Stories, Poetry, Writings and Gleanings inspire prowess
Dr. Shelly Cameron
Mentors Matter: Memories of My Lifelong Mentor Dr. Ulysses Van Spiva
By Ralph Hogges
Looking back over my life brings forth memories of my struggles to achieve educational and career opportunities in the White Supremacy’s Deep South and the special person that God put in my life to protect, teach and guide me. His name was Dr. Ulysses Van Spiva. He was an amazing blessing in my life. I write to share some of those memories of my lifelong mentor with you.
After earning my master’s degree at Tuskegee Institute (University) on May 16, 1972, I was hired as a personnel administrator in the University Personnel Relations Department at Florida International University (FIU) on August 28, 1972. FIU was a new university in the Florida’s State University System, scheduled to officially open on September 14, 1972.
Standing on the elevated steps of the Primera Casa (First Building) on that Grand Opening day ceremony, with city, county and state VIP officials and numerous other leaders, I glanced here and there, searching for some black employees, but finding only a few. They were mostly janitorial and lawn workers.
Insightful And Inspirational Wisdom for Aspiring, Beginning and Emerging Writers
By Indiana Robinson
My name is Dr. Indiana Robinson. I am a Jamaican-American author of 50 books, primarily in the nonfiction genre, and minimally in the fiction genre. Among the nonfiction topics I have published and am publishing are memoirs, biography, history, unsung heroes, visual arts, poetry, academics, music, ancestry, children’s activity, animals, meteorology, geography, spirituality, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), proverbs as social commentary, leadership, sports (cricket), culinary arts, and business. My sole fictional work is a novella comprising three short stories on companionship, trickery, and fable. I publish my books under the pen names of Inyaso, Dr. D., and a few others.
I am also an educator/dissertation chair and earned my doctorate at Nova Southeastern University a decade ago. My books are available from: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Inyaso.
Dr. Ralph Hogges asked me to answer the following questions. I hope my responses will be insightful and inspirational to aspiring, beginning and emerging writers.
Read more in magazinePower of the Blood at Work in You
“Veil Torn in Two” Volume 2
Release Date TBA
www.neatbooks4u.com
By Arnetha Thomas
We already said, “Our growth process is inevitable for maturity.” I’m reminded of the title “No pain, no gain,” secular hit song of 1988 by the late Betty Wright. Her lyrics are prevalent for todays’ problems. She sang about life troubles and to gain something, we must go through something. The late Betty Wright lived and grew-up in Miami, Florida.
Read more in magazineA Woman’s Worth
Excerpt from the Book: Rhythm and Hues – Twenty-Three Stories of
Hardship and Hope
By Corey B. Collins
At times like these, the woman wonders what the point of it all is. Recent news of the unexpected death of yet another close friend, a mere two years her senior, came out of nowhere and rained down on her like a storm for which she was woefully unprepared. Sorrow cements her to the cream-colored recliner in her living room. She looks down. Her lap cradles the framed photo. Moisture wells just beneath the lower lip of her left eyelid. Knowing she must conserve the lion share of her sadness for the marathon day of grief lying in wait at her friend’s funeral, she rations just one tear. It eventually breaches the rim of her eyelid, journeys the length of her cheek and pools at the bottom of her chin. Then, gravity continues to have its way. The picture frame intercepts the liquid before it meets the ground. She wipes the droplet from the glass housing the most recent image of her dog Ozzie. Her furry friend had been gifted by her older brother fourteen years ago as a comfort in the wake of the untimely passing of her longtime human companion and soul mate of thirty-six years. Lung cancer had been the thief that stole her husband. A familiar ring abruptly invades the woman’s airspace, rescuing her from her melancholy malaise. She answers her smart phone.
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Let Healing Rise
By Rosemarie Cole
You are divided red and blue
My heart ache for you
If - My people pray
There will be ray
Of light and hope
Fill your crevices with love
Then blessing will come from
above
If – My people seek
I will speak
Of life and peace
I set you on a hill
For the earth – void to fill
If – My people turn
You will not be burn
By sparks of fire
Last Time
By S. Ettosi Brooks
The last time I saw Jamaica I’d said goodbye to my heart.
