On Being Misunderstood

"The term “misunderstood” itself is a subjective one. I mean, what might not be understandable to some, for others, might seem plain as day.

In many cases, the man who gets labeled as “misunderstood” is the one who’s most in tune with himself.

Today, realness can stick out like a sore thumb, especially when the rest of the world appears to be caught in between smoke, mirrors and photo filters.

It feels like everyone is constantly trying to be someone or appear some way, striving to uphold an impression of normal – one perpetuated by trends and hashtags – and those who fail to play along are seen as outcasts.

Just because you fail to adhere to society’s method of doing things, however, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re incapable of being understood.

Sure, people might not personally relate to all the specific things you find interesting – or choose to engage in – but who said they’re supposed to?

When people are dubbed “misunderstood,” most of the time, this translates to them deviating from the norm.

You know, they’ll be the ones listening to indie music, watching independent films – generally being, you know, independent people.

When people choose to be independent and follow their own instincts, it shows a confidence in themselves. It shows a security within themselves.

When people choose to express themselves truly – and this deviates from society’s construct for how they should be expressing themselves – the easy thing to do is view them as deviants and plead ignorance – call them misunderstood.

But, like I said, “misunderstood” is subjective to who is doing the understanding, so to speak. Just because one chooses not to sway with whatever the masses are preoccupied with doesn’t mean he or she is at all conflicted.

In fact, here’s why being “misunderstood” can be the best thing that’s ever happened to you.

You appeal to a wider variety of people.

You never truly fit into one, clear-cut group of people. You weren’t athletic enough to be a jock, and you never enjoyed drinking beer enough to pledge a fraternity.

You have always sort of drifted in and out of different groups of people, depending on what inspired you on a given morning. This allowed you to meet a large network of people.

You never really wanted to settle in with just one group of friends; you always viewed that as limiting.

At the same time, you were never lonely, given your ability to interact and share interests with a broader variety of individuals.

Sure, it might be difficult for you to identify with one specific “clique” in particular; you realize different aspects of your being will appeal to different groups of people – and that’s always been fine with you.

---

People won’t be as likely to take advantage of you.

Throughout your life, people have always mentioned you’re “hard to read.” While you’re not entirely sure what this even means, you’re not necessarily complaining either because it’s prevented others from taking advantage of you.

You never wanted to be easy to read, especially in business situations. When people can gauge your behavior –  and presuppose how you’d react to certain outcomes – they can gain leverage on you.

For this reason, you really don’t care to explain yourself all that much to others – regardless of how “misunderstood” you may appear to the general public.

At the end of the day, as long as you’re at peace with who you are, you don’t really worry too much about what others might think.

---

You’re never worried to be yourself.

The best part about seeming “misunderstood” is that – in most cases – you’ll understand yourself perfectly fine.

Sure, you may appear avant-garde to the majority of your peers; it’s also not done by any great accident. You’re simply being yourself.

Humans are weird by nature. I’ve always believed the ones who appear the most normal are also the ones hiding the most.

Being “weird” doesn’t always convert to being “misunderstood.” In reality, it usually coincides with being the most transparent – the most raw.

And for this reason, you never find yourself trying to be someone you’re not.

Certain trends can strike the fancy of an entire nation, yet, if they don’t appeal to you, it’s all for naught in your eyes.

You’re comfortable with who you are. You could give a f*ck what anyone else is doing (or saying for that matter).

That’s true freedom.

---

You filter out close-minded people.

You know you’re not misunderstood. You know you might be a bit different – a bit difficult, at times – but you also realize at any given moment, your intentions could be easily distinguished. By the right people, that is.

To that end, you know those people who “understand” you (without having to label you as some societal derelict) are the ones you should be spending your time around.

It’s great being labeled as “misunderstood” to most because it acts as a filter for close-minded people.

Still, most people who call others “misunderstood” do so without having tried to understand them first.

The entire state of “misunderstanding” is a temporary one, one that can be solved with just a slight amount of effort.

After all, if the people around you don’t care to take the effort in understanding you – well, then why would you even care to be understood by them?"

My Scientific Investigations Begin (or rather continue, only now they will be fully documented in hopes of garnering some useful information that will benefit to our quality of life and the understanding of it)

I will be working on videos/documentations of my research/investigation and an accumulation of all of my evidence based findings.

