Nicholl McGuire shares advice and real life experiences on this personal blog. She also provides links to her online creations and other information she deems useful. An author, speaker, poet and blogger, Nicholl keeps busy maintaining blogs, writing articles and recording informative videos and audios. She is an African American mother, a Christian, and offers virtual assistance to individuals and businesses. Feel free to subscribe to Nicholl McGuire's blog.
Friday, April 23, 2010
I Like MyLikes
This week I was introduced to yet another company looking for people to help them promote their businesses. I guess it pays to look at your direct messages sometimes. The guy told me about MyLikes, a site that allows you to post links to everything you like on the Internet. Well that got my attention since I frequent many sites seeking answers to questions, research for articles, compare prices on products and more. I thought some of you who would like to keep all the things you like on one website as well as make your likes available to others would appreciate it! MyLikes
Friday, April 16, 2010
Writers and Photographers are Always Needed!
One day while surfing the net I stumbled upon a great site that helps anyone who is seeking someone to write, edit, desktop publish, take photos, or record for their upcoming projects. To be more specific, wedding planners.
As you and I know there is always something that needs to be done when planning a wedding. I created a blog that helps the do-it-yourself type. I thought it is worth mentioning on this blog since I know some of you are like me, go-getters, always looking for extra cash! I included a site that connects the creative person with the project. So check it out and let me know what you think. Wedding Planning Projects
As you and I know there is always something that needs to be done when planning a wedding. I created a blog that helps the do-it-yourself type. I thought it is worth mentioning on this blog since I know some of you are like me, go-getters, always looking for extra cash! I included a site that connects the creative person with the project. So check it out and let me know what you think. Wedding Planning Projects
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Source for Publishing Your Book
Monday, April 12, 2010
Strong Women Just Aren't Popular with Insecure Men
When you are a woman who stands for what she believes in and will not back down because someone has told you, "You shouldn't say that...watch your tone...you can scare a man a way acting like that" you are deemed a b*tch and if you raise your voice with tears in your eyes then you are called a crazy b*tch! Welcome to my world!
I write impactful articles and at times I don't come across as one who is "nice, sweet, and a beautiful person." When a person is agonizing over an issue, but aren't ready to let go and let God, they don't like a person such as me. They look for flaws in everything from my writing to my personality in order to shut what I am saying down! They will even go so far as threaten my life! The Internet world is comprised of many hypersensitive, stubborn, miserable people who want advice but when it isn't wrapped with a nice bow all the time, they reject the gift!
When you are a strong woman whether on or offline, and I am not talking about a sista with an attitude, but a woman who has boundaries and sees people for who they really are even when they don't want to share much about themselves, you are considered a threat! People don't like to be exposed and many are not transparent on or off the Internet! They work real hard to get you to believe in their lies from sales people to world renown ministers! They study you to find your weaknesses and when they realize they can't penetrate your emotions to get you to do what they want, then they don't like you! They will say you are "a trouble-maker," "crazy," "off your rocker" and other similar statements.
A man who doesn't like women especially hates a strong woman! An insecure man hates a strong woman. He is often worried that she will step out on him, because he isn't living up to the words that are coming out of his mouth. A macho man hates a strong woman because he doesn't want to risk being hen-pecked. There are many weak men who desire strong women as if they will complete them when they won't. If anything these type of men learn that strong women require them to work in many aspects of their lives, both personal and professional, and if he isn't the type that wants to make a change, he is off looking for a weak woman.
So if you are a strong woman reading this wondering why you just can't seem to keep a man consider the kind of men who are attracted to you. If you are a woman having troubling swaying the people at your workplace to do something you know is good for the company, consider this, you may have a long history of standing up for what's right and people may be growing weary with going along with your ideas no matter how great they are. Some people will not support you just because they are tired of you being right so often! Even a strong woman's own children can be a problem to her especially if they are just not convinced that their mother knows best!
So with all that said, I encourage both the strong women and men out there to not allow others to keep you from speaking truth, but at the same time be prayerful! Continue to read the wise words of the Bible if you are a believer and God bless!