I lost it somewhere between Hope Gardens and Constant Spring.
So we meet, So we part.
I remember staring at the bus as it retreated from me carrying my love, hopes and dreams.
The moon, impassive to human foolishness, sent a soft shimmering sound floating by.
I looked through tear veiled eyes at her hard, bright fulness.
A baby in her mother’s arms stared at me. You know, the way children do as if it was God looking at you through their eyes?
Now, the child full blossoming with the careless beauty of youth, sashays past me. I knew it was her at once, but she did not know me. How could she?
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Learning Is Important To Your Retirement Journey
Excerpt from the Book, Retirement: The Journey and The Destination
By Patricia Reid-Waugh
A positive senior mindset rejects the idea that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This adage has proven not to be true. Instead, we have embraced the reality of lifelong learning. While that adage may have originated from some people’s preference not to have to learn new things in old age, it says nothing about our ability.
Experience shows that it is never too late to pursue a dream. A positive retirement mindset is being willing to start from scratch where necessary. Early in retirement, I realized that almost everything I wanted to do involved learning some new skill or technique to complement the competencies I had acquired over the years. Was this a problem? Not at all.
I wanted to play the violin and the steel pan. Although I was an accomplished pianist and organist, fully functional in music theory, the violin and steel pan required different skills that I had to learn from scratch. I had to put on the beginner’s mindset and become that little girl learning music once again. At first, the idea was intimidating. But then it was invigorating!
I wanted to have an active presence on the Internet to maintain social engagement, access entertainment, improve my knowledge, and buy and sell products and services, among other things. This meant developing a broader range of digital skills than the basic computer competencies I had acquired to get by in the working world. I had to delve into topics like digital marketing, webpage building, and e-commerce, learning these tools and technologies for the first time. These skills did not even exist when I was in school. But, was I able to learn them at seventy years old? Absolutely.
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Gleanings of Hope, Leadership, Success and Inspiration
The Grave is filled with Dreams that were never realized
Les Brown
The inner feeling that quietly tugs at your heart. Look closely. Listen quietly. You will hear. For years, my mom wanted to write her story. She wrote on notepads, pieces of paper, the typewriter, then reached for the computer. A journey that lasted decades throughout her life. A journey that was never to be fulfilled. My sister too-like a Martyr stricken by the ravishes of cancer, dreamed of telling her story. But, like my mom, she too passed away with it in her heart quietly waiting. She accomplished much yet still had that silent dream that was never fulfilled.
The grave is filled with dreams that were never realized ~Les Brown
Today I write to inspire you, you, and you to go after your dreams, goals, and aspirations. A Certified Professional Coach, I smirk as I reflect on God’s sense of humor. I write on all things business gleaned from my research on success., leadership, and change. Strides before the pandemic I followed the Quest to write on stories of inspiration from over a decade of blogging and journaling. Intrigued by the quiet tug, I followed the lead as the inspirational series unfolded. It began with Green Light: When God Says Go; then My Safe Place and the soon to be published Red Light: When God Says No. Red Light came through a child’s handwritten note on a napkin. It was voiced by my daughter’s 10 year-old son who giggled as he asked me to write it. Intrigued, I looked up with a smile to the Lord and nodded in surrender. The prequel – My Safe Place was just being published. Who am I to disobey? The series unfolded.
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I write because there’s something in me that needs to come out. I am at peace when I write. Writers write for many different reasons. Some personal, experiential, or environmental. Christine Caldalzo created a pictogram of 10 reasons writers write. Here I share 10:
10 Reasons Writers Write
They love to write
To express their thoughts
To communicate
To share experiences
To tell about events
To share their feelings
To persuade
To teach
To Ask Questions
They want something
Does any of the above resonate with your reason(s) to write? Any missing that you would like to add? Do share. We would love to hear.