They will feature full, thorough and descriptive analysis of my work and the evidence surrounding it.

Videos will mainly be composed of sound/voice recordings of me documenting my research and giving a narration of the process and the results of it. Also featured will be photographs and diagrams.

Avoid The Unnecessary

And be conservative.

Dish-washing soap: A little goes a long way, add a drop of dish washing soap to a small tub of water and use that as a source of soap, you will be amazed at how much just one bottle can last you if you're conservative about it. It's unnecessary to waste more than a few drops of soap every time you wash the dishes.

Same goes for the water; there's no need to have the sink running the whole time while you're washing dishes. Quickly rinse off dishes with water, turn the faucet off, scrub them down, and then wash them off. A heavy stream of water is unnecessary as well; you don't need to use a lot of water or soap. Main idea is to subtly lather the dishes with some soap and clean the food/junk off. You don't need dishes covered in soap suds that take a lot of water to wash off.

People tend to use more than necessary, it's usually because when there's an abundance of something available, they don't really think twice about using too much since there's enough to be wasted anyway. But in reality, there's not, and it's that kind of careless thinking and attitude that leads to a lot of the wastefulness of our planets' resources. People won't be cautious with the usage of something, until the availability of that one thing is truly limited; until the last drops of water have been distributed, will we try to conserve it and every drink and bath will be valued and appreciated more. Just like the simple warmth of a blanket is appreciated, after you've been stranded out in the cold with nothing to keep warm. Sometimes we need to lose something, to realize and appreciate what we have...

Paper: People use paper, when there's plenty of less wasteful and cost efficient alternatives. For example, excessive use of paper towels, when you can just use a cloth that can be washed and re-used. Diapers as well; they are costly and can be wasteful, when you can just use cloth diapers. Main idea is recycle and re-use, don't waste.

Pretty much any household item and just resources in general can be conserved more and replaced with less wasteful alternatives.

Please be considerate and remember to recycle and re-use.

Organizing Your Life

The key to reaching your goals and staying productive is: organization. I have been struggling with that concept for quite some time and have devised different methods of dealing with it and avoiding a wasteful lifestyle. I would go through a whole day without feeling necessarily accomplished, sure I'm grateful even just for being alive, but I felt dissapointed because I'm not doing much with that advantage. So instead of moping around and feeling depressed about it, I put that energy into turning things around. I started to take action and make a schedule to promote discipline and consistency. You have to be a little strict with yourself sometimes, in order to reach a certain goal. You need to truly implement essential qualities into your lifestyle; this includes organization, discipline, and consistency. I realized that in order to maintain those qualities, I had to put in a lot of effort. Thankfully, pretty much all of those qualities are naturally ingrained in me so I just have to make sure to emphasize on them. I found out I had more potential than I had assumed, due to my stagnant life. The problem was truly putting those qualities into action and bringing out my true potential. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't as tough of a challenge as most would assume. Sometimes we have the abilities in us, but we don't carry out the actions necessary. With so many distractions and excuses, it's easy to get side-tracked and procrastinate. I began bu making a list of goals I want to accomplish within a certain time frame, for example "Goals for the year of 2015." I then analyzed each one to see which ones are actually possible to accomplish right now and I made a separate little list and divided the goals into a different month. So, for example, "Finish my short story by the end of this month." You really have to prioritize what's truly important to you, especially if you're schedule is already filled with a lot of different responsibilities. I even made smaller goals like "baking a cake, making a song cover, practicing the piano, drawing a picture.." And to avoid the time consuming issue of indecisiveness, I cut them into small papers, wrapped them up, and put them all in a container to shake up and pull a couple out each day. It really helps you get stuff done and accomplishment is such a good feeling. You feel like you're actually moving; you're making good use of your time and not just wasting it away. You have a roadmap, a plan, you know what you want and where you're going.

Here is the guide to creating your own roadmap:

Write down what you would like your day to look like tomorrow. Think about your desires, your goals, your abilities.