I write impactful articles and at times I don't come across as one who is "nice, sweet, and a beautiful person." When a person is agonizing over an issue, but aren't ready to let go and let God, they don't like a person such as me. They look for flaws in everything from my writing to my personality in order to shut what I am saying down! They will even go so far as threaten my life! The Internet world is comprised of many hypersensitive, stubborn, miserable people who want advice but when it isn't wrapped with a nice bow all the time, they reject the gift!
When you are a strong woman whether on or offline, and I am not talking about a sista with an attitude, but a woman who has boundaries and sees people for who they really are even when they don't want to share much about themselves, you are considered a threat! People don't like to be exposed and many are not transparent on or off the Internet! They work real hard to get you to believe in their lies from sales people to world renown ministers! They study you to find your weaknesses and when they realize they can't penetrate your emotions to get you to do what they want, then they don't like you! They will say you are "a trouble-maker," "crazy," "off your rocker" and other similar statements.
A man who doesn't like women especially hates a strong woman! An insecure man hates a strong woman. He is often worried that she will step out on him, because he isn't living up to the words that are coming out of his mouth. A macho man hates a strong woman because he doesn't want to risk being hen-pecked. There are many weak men who desire strong women as if they will complete them when they won't. If anything these type of men learn that strong women require them to work in many aspects of their lives, both personal and professional, and if he isn't the type that wants to make a change, he is off looking for a weak woman.
So if you are a strong woman reading this wondering why you just can't seem to keep a man consider the kind of men who are attracted to you. If you are a woman having troubling swaying the people at your workplace to do something you know is good for the company, consider this, you may have a long history of standing up for what's right and people may be growing weary with going along with your ideas no matter how great they are. Some people will not support you just because they are tired of you being right so often! Even a strong woman's own children can be a problem to her especially if they are just not convinced that their mother knows best!
So with all that said, I encourage both the strong women and men out there to not allow others to keep you from speaking truth, but at the same time be prayerful! Continue to read the wise words of the Bible if you are a believer and God bless!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sometimes We Forget to Set Goals
I will be the first to admit that every project I get involved in I don't always set goals especially if it isn't long-term. I came across this great article, I thought I would share:
How to Set Your Goals - Step by Step
By Kristen Burgess
You know that goal setting is very important. It helps you stay focused, keeps your productive, and you feel great when you achieve your goals. But if you've never set goals, or if you've set a lot of goals and haven't achieved them, setting goals can seem really overwhelming.
It should not be hard to set goals. It does require thought and effort, but it's not hard. You may need to set aside several hours or even a whole day to think about things and start solidifying some goals.
Start when you have some time to think. It's good to begin by thinking about where you are in your life. This isn't really the time to think about your regrets and mistakes - or where you could have been if you hadn't made those mistakes. This is the time to think just about where you are now. It's a time to "take stock of the situation."
Now that you've considered your situation, think about how you'd like to change that. Where would you like to be in your life next year? How about five years from now? What about ten years from now? Just brainstorm some things you'd like to have. What kind of money do you want to be making? What kind of job do you want? Would you like to travel somewhere in that time? What is your home or family like?
Just write several of your goals down now. It's good to include some short term ones and some long term ones. You can include concrete goals like "I want to live in a four bedroom home in my favorite neighborhood." You may also want to include some like "I am a happy person" which are not quite so concrete.
Now pick out a few goals that you really want to focus on. If you're unsure about things you can just start with a few. Do pick some that are more short term along with a long term one or two.
It's time to plan out your goals. Look at your goal and "work backwards." Think about what will need to happen for you to achieve that goal. I recommend you think about three months, or ninety days in the future. Where do you need to be, three months from now, to be on-target for that goal?
What knowledge will you need to have? What steps will you need to have taken? Write these things down under your goal. Now think about what it will take to get to that point? Make a list of actionable steps. "Actionable" means it's something you can actually do that will get you one step closer to your goal.
It's OK if these steps are "easy" in the beginning. They may involve simple research. For instance, if you want to own a four bedroom home within the next two years, you may start your goal planning by listing "research how mortgages work" as an action step.
This "information gathering stage" is often a first step for goals, and it's a good thing to start with. It gives you a pretty easy way to cross something off your list as "accomplished" and know that you're making real progress.
