Tag: healing

Fight Self-Doubt and Win!

Hello,

I just hosted our first mini writing retreat for 2025 yesterday, and so many things were swirling around in my mind before, during, and after our retreat.

One thing that came to me at full force was this message:

This may sound self-explanatory or simple, but we rarely think of self-doubt as being equivalent to unbelief.

If we are authors who feel that pull or nudge to write, and we doubt ourselves, we are saying that:

  • our message doesn’t matter.
  • we don’t write well enough to share it.
  • no-one can be helped by our message.
  • we’re not the right person to share this message.
  • our way of telling our story is unrelatable, so people just won’t get it.
  • Maybe we’ve even said, “They’ve talked about this already. Why should I bother?”

If you KNOW that you were nudged or pulled on to write, then that is your green light to move towards your goal. Don’t look around and compare; your story is unique to you and your circumstances.

I gave this example yesterday: even if you and your friend had the same home situation: two-parent home, two older brothers, went to the same schools and lived in the same neighborhood – your lives may look the same externally (say, in a statistics or data set), but each person is living a unique life. No two lives are the same. No experience is lived the same. Even if a lot of the external factors match, each person’s internal thought pattern or processing of events will still be different.

I’m saying all of this to say: GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY! Look inward, look heavenward, and let’s get your book out!

So – you are invited to join us for The Writer’s Experience Book Challenge! We are challenging YOU to finish your book in just SIX weeks! I will prepare you and share vital information along the way. We will meet four times out of the six-week period (to give you time to write). We will have our kickoff on Feb 5, then we will meet on Feb 19, Mar 5 and wrap up on Mar 19. These sessions are all on Wednesdays at 7pm ET for ONE HOUR.

Your work will be reviewed by me in-between our sessions, so you must complete and email each assignment back to me for review to keep up.

I am EXCITED to see who will WIN this challenge! Let’s DO IT! I hosted my first book challenge in 2020 – it was so much fun, and several authors completed their books.

You can register now for $295; the price willincrease to $395 on February 1st.

I cannot wait to have you in class next week – Wednesday, February 5!

Register today; see you there! Space is reserved for TWELVE people.

Some spots are still left! https://bit.ly/mgcbookchallenge

Celebrating Authors!

Celebrating one of my new authors!

I had a chance to go away for a couple days to be refreshed and to reconnect with one of my clients in person! I’ve known Denise Allwood since she was a pre-teen, and I am thankful to God for the progress that she’s made so far over the years.

Her story is powerful, and it shows what God can do within a short space of time. She wrote, and I edited/published her first book, “Zion Is Calling.” This is a worship journal that draws us into the presence of God for 30 days through curated songs, Scriptures, and thoughtful reflections. There are Notes pages at the end of each chapter as well so that you can add your own thoughts. The song list is accessible via QR codes displayed at the front of the book.

Here are some photos from our time together in Raleigh NC at the Pioneers Conference hosted by Dr. Faith Wokoma and Pastor Soboma Wakoma.

One of the speakers – Jermone Glenn
One of the speakers – Cynthia Thompson
Author – Denise Allwood

My Career Journey…

The journey has been long…but I’ve learned so much along the way!

This past week I decided to share my career journey. There were so many ups and downs….a lot of disappointments too. I remember moments of fear and worry. I wanted to give up often.

I am sharing it here so you too can see and relate. Very few people’s story is a straight line. If it is, that person is indeed blessed. Read below….

Here are a few things that you may not know about me:
1. My original plan was to be a doctor.
2. Becoming a teacher was my alternative plan.
3. I was not willing to teach, so after college, I went back to retail, then banking.
4. My lifelong career in Quality started as a contractor for one of my favorite companies. I stayed for 18 years.
5. My experiences there have been the engine behind a lot of what I know and do today as an entrepreneur and as a Quality professional.
6. I’ve trained executives and staff, launched software at companies to manage Quality documents and participated in external agency inspections.
7. I had the privilege of training trainers while launching a document management software in 12 locations around the world- including Australia and India. All done virtually with screen shares – working at a Fortune 500 company.
8. I developed a simple template to track training in my company’s department and by the time I left that company, it became an adaptable template that the entire site used to track training. I was never acknowledged for it. I published my first 2 books while working in this location.
9. I fought through slander, being ignored by management and other things over the years to now being sought out for my expertise in the Quality Assurance field.
10. I published 5 books (actually 6, but one has a crazy story linked to it and it can’t be sold). One is an ebook to help authors.
11. I am preparing to write again.
12. Now, my passion is to see my clients soar! Their books are changing lives, and I want to be their biggest cheerleader.
13. The impact, the lessons, and the experiences are all part of who I am today. Quality, patience, generosity, encouragement and high expectations are all hallmarks of what I do every day for my clients.