Date:

Today's goals/objectives:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

Gameplan:


Example:

7-23-2015

-Plant some lavender ___
-Organize my desk area ___
-Prepare a homemade meal ___
-Finish reading my book ___
-Work on my story ___
-Play with the kids ___
-Practice the piano ___
-Draw a picture ___
-Engage in physical activity ___

Gameplan: (Remember to be time efficient, time is valuable)
-7:00am: Wake up/Have breakfast
-7:30am: Read some of my book (a couple chapters)
-8:00am: Go out (avoid harsh sunlight hours between 10am-4pm) and work in my garden
-9:00am: Play with the kids/have a snack
-10:00am: Take a shower/bubble bath
-11:00am: Work on my story
-12:00pm: Prepare lunch
-1:00pm: Clean up/get chores done
-2:00pm: Practice the piano
-3:00pm: Draw a picture
-4:00pm: Have a snack/watch an educational film
-5:00pm: Listen to music/finish working on story
-6:00pm: Prepare dinner (homemade meal)
-7:00pm: Do some exercises
-8:00pm: Relax/finish reading book
-9:00pm: Unwind/get ready for bed
-10:00pm: Listen to some low music on headphones (classical, instrumental)
-11:00pm: Sleep time
  

*Five ideas to promote productivity every day:
1. Create something
2. Plant something
3. Organize something
4. Finish something (a book, a drawing, a story, etc.)
5. Do a good deed (help someone, fix something, etc.)

And don't forget to put some time to the side for your hobbies! Balance is important.

Recipes With Purpose: Anti-Anxiety Recipes

~Daimy's Southern Tuna Salad~

Omega-3 fatty acids have been known to help calm the effects of anxiety and depression, to name a few benefits. This explains it more in depth: http://www.anxietyguru.net/anxiety-food-fish-oil/

Now on to the recipe!

Ingredients:
-2 cans/packages of tuna in oil
-1 spoonful of low-fat mayonaise
-1 cup of diced tomatoes
-1 cup of diced onions
-1 cup of diced jalapenos

Instructions:
Mix the diced tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos with the tuna in a medium sized bowl. Then add a spoonful of the low-fat mayonaise and mix until all the ingredients are combined. Enjoy with tostadas, tortilla chips, or make a tuna salad sandwich with (preferably) wheat bread.

This makes a great afternoon snack!

The New Thync App "A High Tech High"

With all of these recent advances in technology, it's quite amazing how many new gadgets and devices are being created. While some make me question the intentions, others can be genuinely useful.

There's a new app out on the market called "Thync" and it allegedly sends you good vibes with just the simple click of a button. It can instantly lift your mood and make you calm, or even energized, depending on what vibes you choose for it to send out.

You can check it out for yourself at: http://www.thync.com/

We all need some good vibes sometimes.

Increasing Serotonin Naturally

Do you struggle with anxiety? Low levels of serotonin may be your problem. Lack of serotonin is usually at the root of your anxiety and increasing those levels can definitely help reduce it. Certain situations can cause anxiety, serotonin can help you get it under control and even avoid it. Majority of population struggles with anxiety and should be aware of this.

In case you're unfamiliar with the specific functions of serotonin, here's a quick summary.
Serotonin is a chemical the brain releases that derives from an amino acid named: tryptophan. Tryptophan is one of the 10 essential amino acids. It is essential for maintaining your sleep pattern and making sure you have adequate levels of serotonin. It's also needed for general growth and development and producing niacin. A small amount of the tryptophan we get in our diet (about 3%) is converted into niacin (vitamin B3) by the liver. This conversion can help prevent the symptoms associated with niacin deficiency when dietary intake of this vitamin is low. Tryptophan has many benefits; it works as a safe and effective food remedy for insomnia and emotional problems. It's essential for blood clotting and digestive juices. It prevents early aging, with regards to its effects on the eyes, hair, and teeth. However, it's important to note that it is inefficiently utilized in the body, and a large amount of tryptophan is excreted in urine. Serotonin can affect many important aspects like your mood, appetite, sleep, and digestion. It's the precursor for melatonin, which is a sleep-inducing hormone secreted by the pineal gland in response to darkness or low light levels. In recent years, melatonin has gained the reputation as the natural answer to insomnia. Yet the fact that melatonin is made in the pineal gland from serotonin is frequently overlooked. Thus supplemental tryptophan, which is the precursor for serotonin, may induce one’s pineal gland to naturally increase its melatonin production so you can avoid taking supplements or medication. Also, important sleep regulating nerve circuits in the brainstem (the raphe nuclei) use serotonin as their neurotransmitter, so it is unreasonable to expect melatonin alone to provide optimal insomnia relief. A direct approach would be the consumption of warm milk before bed, which seems to be a theory for promoting sleep. However, it's actually a scientifically proven truth. Consuming dairy products before bed can improve your sleep.

