Tag: #Wednesdayblogs

No Whining Wednesday – Commitment and Consistency

Welcome back to No Whining Wednesday! It’s been a loonnnggg time!

no-whiningwednesday
The No Whining Wednesday Badge

If you are new to this blog or new to this segment please check out our first NWW post here to learn more about what this is all about.

The PBS Blog

Guys, we missed our first year anniversary!

No Whining Wednesday was started on January 4, 2017 and we managed to publish a whooping 22 episodes by years end. Who hoo!

Today’s inspiring quote:

“Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship.  Without commitment you’ll never start and without consistency, you’ll never finish.”

– Denzel Washington

This segment is all about reducing our stress levels by not worrying for an entire 24 hour period and Denzel’s quote is just what I needed. I have not been updating this blog as much as usual because I’ve been focusing on getting out of my comfort zone and today, I encourage you to get uncomfortable and to use it to  help you to decrease your stress levels. Here’s an example of what I am doing today:

For this entire day, I’ve committed myself to not using my cell phone or social media (except for blogging). This means I won’t be sharing this post on social media until the sun sets my time (USA, EST). It also means it’ll take me a tad longer to respond to your comments since I won’t be using the super convenient WordPress app. I am doing this in an attempt to commit to something and to remain consistent with it. Sometimes we can be in a good mood but that mood may easily become affected by the mood of someone else. Complaining is contagious. When someone else does it we often feel the need to do it too.

Them: “Man, it’s too cold outside.”
You: “I know right. It is cold. Hope it warms up soon.”

You may not have realized it but you’ve just joined in with someone else complaint. It’s subtle but it’s there. You are both complaining about how cold it is outside, though you do both have a warm place to lay your head at night.

Complaining has become such an integral part of our lives that we do it without noticing. This means we worry or stress as a normal part of our everyday lives.

Today, commit to something that will help you not to worry so much and try to be consistent with it. It can be reading, writing, walking, exercising, anything that will help you to focus on the good and not the bad.

Yecheilyah is an author, blogger and poet. Be sure to pick up your copy of I am Soul, her latest collection of poetry on Amazon.

NOW AVAILABLE – I AM SOUL

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF I AM SOUL

Working Toward the Vision

I AM SOUL is now available (CLICK HERE). I am dog tired but this was fun. I wanted to release this on the low but it did better than I thought it would (still holding on at #11 in its category and this week, we got down to number 7. Not number one I know but you gotta crawl before you walk! I try to always appreciate the little things). This has been one challenging year for me and working part-time now meant I had to get up early to write and then stay up late to write. This book was birthed over cups of coffee, scripture reading, and glasses of wine. Birthed while folding laundry and frying chicken. I say this to say that when it comes to having your own, nothing compares but it takes more than just passion and dreams. It takes commitment. Passion means nothing without commitment. Every day I get up hours before I have to just to write or to blog or to do something for my business and I go to bed late doing the same thing. These are the critical, personal and private moments that matter the most. Over the years I’ve learned that growth is not always what you can see. These are the moments of growth. You may need to sacrifice sleep, that favorite TV show and movie night just to meet your deadline but in the end, you will be thankful that you put in this time.

My biggest accomplishments have not been broadcasted and it is because of these personal milestones that I’ve been capable of producing these books. Here’s to the entrepreneurs who are brave enough to work for themselves regardless of what they are going through personally. Here’s to those who do the work and in the process, bring forth fruit. YOU ARE SOUL.

 

I AM SOUL - Mock

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY OF I AM SOUL

The PBS Blog Podcast Ep 8 – Facing Your Fears

Podcast

This is probably the shortest of my podcast episodes, it’s only about eight minutes long.

Today’s podcast is inspired by Luvvie’s recent Ted Talk which is a good encouraging one. I have posted the link below as well as on the podcast description. (You can also find this on YouTube but I’ve only seen the audio version). Her analogy of the domino is a good one as well as on Skydiving.

I can relate so much to what she’s saying and while I am not about to go Skydiving, I love the analogy of feeling like you’re on the edge of that plane and being that domino and falling out of the plane. That very scary, uncomfortable and nervous feeling. People often laugh when I say I am shy. They don’t think I am telling the truth. That’s because I do so much of what I am afraid to do to step outside of my comfort zone.

I am not outspoken. I am just thrusting myself from the edge of that plane. I am just taking risks. Striving to be that domino by facing my fears because fear paralyzes. It literally freezes you into place and halts your progress. This is because you’ll always be concerned about what people will think, what they will say and how they will react. Rarely do we consider the few people who will listen. The few who are listening and the few who are being impacted.

Be sure to subscribe to my Soundcloud page for notification of new episodes.

Episode 8 – Facing Your Fears

Link to Luvvie’s Ted Talk:

 

courage

No Whining Wednesday – Don’t Drown Your Own Voice

Welcome back to another No Whining Wednesday! If this is your first time visiting this blog or if you are new to this segment, please visit the original No Whining Wednesday post HERE to learn more OR the No Whining Wednesday Page to access all previous episodes.

The No Whining Wednesday Badge

 

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. Those who screw up and keep going have failed so many times that they are equipped to handle disappointment and therefore have the maturity and resilience to get back up and try again. You got this.”