There will be steps beyond research, however. You may know what they are right away. Sometimes you'll need to do your research and knowledge gathering before you know what you need to do next. That's OK too. Just come back to your goal sheet when you've finished your research.
Reviewing your goals every four weeks or so is a good idea. Breaking them into 4-week chunks of action steps makes it easy to accomplish your steps and stick with your goal. It also allows you to modify your plan as you work through it and learn things you didn't know about before.
Sit down and think about your goals, then develop your action steps. These steps will be the plan that takes you from where you are now to where you'd like to be - one leap forward at a time.
It should not be hard to set goals. It does require thought and effort, but it's not hard. You may need to set aside several hours or even a whole day to think about things and start solidifying some goals.
Start when you have some time to think. It's good to begin by thinking about where you are in your life. This isn't really the time to think about your regrets and mistakes - or where you could have been if you hadn't made those mistakes. This is the time to think just about where you are now. It's a time to "take stock of the situation."
Now that you've considered your situation, think about how you'd like to change that. Where would you like to be in your life next year? How about five years from now? What about ten years from now? Just brainstorm some things you'd like to have. What kind of money do you want to be making? What kind of job do you want? Would you like to travel somewhere in that time? What is your home or family like?
Just write several of your goals down now. It's good to include some short term ones and some long term ones. You can include concrete goals like "I want to live in a four bedroom home in my favorite neighborhood." You may also want to include some like "I am a happy person" which are not quite so concrete.
Now pick out a few goals that you really want to focus on. If you're unsure about things you can just start with a few. Do pick some that are more short term along with a long term one or two.
It's time to plan out your goals. Look at your goal and "work backwards." Think about what will need to happen for you to achieve that goal. I recommend you think about three months, or ninety days in the future. Where do you need to be, three months from now, to be on-target for that goal?
What knowledge will you need to have? What steps will you need to have taken? Write these things down under your goal. Now think about what it will take to get to that point? Make a list of actionable steps. "Actionable" means it's something you can actually do that will get you one step closer to your goal.
It's OK if these steps are "easy" in the beginning. They may involve simple research. For instance, if you want to own a four bedroom home within the next two years, you may start your goal planning by listing "research how mortgages work" as an action step.
This "information gathering stage" is often a first step for goals, and it's a good thing to start with. It gives you a pretty easy way to cross something off your list as "accomplished" and know that you're making real progress.
There will be steps beyond research, however. You may know what they are right away. Sometimes you'll need to do your research and knowledge gathering before you know what you need to do next. That's OK too. Just come back to your goal sheet when you've finished your research.
Reviewing your goals every four weeks or so is a good idea. Breaking them into 4-week chunks of action steps makes it easy to accomplish your steps and stick with your goal. It also allows you to modify your plan as you work through it and learn things you didn't know about before.
Sit down and think about your goals, then develop your action steps. These steps will be the plan that takes you from where you are now to where you'd like to be - one leap forward at a time.
Who Am I? Writer and Mother Nicholl McGuire Introduces Herself & Online Business
Sometimes readers want to know a little more about the person behind the scenes who is writing the material that they read. I am taking this opportunity to share a little bit about me and what I do. Enjoy! http://nichollmcguire.blogspot.com
Read More
Sometimes readers want to know a little more about the person behind the scenes who is writing the material that they read. I am taking this opportunity to share a little bit about me and what I do. Enjoy! http://nichollmcguire.blogspot.com
Read More
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bit by the Acting Bug - Again!
Every now and then there is this little bug that bites me. Once his venom flows through my blood I have a sudden desire to want to act. Okay so I exaggerate a tad, but the truth is that around this time of year I get in the mood to act. Knowing full well I hate the fear that grows in my belly every time I do it and the many eyeballs that look at me when I do it, yet I still desire it anyway.
Its been almost eight years now since I have stood before a live audience. These days I perform behind the scenes. I read copy for websites, record my poetry online, and stage performances using my children around the house. I guess these things will suffice for now. However, I picture myself in the future doing something around the community like this older woman I met once. We performed in a play together. She was such an inspiration and I fed off her energy. She took acting seriously and when I asked her why she did it, she said, "It gets me out the house. It makes me feel young and despite what my husband and children say about it, I enjoy doing it and I am going to keep on doing it!"