I want you to review my list and sit back in a quiet space and create your own list journey. Everyone has one. Remind yourself of how far you’ve come, and how much it took to get you to where you are now.

And….your journey is not yet over! There’s so much more to accomplish.

Don’t you ever minimize your “list” anymore. It’s what grit and accolades are made of!

My client’s first book signing

Check out photos from a recent book signing for one of my clients!

I had quite a time recently at my client’s first book signing at Barnes & Noble.

Rick Rogers’ first book – “Father Away From Me” has been taking his local circle by storm! Check out his book HERE on Amazon. Read the reviews!

His first book signing was a success, and he’s getting ready to host another one soon. They (he and Cathy) are creating an accompanying workbook to help readers address their own situations from growing up without an active father.

I cannot forget the faces of some of the people who stopped by; some were strangers, but his book caught their eye and they had to speak with him. Sometimes people came up with tears in their eyes. I was very moved by what I saw….imagine, an editor/book publisher watching in person how a book they’ve worked on is impacting people from different walks of life – in real time!

I had a chance to meet some of them in person as Rick introduced us. They had my business cards too, so I am looking forward to hearing from them soon!

Rick and Cathy at Rick's first book signing at Barnes & Noble in Charlotte, NC.

Cathy and Rick – an amazing couple

Cathy and Rick
Proud editor/publisher!
This young man poured out his heart…
The Time is Write author group
The Time is Write author group

Living Beyond Expectations

All of us have had expectations of others, and we’ve had others place expectations on us. I remember that when I was younger, I was fascinated with doctors.  I would ask my doctors a lot of questions. I thought for some time that I would one day become an MD. After working at a nursing home one summer, and after not doing as well in college as I’d hoped, I came to the sad reality that becoming a doctor wasn’t something I had the stomach to do. My less than stellar grades were a part of it, but I always felt helpless as people got very ill or passed away. I would grieve the deaths of my nursing home patients as if they were family members, so I knew it would be too much for me to continue in that field.

When I broke the news to my family, they did not take it very well at first. The disappointment was palpable, and with no clear Plan B, I was uncertain of what the future held for me. I tried to find other ways to earn approval, since what they had hoped for would not become a reality. I tried to be the model daughter and granddaughter. I tried to be patient, respectful and responsible. The pressure started affecting me, and I could feel the weight on my shoulders.

This heavy weight of expectations spilled over into my romantic relationships, where certain criteria was expected to be displayed by my suitors. I cried for a very long time after letting go of someone who meant everything to me.

Do you realize the significance of the role that expectations plays in our lives? Our decision-making process typically includes, “What would my children think?” or “Would Mommy approve?” or “Would my boys laugh at me if I did this?” There are moments when we feel the desire to get away from the litany of expectations, spoken or unspoken. Things like, “We value education here. Everyone MUST have at least a Bachelor’s degree in this house.” Or, “No babies before a wedding.” Or, “Don’t you know what our name means in this family and in this community?” Those who don’t fit in are left floundering and struggling. Many times, the misfits are so uncomfortable that eventually they leave the nest to start their own lives, separated from people whom they’ve loved but who now struggle to love them in return.

Many have gone to tremendous measures to “keep the peace” or to preserve the family name, or to minimize ridicule from friends, even when their hearts were beating to a different drum. Joining in on a bullying session with friends so they don’t turn on you. Or, agreeing to an abortion because of the family rule: no children without a wedding ring. Or, hiding secret passions or pursuits that you know your crowd wouldn’t understand.

Well…..It’s been years since I had to break the news to my family that I wouldn’t become a doctor, and I believe that was the best decision I had ever made. I had the ability to pursue whatever career path I wanted, but I was not passionate enough about medicine to continue. Now, all these years later, I’ve found my voice. My keyboard has been my passion outlet, whether it’s through blogging, posting on social media, editing books, writing books, or encouraging a friend. My keyboard has helped me meet people I would not have met otherwise, and has open doors for me. My passionate writings and posts have inspired many people around the world. I’ve received inbox messages and phone calls that testify to this.