Lack of serotonin can contribute to a variety of negative things, such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, weight gain or unexplained weight loss, slow growth in children, poor dream recall, insomnia, and poor anger management. Therefore, it's best to keep your serotonin levels regulated. Medication is not always necessary, there are natural ways to go about increasing your serotonin levels. Exercise, exposure to sunlight, and eating certain foods are ways to help increase your body's production of serotonin.

Exercise increases the amount of tryptophan in your brain and the more tryptophan you have, the more serotonin that will be produced. It can also increase the release of other beneficial chemicals in your brain such as: dopamine (which also contributes to improving your mood). So physical activity is definitely a benefit in many ways and something you should include in your daily routine anyway. Something else that has been found to increase levels of serotonin and dopamine in the body is: massage therapy. And it's a stress reliever as well.

The sun is a natural source of vitamin D and can also contribute to the release of serotonin in your brain. So you should be getting your daily dose of sunlight every day, but remember to protect your skin from UV rays which can cause damage.

If your serotonin levels are low, you should be consuming a lot of foods high in tryptophan. You would expect that eating foods high in serotonin would induce serotonin in your body, but that is a mistake many people make. Serotonin is unable to travel from the bloodstream to the brain, unlike tryptophan. Tryptophan is strictly the precursor and you need to fuel your body with it before attempting to increase your serotonin. It's a natural constituent of most protein-based foods. So foods like: bananas, nuts, seeds, tofu, eggs, dark chocolate, and lentils would be key in consuming. And they are generally healthy foods that have other positive effects as well. To help absorption of tryptophan, it is important to consume vitamin B6 and vitamin C (1,000 mg of vitamin C and 100 mg of B6 are required for each 2,000 mg of tryptophan). The ideal diet for mood-boosting is to combine complex carbohydrates and protein, and to spread your meals throughout the day.

Here is a more concentrated list of foods particularly plentiful in tryptophan:

-Oats
-Bananas
-Durians
-Mangoes
-Dried dates
-Nuts
-Seeds (specifically sunflower and pumpkin)
-Sesame
-Chickpeas
-Peanut butter
-Dark chocolate
-Tofu
-Eggs
-Fish
-Hummus
-Lentils
-Milk
-Yogurt
-Cottage cheese
-Whole grains
-Beans
-Rice (preferably whole grain)

Foods especially high in tryptophan:

-Dairy products
-Nuts
-Seeds
-Bananas
-Soy products
-Tuna
-Shellfish

Add some of these on your grocery list!

There's also natural supplements you can take as an alternative. Supplements like St. John's Wort (derived from a natural herb) and L-tryptophan can aid in low serotonin levels; both are available without a prescription. However, be cautious before taking several supplements at once, especially if you're also taking medication. Make sure to consult your doctor beforehand, to avoid any problems. And remember, balance and regulation are important; any excessive intake of a supplement may result in serotonin syndrome. If you are considering taking supplements of tryptophan, you should ensure that you continue to include a good supply of high quality protein foods in your diet as well.

Now for foods that may trigger anxiety/depression (suppress the production of serotonin):

Caffeine has been shown to inhibit levels of serotonin in the brain, which can contribute to depression and irritability. Caffeine is also a diuretic, which means it causes more frequent urination, and even mild dehydration can lead to depression. Caffeine can also contribute to insomnia, which overall leads to stress and anxiety. Getting a good night's sleep is essential for a positive mood.
Sugary foods are something else you might want to limit your intake on. Sugar is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, which causes an initial high or surge of energy. However, the effect wears off quickly as the body increases its insulin production to remove the sugar from your bloodstream. And then you're just left feeling tired and low.

Alcohol can give the illusion of reducing your stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, the good mood is only temporary. In the long run, alcohol is a depressant. Like caffeine, alcohol is a diuretic, and it's important to stay hydrated for a number of reasons, including mood. If you do drink, remember to drink in moderation. A small glass of wine a day can actually prove to be healthy for you.