– Yecheilyah

This was an inspirational word I posted to my social media early this week. I love quotes, inspirational, motivational and overall uplifting. There is something about the power of a positive word that can make you feel like you can conquer the world. When someone compliments you or gives you that good advice, something in your heart flutters and for a moment, all is right. This feeling may only last a second but in that time, all is right in the world. Or at least, in your world. This is so vital and so needed because there are not a lot of people investing good into the world. There are not a lot of people building up.

But, despite how much I love inspiring quotes and how much I read them, something struck me this week. While inspirational quotes from others is nice, there’s nothing wrong with using our own words to inspire others as well. Your experiences are unique to you. Your pain is unique to you. Your happiness is unique to you. Your life is your own. That is not to say there’s no power higher than you (ya’ll know better) but you have to walk these shoes is what I am saying. You have to plant these seeds.

That said, don’t sleep on yourself. You have the wisdom that comes from living and with that something to offer the world but if you never allow your voice to be heard, it can be drowned out by the voices of others.

What if I don’t know enough?

That has nothing to do with it. You don’t have to be perfect to share something that may help others. Personally, I am moved by realness. I want to know about real life situations because your struggles and how you overcome them is what connects you with other human beings. People who talk about their issues and how they’re dealing relate more to others than those who are somewhere in heaven.

Instead of relying so much on the words of others, sometimes it’s OK to give of our own pearls.

Every now and again, use the power of your own experience to inspire others and to lift yourself up. After all, it is what the people we quote have done themselves. They didn’t speak thinking we would quote them. They spoke because it was necessary and now their words have lived on throughout the centuries.

Beta Readers Needed

“Beta reader has been adopted from the software industry where programmers release a ‘beta’ version of a new program to people who will test it. The beta version comes after the Alpha version (a writer’s first draft). Beta Reader means someone who evaluates a manuscript. Beta testers find the bugs and improve the software’s usability before the final “release” version goes on sale. A beta reader tests your manuscript (by reading it), and tells you about the ‘bugs’ so you can improve its readability, its usefulness and even its sales ability.”  

– Belinda Pollard of “Write & Publish Like a Pro”

I am looking for people willing to “Test Drive” Keep Yourself Full, a short inspiring reminder that self-care nourishes the quality of our life and makes us fit to be of service to others.

Keep Yourself Full is perfect for:

  • Bible Believers
  • Inspirational / Motivational Readers
  • Poets / Creatives
  • Life Coaches

Having a few of you Beta read before the edit would be enormously helpful.

You’ll get a copy of the book in exchange for constructive feedback. You will also get to leave your Honest Review of the read once it goes up for preorder. 

As a reminder, the rules are as follows:

  • Download the book when it’s emailed to you.

 

  • Read the book and email me your feedback / suggested changes.

 

  • When the book is up for preorder, in return for the free book, you are to leave an Honest Review* on Amazon and any other retailer of your choice when it’s available.

*You can leave a review anywhere the book is available but to get credit a review must be left on Amazon*

About Book Reviews:

  • The review doesn’t have to be an essay, college paper or thesis. You are not required to be the smartest person in the room.

 

  • You are only required to leave your Honest thoughts on the book no matter how short or long, whether you liked it or didn’t like it.

 

  • Please leave a disclaimer at the front end of the review that you received the book as an ARC or gift from the author. Example: “I received a copy of this book as an ARC (or gift) from the author.”

 

  • Be sure that you notify me of the review in some way (tag me on social media, link to this blog, email me) when it’s posted so that you are given credit and remain part of the program.

This book is short so it won’t take up much time and is perfect if you fall into the following categories:

  • Bible Believers
  • Inspirational / Motivational Readers
  • Poets / Creatives
  • Life Coaches

Interested?

CLICK HERE SO THAT YOU GET A COPY WHEN IT’S EMAILED OUT.

I am looking for readers who are interested in something inspirational and motivational but also biblical and poetic with a touch of self-help and life lessons.

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Chance The Rapper Partners with Lyft to Raise Funds to Support Chicago Public Schools

REPOST from Good Black News. Please click the link below for the original post.

“The ride-share service Lyft announced Tuesday that passengers can now round up their fare to the next dollar and donate the difference to Chance the Rapper’s fund to support Chicago Public Schools. The New Chance Arts and Literature Fund, devoted to creating and expanding Chicago arts education programs, is the first local organization Lyft is supporting through the “round up and donate” feature.”

http://wp.me/pTfwX-5ou

The PBS Blog Podcast Ep 5 – Freedom and Responsibility

In today’s episode, we are talking about the responsibility end of freedom.

Freedom has been turned into a scapegoat that many of us have used to justify our beef with structure. Anything that requires us to act in a way that is disciplined, civil or logical we stray from under the guise of having the freedom to choose.

But choices are not without consequences.

We are adults and have long had the freedom to do as we choose. But as there’s a lot going on in the world today, we must remember that our actions and thoughts are not without a certain level of responsibility. Whether we are talking about writing and books or life in general, our freedom is not as free as it seems on the surface.

Today, I want to encourage you to be more disciplined in all areas of your life. More disciplined spiritually, mentally, and physically. Let’s take responsibility for the lives we live.

Don’t forget to subscribe for notification of future episodes.

Ep 5 – Freedom and Responsibility