Kern Carter's Blog, page 12
January 24, 2023
My Biggest Personal Achievement To Date!
Image by AuthorMy biggest achievement was bringing fruition to all the hard work I have been doing for the last 6 months.
It’s….
Launching my own product on Amazon.
“The Vision-Board Coloring Book”
I’ve always been into the Law of Attraction, affirmations, etc.
But I wanted to make it more fun, and easy with no resistance.
Ever tried affirming “I’m rich” when you’re broke or “I’m healthy” when you’re actually sick?
There’s a little voice inside your head that whispers “No, you’re not, you liar.”
It happened to me.
That’s when the idea of coloring your dream life struck.
I created a coloring book covering all the aspects of a dream life—money, social life, love life, material things, inner peace, etc.
I’m so elated that people are loving it.
Every morning with coffee by the side, it becomes a ritual to color all aspects of your dream life into reality.
Here are some of the pictures:
Image by AuthorIsn’t this just beautiful?
_Ruchi Nirmal_
Here’s the link if you wanna check it out: https://amz.run/6KIQ
[image error]My Biggest Personal Achievement To Date! was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
January 23, 2023
Myself
I don’t see myself enough.
I’m too interested.
In me. In you.
I’m too grounded in my life,
and not grounded enough in life.
I’m too busy with feelings to see.
I’ve been told “it's okay” so many times
my feelings are like clingy campers to their counselors.
It seems mad
to want to see beauty without feeling beautiful;
but there go my emotions again;
(I shouldn’t be writing for me.)
I hope you feel the distance between you and these words.
I hope your feet are stuck in concrete, so this may never move you,
but odds are —
that in success, I’ll fail…
(I don’t see myself enough — I’m too interested.)
Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash[image error]Myself was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
January 22, 2023
Act On
Each of us has a hierarchy of values we act on.
Each individual,
A legendary tale amongst a billion stories,
has its own unique hierarchy,
One paved through their chapters of hardships,
or lack thereof.
— ; One built upon what you’ve done,
and what’s been done to you.
So, in life-
when we’re forced to choose between survival and morality,
which thoughts provoke you first?
Which appetite eats your focus?
Even in your triumph,
Even in your journey of great survival,
There were dreams you sacrificed in order to pursue this one,
(whether for survival or morality.)
So, did you settle?
There’s a right answer —
you know this,
even if you read
and chose to lie inside.
Photo by Javardh on Unsplash[image error]Act On was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
January 21, 2023
Thou Art Loosed!
“Because to take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.” — Madeline L’Engle
Image by AuthorI was birthed into a darkness that I didn’t choose. I was birthed into the relentless dimming of my internal light. So, you ask, what’s life like after death? Oops, pardon me, the question is, what’s life like after disappointment? Oh no, the question is, how did I overcome disappointment?
Since the beginning of my life, I consistently questioned, why me? What’s the reason or purpose for all this pain and suffering? Where’s my joy? Where’s my peace? Where’s my reward for continuing to fight to live only to continue suffering disappointment followed by more disappointment? Am I being punished for desiring more? Am I a living sacrifice to assist in helping others find their way through the darkness? Or am I a hamster on a wheel running to catch the carrot dangling on the string that appears right within reach but somehow continues to elude me?
December 15th, ‘twas the season, and all through my house, not a creature was stirring. My children were asleep, filled with the excitement of the holiday season. In true fashion, I was the parental shield protecting them from the nightmares lurking within this 3D world, absorbing all the toxicity being projected our way so they didn’t feel the agonizing life-altering pain of being disappointed by those they depend on for love, support, and security. However, away in my room, tucked in my bed, I had thoughts of suicidal ideation reigning dominion in my head; pain, suffering, and disappointment flooded my mind and suffocated my brain into submission. I began to lean into and succumb to what seemed like the inevitable. Death becomes her. This can all end right now, tonight. I tell myself that I can go to sleep, not wake up and finally rest in eternal peace.
Life after death. How do you fill a gaping hole that’s existed within your soul since birth? How do you survive the blows of parental abandonment, having the wind knocked out of your innermost being without succumbing and submitting to eternal darkness? I’ve surrendered to darkness and allowed death to become her. I am the embodiment of the power of overcoming all that was meant to destroy me. I held hands and danced with the devil and am still alive to tell the story. I courageously crossed over a bridge that was blown up by my inner and outer demons, with me standing in the middle of it. I survived a path riddled with landmines of destruction meant to deter me from my true destiny, my life’s purpose, and liberation, my birthright.
On the other side of disappointment is choice. I chose to own and accept my power. Damn, my jam is that good. My destiny, birthright, and life’s purpose are so meaningful that I’ve triumphed through life’s disappointment boot camp and learned to fearlessly walk on the dark side. I’m no longer afraid of the dark or the monsters that lurk within going bump in the night. Ye though I have and will continue to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, nothing can rob me of my life’s purpose. Not even me. Overcoming took owning the power to choose my own path. I had to courageously take ownership of who I am at my core. I no longer needed to yield to life’s disappointments. I no longer needed to wear the burden of generational and societal disappointments that weren’t mine to put on and dress up in to begin with.