It has been scientifically proven that people who mainly consume fried, processed, artificial, and high-fat foods have a 58 percent higher risk of depression than those who consume "whole" foods such as fish and vegetables. Leave the fast food for special ocassions, don't make it a part of your daily diet; that's where the problems come in.

So if you're looking to boost your serotonin levels and improve your mind, body, and mood, then this guide should definitely be useful for you.

Later I will be featuring a segment called: Recipes With Purpose, which focuses on recipes that target specific needs like helping get rid of anxiety and depression naturally.

References:

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/focus-tryptophan

http://www.livestrong.com/article/99858-benefits-sunlight/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/96493-exercise-brain-neurotransmitters/

http://www.massagetherapy.com/learnmore/benefits.php

Smart Living: Frugal Lifestyle

Featured from The Smart Cookie (an online community I created dedicated to living life smart):

Here at The Smart Cookie, I take on the challenge of doing the research for you and saving you the time. I distribute all the important, effective methods, facts, and information you should generally know about if you want to live life to the fullest.

With hundreds and thousands of books on frugal living out there, I have saved you the time and effort of having to read through each one and maybe spend more time attaining knowledge than you would like to. A lot of websites and books aren't purely factual and the steps and advice can be pretty dragged out. 

These are pretty basic steps you probably see mentioned on a lot of different websites/blogs dedicated to frugal living. However, I have gathered a specific list of the most important and beneficial methods out there, through throrough research and study. These are tested methods that have been proven to work if you follow the steps correctly; you can be on your way to an overall better life, in every aspect

Points of Importance:
-Becoming and staying debt free
-Saving as much money as you can (resisting temptation/making smart choices) "It's not what you make, it's what you save."
-The world revolves around money, it's at the core of almost everything we do, therefore it's very important to be financially educated and know how to manage and save your money.
-Since we're targeting the topic of preservation, it's important to note how you should be preservative in every aspect of your life, which is why here at The Smart Cookie, we pride ourselves in giving only factual useful information in straight-to the point posts. We value our time as well as your's and believe you shouldn't waste any more time on something than what is necessary. So my goal is to deliver to you the most effective methods in an efficient manner. Sometimes the time we put in isn't worth what we get out of something, I want my blog posts to be worth your time and waste as little of it as possible. So after making that clear, I want to get straight to the point of financial fitness.
This can work as a guide for you, with specific steps and important points.

FINANCIAL FITNESS-

-Budget your money (use The Budget Calculator here at TSC, created by me). It helps you map out what you're spending and how you can spend less and save more.
-Allow yourself flexibility, being tight on money all the time would be inconvenient for an emergency. So always plan to put off some extra spending money on the side. Even just $100 here and there, it adds up.
-Make smart choices when it comes to purchases. You may be spending more than necessary. Maybe you need to shop at a new grocery store, or start using all those coupons that are overflowing in the drawer of your desk. There's always ways to save money and overall be more resourceful, so be attentive to them.
-Are you holding yourself back from a higher potential? Ask yourself, can you do better? Are you working at a job that isn't really worth the pay? If you answer yes or are doubtful, then most likely you can find a job that offers more.
-If you get to the end of the month with extra money, then consider yourself successful. That is what we're striving after.
-Debt causes stress and stress can lead to depression. You want to avoid all of that as much as possible. (Verified tips on how to avoid debt)
-Sometimes we take on more than we can handle or more than we need, simply because we have the money or rather think that we do. Treat your money as a limited amount always, that is key. It doesn't matter if you made $100 extra this month, maintain your same budget, stay consistent with it.
-Rule 72, it's a very important and beneficial concept to learn that many people surprisingly don't know about. Be well informed, stay on top of the latest information and knowledge. If you implement Rule 72, you can double up your money in a short amount of time.
-Organize your life. Inside your head, it may be a cluttered mess; all these worries and concerns may be causing you unecessary stress and problems. Prioritize everything, write it down, analyze it.
-Buy a planner and/or a calendar. Something that you can see every day and serve as a reminder to keep on top of the important stuff.
-Being resourceful helps you become financially fit, so I will be promoting resourcefulness as well. It's both a benefit to yourself and the planet. Don't be wasteful, maybe you're wasteful without noticing, this is why you must organize your life and analyze what you're doing and what you should be doing. Resourceful tips to stay on top of: Turn your bottles and cans into money by taking them to the recycling center yourself, a little extra spending money doesn't hurt. Use cloth instead of paper. People waste so much paper in different ways and for different purposes. A lot of the times, a cloth can be used as an alternative. So stop spending unecessary money on paper towels and baby wipes. Those are just a few ways to be more resourceful.
-Making custom/DIY stuff with material you might already have lying around anyway. I will feature how to make your own furniture/miscellaneous items and how to be more resourceful with food and meals.    
-Turn house clutter into money, set up an online shop or take your unwanted stufff to a consignment shop. You can also scout out cheap things, even free things, to sell at higher prices and make a profit. This could be a little side job for extra money.
-Paying taxes is something we all need to do and is generally dreaded. Being prepared for it helps the process go much quicker and avoid excessive stress. Check out Income Tax Records which can help you keep your tax documents organized all year long. Being proactive prevents a lot of unecessary things.
-Contribute to your goals. Most goals require some kind of money to fulfill. Separate your savings into a personal donation pool for yourself, you deserve it. As long as your goals are't too extreme, then putting aside a little bit of money for them each month shouldn't be an issue. However, necessities do come before hobbies. You must learn to balance both.