So here’s my advice: Don’t allow anyone to take away your voice because of expectations. Our lives aren’t meant to be lived in cookie-cutter mode. We are meant to live like snowflakes, as no two flakes are alike. We are uniquely created to live out our purpose. And, if you are unsure of your purpose or where to begin that journey, I wrote a short book that can help you. Visit HERE to order your copy. Then get a pen and a notepad, settle down, and begin the journey.

It’s never too early or too late to shrug off the expectations of others and pursue who you were created to be.

See you “there!”

Free to be ME!

There were times when I hesitated to say or do something for fear of what others would think about me. I’m now at a place where I’m freer than I’ve ever been. It took some time for me to get to this place because of instances where I felt I couldn’t be myself at all.  After hiding from others for years (not because I had anything to hide, but just for self-protection), it’s refreshing to look at others and share exactly what I’m thinking without “coding” it first.

Being ridiculed for my ideas or thoughts was something I lived with for many years, mainly by peers and during my marriage. (I shared about this in my book, “It’s My Life and I Live Here: One Woman’s Story“.) I am thankful for the freedom that I’ve experienced as I’ve found my voice again. I can tell someone how I feel and not fear being rejected or laughed at. I can be myself and not wish I was someone else.

I am FREE to be ME!

 

 

Pursuing What Counts in 2013

This blog was first launched on December 29, 2010. Two years of triumphs and tragedies have passed since then, and I am thankful that I am still here to share this special moment with you – the end of yet another year.

We’ve seen significant changes financially, spiritually, socially, in politics, and in our communities all around us. We’ve buried many children due to violence, like the recent Sandy Hook Elementary School horror in Newtown, Connecticut (USA) and Trayvon Martin’s untimely death in Florida. Some cities like Chicago, Illinois (USA) have buried over 500 people in 2012 due to violence alone. Wars have erupted in the Middle East and in other world regions as governments and regimes fight for various rights or privileges. People crush each other any moment they get a chance (on social media, in the workplace) because of the fierce competition that is now ensuing.

What about our futures? What type of world are we creating for the generations coming up behind us? Are we proud to show our children how materialistic we’ve become? Is having all the latest gadgets, clothes, shoes and cars the only way to show that we’re “really living”? Do we make the effort to extend ourselves to help others, or are we content with the “us four, no more” mentality?

When we are at work, can anyone say that we genuinely care about their well-being, even if we are managers? Or is self-preservation the name of the game?

What about our church circles? The shame and embarrassment seems unending when news is broadcasted about our issues. Are we willing at all to step aside and allow God to take full control of our private appetites so they do not boil over and become public disgraces?

We need a revival of our souls. We are thirsty and are reaching for things that will never satisfy us!

2 Chronicles 7: 14 – 15 (NKJV, Holy Bible) states:
“….if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.”

I have such a spiritual hunger and thirst deep within me now that I cannot truly explain. I’m at a place in my life now where dressing in the latest labels and designs are a nice-to-have and is not required. Driving the latest model car means nothing to me now; I’ve done that twice before. Living in the “right” zip-code means very little; I’ve done that before too. What I NEED, more than anything else, is more of GOD. He speaks to me in the small things and in the big things. His care is evident. His love is precious. He speaks to my soul in ways I cannot describe adequately. Dreams, desires and ministries are birthed when we submit our lives into His hands.

As we embark on a new journey that begins in just a few hours (less than 12 hours), let us stop the busyness, step away from our electronic devices for some time and give God our undivided attention. He longs to commune with us. His presence gives us unexplainable peace of mind. His presence brings divine revelations on how to proceed in our lives. His love envelops us and heals us of past hurts and disappointments. These are not just cute sayings; these are REAL results when we stay and pray. Meditation on the Bible is vitally important in growing and developing us as living examples. Reading biblically-grounded books help as well. Take notes as you meditate, read and reflect. Allow God to push you into your next place of blessing (or testing).

I want to worship God with ALL my heart, mind, soul and spirit. I want to worship Him as I approach a new year with new challenges and new blessings.

Will you join me?

I wish a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2013 to you and your families!