how children clutch at their parents hands
When a writer is least expecting it. Always be prepared and keep a notebook and pen on hand
Life and in happiness and hardship
Book, people, family, friends. Anything seen, heard, tasted, felt, imagined, think, love. Things that cause joy and things that cause pain
From others out there that you might commiserate with. Write a note in a bottle. Send it out and hold your breath that it will come back to you in time
Get people to tell your their life story
Previous mistakes, perennial failures

Does any of these writers thoughts resonate with you? Is there anything you would like to add? Do share! We would love to hear.

Cheers!

Successful Leaders Lead…

Successful leaders think, lead, grow and win.

The 6 Signs It’s Time To Change Your Direction…

Ever felt that nudge when you know something is off. That nudge that just won’t go away. We ignore it. Distract it. Do everything we can to procrastinate or avoid that funny feeling that we get. The feeling that only you can identify.

Yes we have all been there. It might be that change in our career, relationship, finances and more. Knowing when it’s time to make that move–to do something different. It’s important to do it and not wait until your circumstances get drastic and the change is forced upon you as can happen when we are forced out of a job.

The Daily Positive shared the 6 Signs For You To Change Direction. Check out the YouTube video or take a look at the list as it is captured and shared here.

You keep pushing and nothings happening. It’s like your Head is against a brick wall
Everything seems to be falling apart
You consistently don’t feel good and the only time you feel good is when you escape for a moment …be it for the holidays, vacation, a night out or other
Life sends you signs. Recurring themes keep showing up
Your intuition keeps nudging you and you keep ignoring it
Your body is sending you signals that something is not right.

Great list right? Reflect today and take the step to change your direction because its needed. Forge your path using Success Strategies Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

Writers’ Writing Space To Write…

Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.

~ Larry L. King

Where do I write? In a quiet place. A place where I can hear my thoughts, the stirrings of my heart, my soul. I write whenever it hits. I must stop, record, write. If I do not do so immediately…in a flash, it’s gone. So I have learnt to capture the words as they come. Anywhere, anytime, any how.

Writing Tools

The equipment I use for writing is anything (smile). When those inspiring writing moments come, I may grab my cellphone and write in notes. Sometimes, I write on paper if I can grab one quickly. So I keep notepads and notebooks all over. In my car, on my nightstand, the traditional desk, dining table, anywhere. I must capture those inspiring writing moments. Then when I am ready to publish my posts, I use my laptop. Sometimes I start in drafts in the App. But I usually prefer to post on my laptop since it offers the opportunity to edit, tag etc., which I find much easier. Yes, I know this can be done directly in the App but going the laptop route is my preference before publishing.

The Peace, Quiet, Serenity To Write

To write, all I need in a physical space is simply peace, quiet, and absolute serenity. That’s all. It could be in an airplane way up above the clouds, but for some reason it works. I sleep. I awake my mind is fresh, anew, and I write. I Know that serenity can even be found in a crowded space. A train, a plane, a park, an event that I’m allowed to people watch. To see and experience nature amidst the hustle and bustle of people everywhere. The only commonality is that no one can be speaking to me directly (or I won’t hear them or my thoughts (smile). Sounds poetic? Maybe it is. Writing is music to me.

At times we need community since we cannot exist alone. In other cases we simply cannot get the space to write in our own space and must getaway. If you feel that need, then join us in a weekend Getaway for 2 Days To Write Retreat with new and experienced authors. For sure you will find the space to write.

So write on writers!

Cheers!

Self-Care: The 4 Attributes…

Take care of you. A member of the writers group and a university administrator complained of a tummy ache, went to urgent care, then rushed to ER. She died of a heart attack by morning.

Take Care of You

Do your best. Breathe. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just take it easy at work, school, home. Here are four (4) key attributes to sustain you:

Diet. Eat well
Exercise. It is beneficial to your life
Rest. It’s not for the lazy
Think Pure Thoughts

Reflections

So reflect on these four (4) attributes and make an effort to focus on those areas that you need to. Then make it a habit to smile often for it goes deep into your soul. It releases positive vibes. Forget haters. Some people are there just to test you. Don’t give the enemy a foot into your being because life’s too short to dwell on the bad.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

7 Cities For Writers To Perfect Their Craft…

The creative creed that exists among writers is electrifying. Writers eat, sleep, and dream writing. Often they seek the space to write to satisfy their longing. Here I share 7 cities for writers for those who wish to slip away to the ideal place to perfect their craft.

San Diego, California
Portland, Oregan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Boston, Massachusetts
Seattle, Washington
Asheville, North Carolina
Chicago Illinois

Thinking of a shift for a year or two? Consider these cities and well, there’s always New York. They would be ideal. Any missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Just Going With The Flow?

Stuck. Like an amoeba your life takes the shape of whatever comes your way. No planning. No forward thinking. Just there. Staring; hoping; going with the flow.