We make a lot of sacrifices in this life for others especially when you are a parent, so when the opportunity comes to do something for you, just do it!
I'll be acting again one day, I can feel it...
Nicholl McGuire
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
One Day at a Time: Laboring to Love Myself
The road in learning to love myself has not been an easy or short one. It has been difficult and long. I finally realized after 30 plus years on this planet that I had no concept of what love is and how do I incorporate it into my daily life. I had heard people tell me and those around them that they loved them. I had even told others that I loved them. But I came to understand that the warm feeling I had inside was like a lightswitch it cut on and off. How did I get beyond the temporal feelings and lean toward something more permanent? I would not find the answer to this question until I looked within and stopped focusing on man or woman’s definition of what love is.
In order to begin my journey toward loving self first, others and God, I had to understand what love was not. Love was not abusive, it didn’t tease, wasn’t manipulative or controlling. It didn’t walk around having an attitude and criticizing people. It wasn’t loud and obnoxious either. Love was kind, considerate, compassionate, giving, affectionate, and uplifted people. It wasn’t out to make war with everyone although some people accused love of doing that. Those who didn’t understand love nor ever received it were the people who were at war with love.
Did you ever find yourself suspecting someone of wanting something more just because they did something nice for you? Did you ever feel obligated to do something for someone just to get them off your back? Did you try to find fault with them? Did you debate with them just so that you could get out of doing something for them? I ask these questions, because people who don’t know genuine love will be suspicious of it. They will talk about it to others and hope they can rally up some support that says, “Down with love, up with knowledge.” The “I told-you-so” types want to be right that love wasn’t really love after all, “You see why I don’t put my heart out there…I like him but I don’t love him…I don’t feel the need to tell people I love them…” This kind of thinking is why many relationships fail, why many children grow up abusing their partners and their own children, it’s why people refuse to get along and so on.
If there is anything I want you to come away with today is watch for loving moments, loving statements and the opportunity to show others love. The sweet voice in your mind that says, “I should do this for Jane and John Doe…” shouldn’t be shut down. It should not be suffocated with comments like, “But what has John done for me lately and well you know how Jane can be!” The thought came to your mind for a reason, you might as well act on it and what is the worse that could possibly happen? Someone may reject the gift and if so, you can always take it back, no longer perform the service, or take your business elsewhere. You should never allow rejection to keep you from performing.
Nicholl McGuire excerpt from an upcoming podcast regarding my book, "Laboring to Love Myself" Amazon.com
In order to begin my journey toward loving self first, others and God, I had to understand what love was not. Love was not abusive, it didn’t tease, wasn’t manipulative or controlling. It didn’t walk around having an attitude and criticizing people. It wasn’t loud and obnoxious either. Love was kind, considerate, compassionate, giving, affectionate, and uplifted people. It wasn’t out to make war with everyone although some people accused love of doing that. Those who didn’t understand love nor ever received it were the people who were at war with love.
Did you ever find yourself suspecting someone of wanting something more just because they did something nice for you? Did you ever feel obligated to do something for someone just to get them off your back? Did you try to find fault with them? Did you debate with them just so that you could get out of doing something for them? I ask these questions, because people who don’t know genuine love will be suspicious of it. They will talk about it to others and hope they can rally up some support that says, “Down with love, up with knowledge.” The “I told-you-so” types want to be right that love wasn’t really love after all, “You see why I don’t put my heart out there…I like him but I don’t love him…I don’t feel the need to tell people I love them…” This kind of thinking is why many relationships fail, why many children grow up abusing their partners and their own children, it’s why people refuse to get along and so on.
If there is anything I want you to come away with today is watch for loving moments, loving statements and the opportunity to show others love. The sweet voice in your mind that says, “I should do this for Jane and John Doe…” shouldn’t be shut down. It should not be suffocated with comments like, “But what has John done for me lately and well you know how Jane can be!” The thought came to your mind for a reason, you might as well act on it and what is the worse that could possibly happen? Someone may reject the gift and if so, you can always take it back, no longer perform the service, or take your business elsewhere. You should never allow rejection to keep you from performing.
Nicholl McGuire excerpt from an upcoming podcast regarding my book, "Laboring to Love Myself" Amazon.com
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