Overcoming is taking the darkness meant to draw me into the depths of eternal captivity and transforming that energy into power. There is power in faith. There is power in choosing. There is power in ownership. There is power in manifestation. There is power in universal law. There is power in naming. There is power in curiosity. There is power in self-exploration.
For me, the ultimate power in overcoming came in the form of allowing the needs of my inner child to take precedence, having a seat at my life’s table, and taking part in the conversation. The internal child version of Stephanie Elise still believes in magic. At her core, the inner child version of Stephanie Elise is the embodiment of power. With that power, I choose to create the rest of my story, and though future moments of disappointment may prove inevitable. They will be my mistakes and disappointments to choose from. Not anyone else’s.
How did I overcome disappointment, you ask? I chose to own my power; I chose to take up space; I chose to rise like a Phoenix and create through the ashes, curating something beautiful beyond belief. I am the embodiment of everything meant to be stolen from me. I am the rose that grew from the concrete far beyond everything meant to destroy me. I am the embodiment of overcoming all disappointments that were, are, and will be.
I choose to powerfully exist in a world that lives only to dim the shine of another to create a false sense of superiority for themselves. Despite how it may trigger others, I choose to allow this inner light of mine to shine.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 ESV.[image error]
Thou Art Loosed! was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
January 19, 2023
January 17, 2023
This Will Fundamentally Change the Way You Look at the Importance of Mentors
Photo by nappy: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-men-having-conversation-935949/I had an interesting conversation with my mentor yesterday. Her words made me realize what went wrong and the mistakes I made along the way, as a content creator.
She made me realize that I have been trying to do several things at once because they all sound exciting. We call this the Shiny Object Syndrome.
Be careful with that because you will confuse the algorithm of any platform. Once the algorithm gets confused, it will be difficult to attract the right audience.
That has made me rethink my content and start from scratch. I even deleted my TikTok account today. I may return to TikTok, but the truth is that style does not fit in with what I want.
If something does not serve a purpose in your life, delete it. I am already getting rid of some things, be it social media accounts or content that does not serve a purpose. Any unnecessary weight has to go.
I also do not have an established community yet. I admit that I was crying a lot throughout this week because of some unwanted feelings I want to get rid of.
I felt I had nothing to contribute and did not belong and other horrible shit. That call was a blessing in disguise.
I ignored my true talent, which is writing. If I was a bad writer, I would not have gotten my internship. She got about 20 different portfolios yet she chose mine.
I do have a unique voice and need to focus more on that. I need to believe in myself more and follow my heart. I have already scheduled my Instagram and LinkedIn content with SemRush. Let’s see how the week rolls. Fingers crossed.
[image error]This Will Fundamentally Change the Way You Look at the Importance of Mentors was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
Call For Submissions — Stronger Together
We often hear the narrative, “I did this on my own,” or “I did that on my own.” But did you really? And more importantly, would you really want to?
We’ve all accomplished things on our own, but for this week’s writing prompt, I want to talk about the things you’ve accomplished with someone (or a group of people) right there with you every step of the way.
Write about a time when you wouldn’t have been able to achieve something without the help of someone else. What was the experience like? How did it feel to have someone there to help carry you through the finish line?
Same rules as always:You can submit to this or ANY of our past writing prompts. Just scroll through our previous newsletters. They’ll be marked “Call for Submissions.”If you’re already a writer for CRY, go ahead and submit.Be as creative as you want in your submissions. As long as you stick to the topic, we’ll consider it.Just because you submit doesn’t mean we’ll post. If you haven’t heard back from us in three days, consider that a pass.[image error]Call For Submissions — Stronger Together was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
January 15, 2023
When One Door Closes
Image by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/aisle-architecture-building-business-277572/Disappointments are a massive part of life and you can’t always have life turn out the way you want it to. As someone who’s been trying to make a stable living as a writer, going through rejection after rejection can be discouraging. I won’t lie and say I’m thrilled that companies and agencies don’t think I’m good enough to write for them; sending out my best work and seeing it torn to pieces is hard. However, as the saying goes: “As one door closes, another door opens”
That Euphoric Feeling
Image by Vinicius Altava: https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-trendy-black-woman-sitting-on-stairs-and-laughing-2657594/The writing path isn’t easy but it is gratifying. There are not a whole lot of things that are better than the feeling of writing something amazing, and the euphoria you get when you’re ready to send your precious work of art into the world for the approval of others. Unfortunately, after weeks of waiting, that cloud-nine feeling comes crashing down when you get a letter saying they chose someone else’s work and you feel completely lost and devastated. You long to feel that euphoric feeling again, but is it worth taking another risk to write for another agency or publication?
Another Door Will Open
Image by Black Ice: https://www.pexels.com/photo/eyeglasses-near-notebook-and-metal-key-1314549/The magical thing about writing is that you hold the key to open new doors. You can take new paths, write new things, expand your knowledge, and still hold on to your love of writing. Despite the brutal disappointment of not getting that dream job, there are always vast opportunities to try new things. Even if I never become a full-time writer, I could always freelance, or use my writing skills for a new job field. I could always study to work on my writing skills. I could also keep my writings to myself and not feel the pressure to write for someone else. No matter what writing path you or I choose, we know we can always bounce back from disappointment and open another door to something better.
[image error]When One Door Closes was originally published in CRY Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
