Diva Jefferson

If you came here, expecting a life story, then please read my autobiography in forty or so years. This is a series of confessions that I will tell you in relation to my publishing journey. This is for anyone who ever picked up the art of writing or anything they dreamed of doing and found discouragement. Sometimes, it comes from your friends and family, co-workers, other people in your profession, and yourself. Personally, I think we are our own worst critics. Since we are the author's of our lives, we take the blame for everything that doesn't go according to plan, and we punish ourselves.

No matter what is holding you back, don't EVER stop what you love to do. Why spend your life wallowing in the day to day or finding another outlet to enjoy yourself? If you believe what you love to do is just a hobby, then you are not driven, and your main focus should be is to find motivation. Success never comes before hard work, unless for some reason, someone did everything for you. I really hope this is not your case, because I have more faith in you than you have in yourself.

Speaking of faith, here is my first confession: The one person in my life I thought would stand by my side, told me that I'd never go anywhere in life and that writing shouldn't be my main priority.

Okay, maybe this person is a generalization of a few people fused into one. Anyone who doubts someone this much, needs to first get their own priorities straight before offering their disheartening advice. The fact of the matter is that I've heard this from many people throughout my life. Friends, family members, significant others, etc. They are pretty much the people I care about the most. Not knowing how they felt about me was one thing, but hearing it was entirely another. Actually, it was the best motivation I'd ever received. Not even a rejection letter could make me this ambitious. It was like receiving a million-dollar cash prize. Well, maybe not that great. :)

Don't get me wrong, you will become emotional and feel lost, but then you consider it a challenge to meet and beat their expectations. And I'm not even competitive. Believe me, I've been trying to overturn everyone's expectations my whole life. I turn all of those doubts upside down.

When you let your past come in the way of current goals, your view of success may change. Yes, you will no longer consider your profession as a hobby and take it more seriously while working for what you need to survive on the side.

I've read a few articles where people wish they could reach success at an earlier age. Others believe youth is wasted on the young (In which, this is true on many occasions.). For those who think they wasted their youth on less productive endeavors, I salute you. Either you worked really hard to get where you're at right now or you had a great time and laughed. When I say this, I'm coming from the perspective of the youth. College, working retail/fast food jobs to pay rent, etc. is a major setback for people my age. I don't have the time nor resources to set my writing career into full motion. I don't have the funds to attend conferences, or the free time to do anything other than write the books. Looking up publishers and agents is very time-consuming. Every time you think you have a working list, another year passes and it's out of date. :)

In order to cope with the day to day stress, I've gone on a few writing hiatuses, (lasting from one to three months) in order to work more hours, go on vacation, etc. And I regretted every moment of it. Well, maybe not the vacation part. Anyways, wherever you are in life, don't give up on your dreams. Luckily, they don't have a deadline and are attainable at any age. I believe in sacrifice, but not at the expense of your whole being. I love writing so much. It's become a part of me more than anything else. I'd be lost without it.

Thank you so much for reading! Join me next time for the Naughty or Nice giveaway hop and another author confession! :)



Happy writing!
Diva J.

My mascot, Muffin.

Hello, readers! As you all know it's Friday the 13th. This is a happy day for me. Although, I never figured out why, there seems to be something in the air that makes me smile despite anything. For fun, I've decided to evaluate my cat's actions and justify them into short lessons I've learned from life. I'm not one of those people who consider their pet one of their children. Muffin is my best friend and lady's companion, if you will.

For those who are interested, Muffin (pictured at left) is my 5 year old tailless rescue kitty. She is very sweet and generally a very happy cat no matter what. I envy her attitude towards life sometimes.

Here are Muffin's life lessons:
1) Don't sweat the small stuff.
Like every good pet owner, I take her to the vet. She hates her black carrier so much I have to trick her to get into it. Luckily, after the horrible experience is over with, she'll get out and not look at me for a couple hours. Then when it comes down to feeding time, she won't ignore me anymore. I realized that despite everything she goes through (whether she likes it or not), is just a small hurdle in her life. No matter how upset my cat gets at me--through dirty looks or otherwise--she is over it within 24 hours. Some people hold grudges for years. We seem to hover in the past and continue to blame the same people over and over for our mistakes. When something stressful happens, we tend to lose sight of what is good in our lives. We don't see what really matters. No matter how mad Muffin is, she knows I'm the one who cares for her. And that is the most important thing.

2) Always dream bigger than you are.
Muffin is a certified window kitty. What cat isn't? Humans get to leave the small home world for something most cats never truly understand. The outdoors. We must realize that animals think differently than us. The world may be big to us, but to them, the neighborhood (or yard) is a dream. All they want is to chase birds and squirrels in the grass. Fortunately as humans, we know there is more to the outdoors than a few birds. There are cars, beaches, skyscrapers, and mountains. Since we see these things everyday, they don't seem like a big deal to us at all. When you start a project in hopes it will become successful, broaden your horizons. You are but a speck in the universe, and at the same time you are unique. Use this knowledge for your own purpose. No one can write like you can, no one can dream like you can. Reach new audiences.

3) Never give up.
This is one of my favorite life lessons. My cat likes to rub my legs or "meow" when she is hungry. No new information there. Well, if I don't pay attention to her...she will do it again. This is probably one of the most prolific examples of a cat's propensity never to quit. Of course hunger plays a big factor in it, but what about when Muffin tries to jump onto her cat tree and falls. She doesn't walk away, she tries again. Rejection should never be an excuse to give up on what you love doing. Find something that motivates you enough to keep trying.

4) Always look at the world through curious eyes.
Unlike some animals, we take things for granted. Every time I've moved with Muffin (about 4 or 5 times) she's explored the whole house/apartment with her nose. She wanted to know every nook and cranny, every hidden corner. She is the epitome of nosy, but she is the only one who knows exactly what she looks for. Don't be afraid to question yourself or others. Sometimes, knowing the whole truth about something/someone can mean everything. If I don't know something, I'll ask. I'd rather be informed then misinformed. Wouldn't you?

5) Love unconditionally.
Muffin, well more like pets in general, love their owners unconditionally. When you choose to fall in love or care about someone, do it without conditions. Race, sex, height, length, weight, etc. don't really matter in the long run. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is whether the love is returned or not. We don't judge the animals we love, why should we judge the people?



I know this post wasn't writing-related, but I think these life lessons are good to know. We could all use them on our writing journey. Do you live with a dog, ferret, hamster, etc.? I'd love to know your learned lessons. Please feel free to provide input in a comment below and subscribe if you haven't already!



Happy writing!
Diva J.