This Question was posed by Think & Grow Prosper. It sparked my interest so I decided to read a synopsis of the over 4K Visceral responses. Some Synchronized, some humorous, while others left readers in deep thought. Here I share:
No Apologies
I don’t know
God’s Journey
Nope,Wrong Book
Sunshine
Dreamer
Fate of Tragedies
Where’s the Donut?
Burnt Desires with regrets
Journey of Mistakes
Uprising
The Chronicles of Surviving in Today’s Society
The Endless Possibilities of a Life Lovingly Lived
Why me?
Wasted Years
Don’t Have your Children 16 Years Apart and Here’s Why
We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.
Anais Nin
Becoming a published Author involves nothing but interest and writing. Connect with an agent if you wish to go the traditional route. Interested in being self-published? Here are 7 basic steps to to get you going.
Write. Write. Write. If you don’t write you have nothing to publish
Invest in an Editor. Publish quality work. Nothing turns off readers more than errors in published work. Even if you are a great writer, you are too close to your work. Get it edited.
Book Cover Design. Invest in a Professional Cover design. You can do it yourself but hey, come on. Again this is an issue of quality which increases your selling power (or need I say, the lack thereof)?
Get an ISBN. Needed as a unique identifier for your book. Free ones available but… you get what you ‘pay’ for.
Price it. Decide on your price. Consider books in your genre etc.
Get Your Book Reviewed. People buy based on other’s impression right? So get your book reviewed by bloggers, friends, foe? yikes!
Launch it. Market it. Here’s where the fun begins! It’s not a secret. Market it. Get the word out!
Writing is usually done in a private space… as in a cave all by ourselves. We tell no one unless we choose to share with those close. Oft it can even be top secret or shouted from the mountain top as happens when some celebrities write. It’s entirely up to you.
It’s Your Prerogative
Writers commit a month, a year, 2, 3 or more to their Writing process. It’s your prerogative. It all depends on you. No need to attend a retreat, until or unless you’re ready and you can always remain silent in the background listening to others speak. At a writers Retreat, some talk. Some don’t.
Spend time doing what you want to do before, during and after the retreat.
Why Bother?
People approach me to share my knowledge and (writing) experience with them. That’s the whole point of doing a Retreat. Facilitators or Hosts often incur…
My greatest fear is dying without accomplishing my own dreams.
A middle-aged woman was deeply depressed. She had helped her children succeed in life. When they bought their first house, she was there. When they had their kids, she was there. A child needed to be picked up, she was there. However through a series of events, she began reflecting. She got stuck and locked herself away from others. When we finally spoke, she shared that she loves her kids and was happy with their success, but her greatest fear was dying without accomplishing her own dreams.
The Selfish Few
Aren’t we like that at times? We are always there for others to the detriment of our own dreams. Those who step out and go after their dreams without considering others are termed selfish. The challenge is for us to find the right balance. The balance to remember our own…
What’s the Biggest Lesson Learnt in the Last 12 months?
The question was asked of entrepreneurs and business owners. What is your biggest lesson learnt in the past 12 months? More than 1,300 individuals replied. I’ll share excerpts.
You’ve gotta push beyond your comfort zone
Just do it. Don’t think too much, and don’t let your fear overcome you and stop you from taking the step
Money is just an illusion
Humility
Gratitude
Appreciate and value people in your circle
Patience
We become what we think
Don’t trust people
Reduce your debt. Dont borrow to buy luxury
You are responsible for everything, including most importantly yourself
Life will hit you with a brick on the head at the most unexpected times. Don’t panic, stay positive, and move on.
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
Joelle Powe was recognized as one of the Institute of CAribbean Studies, Washington DC, 30 Under 30 honoree in 2021. Take a look at her documentary on Jamaica’s Dance as she studies Anthropology at the University.
Your Career: Ditch It, Switch It. In January I published the book,Never expected so many to heed it! Our society is experiencing the Great Resignation!
But yes it’s your time to do what you’ve always wanted to do.
Photo by Craig Dennis on Pexels.com
Success Strategies 