There’s a friend of mine who always says ” ahhh life’. It’s her response to the issues that comes her way. The issues that she figures there is nothing she can do about them. With that kind of thinking, those of us who are like her will simply live by taking whatever comes our way.

Life’s Deeper Meaning

Like my friend, are you at that point where you take whatever comes your way? Is that life? Most certainly not. Life is more than that. To adapt or to conform is still just simply taking whatever comes your way. Be confident. Know that Life has a deeper meaning.

It is my belief that nothing happens unless we Act. Unless we make it happen. As long as there is life, there’s hope. Unless we do something and take action, our dreams will remain just that…dreams. Nothing will come through.

So today if you are in a state of apathy, wake up. Do something. Even when you don’t feel like moving, push it. Go after your goals, dreams and aspirations. Who knows…when you move you might just get lucky and achieve great things. Just do it.

Need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

Dream….

All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity. But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. ~T.E. Lawrence

7 Books Every Writer Should Read…

Readers make writers and writers make readers
~ Carl McKever

Writers write for many different reasons. Never Meaningless, the reasons are specific to each writer. Naturally writing for ordinary work as in preparing policies, reports, or memos differs from the writing writers do, which often is for their own satisfaction. Some writers write poetry. Some write short stories that ignite passion, joy, or pleasure as in fiction writers. Others write non-fiction sharing their own true stories, those of a loved one, or some about topics they care about as in Success. Whatever your reason for writing it makes sense to read a lot in order to write with finesse that satisfies yourself or your audience.

7 Books To Strengthen Writing

Here are 7 books that will help to strengthen your craft:

Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr.
Working People Talk About What They do All Day by Studs Terkel
How Fiction Works by James Wood
The Rest is Noise by Alex Ross
Kill All Your Darlings by Luc Sante
On Writing by Stephen King
Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield

Happy Reading!

Cheers!

Be Your True Authentic Self…

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest accomplishment. ~Waldo Emerson

Oprah Quits 60 Minutes hmm…why? The INC article captured my attention. Interest sparked because of the hundreds job hunting who consistently ask what aspect of their education and experiences they should omit from their resumes, or when completing job applications on websites. This question often comes from individuals who are looked at as ‘overqualified’.

Overqualified refers to having qualifications that exceed the requirements of a particular job

Job Search Caution

Do exercise caution when accepting jobs that fall below your experience level. So for example, if you are a Senior Marketing Manager in transition, be careful of accepting positions at a mid-junior level. The challenge… it can compromise your ability to get the right job that you are looking for. Similarly, if you have a degree that may not be applicable to a job that you are applying for, good resume writers will tell you to omit it (for now). However, how sad is that? You spent years studying as well as paid a vast amount of money to acquire your education, only for it to be shelved.

On the other hand, there may be circumstances that you cannot help which causes you to accept whatever opportunities come your way. But let it not be for long. Keep looking. Accept the opportunity and continue your search in order for you to get back to your appropriate level in good time.

Career Change?

If however, your plan is to change careers… due to your own personal situation such as being a new mom, furthering your education, or you just don’t want the responsibilities of a manager anymore, your choice may very well be that you want to work at a lower level. In such cases …it’s all good. However, if you are trying to get back to your senior level, don’t wait too long. Hiring managers will be confused about the reason you are working at the lower level. It may compromise how you are perceived.

Conforming To Expectations

Naturally, some organizations wish to change you to conform to their expectations. You are expected to fit into a ‘box’ built by the organization. This was the case discussed in the article about Oprah. By any means, working with 60 Minutes would be a great opportunity… even for Oprah. But they were asking her to reduce herself from being who she was at heart. After many attempts to conform, she gave up. She walked away from the opportunity. Her decision? To stick to who she was.

The Moral Of This Quest

You too can do the same. The lucky organization that hires you will benefit from your critical thinking and other skills that you are sure to bring to the job if you work hard.

The Moral of this quest… when you are in need and can’t do any better, you may decide that you “gotta do what you’ve gotta do“. Oprah is a billionaire …and you are barely getting by. But the lesson here is to strive to be your one true authentic self.

Need help? Lets connect.

Cheers!

Brian Tracy’s 7 Steps To Success…

Would you like a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.” ~ Thomas J. Watson

Finding Purpose On The Hill…

Reflections On the Hill. Years ago I did my research and published Book On Success Strategies of Leaders to help those rising stars find their way. Since then I became involved in the Institute of Caribbean Studies work in Washington DC. I have been on Capitol Hill, the White House, Senate and serve as Judge for the Ignite Caribbean 30 Under 30 Award. All this because I believed in a cause.

Today, I implore you to go after your goals, dreams and aspirations. Do whatever you want. With hard work and dedication it will come through.