Note: I will be targeting each of these points specifically in separate posts. 

Stop Holding Yourself Back

I've realized after all of these years of procrastinating and holding myself back from my fullest potential that it's all in the power of your ~mind~. You must remove that mental block that stops you from fulfilling important goals in your life. It's those messages your brain sends you that cause you to stop and procrastinate and get distracted and lose hope. Every time you get an idea for something and want to put it into action, all of these excuses/worries/doubts stop you and you turn right back around. So you just keep on perpetually living in fantasy and never actually turning anything into a reality. You never get started because as soon as you start walking down a path of potential, you fearfully turn back around or perhaps too many things take your attention away and you need to be more self-disciplined.

So take charge today! And unleash your full potential.

Foods That Boost Brainpower

If you're going to eat a cookie, then you should be a smart cookie about it! ;) So instead of buying those ever so tempting oreos at the supermarket, maybe opt for something more healthy and benefitting like wheat thins. Sure, the kids may throw a fit and your sweet tooth may be tempting you, but wheat thins would overall be the better choice (health-wise). Maybe you can still buy a small pack of oreos though. ;) And you can even get creative with the wheat thins (since they are a bit bland) and top them with different ingredients. Whole grains promote a healthier brain; they can boost brainpower and improve memory and cognition abilities. So if you've been forgetful lately or have seemed to have gotten clumsy with your driving, then perhaps a good source of whole grains is what your brain needs. It will definitely be a benefit.

As we know, the brain cannot function properly without energy (like everything in your body), so a healthy diet and sleeping schedule go hand in hand with brain health. Therefore, it's not just about your diet, but it's about your lifestyle as well. The mere ability to concentrate and focus comes from an adequate steady supply of energy, so consistency in both a healthy lifestyle and diet is key. Our body supplies this energy by transporting glucose in the blood to the brain. This is why people take the not so healthy alternative of sugary energy drinks to give them a boost. It's definitely not the best way to fuel your body with energy. And your body deserves the best.

So think 'brown' cereals like All-Bran, wheatbran in general, granary bread and brown pasta.

Consuming whole grains (preferably with a low-GI) is healthier and has a longer lasting effect of energy in the brain. Eating wheat thins over oreos may not be as appealing to your sweet tooth, but you can guarantee it has better benefits. This is because it releases glucose slowly into the bloodstream, keeping you mentally alert throughout the day, instead of a crash and burn effect.

The Importance of Copyrighting

You should always protect your work, first and foremost. The internet is a tricky place and people can be deceiving. So be smart and copyright your work before sharing it with anyone, especially on the internet.

If you're planning on getting traditionally published, you should know that publishing companies stray far away from work that has previously been published online or distributed in any way especially without it being copyrighted. Even if you're just sharing with friends on Facebook, copyrighting would be a smart precaution to take. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Check out these websites that can aid you with copyrighting:
- copyright.gov (main/official site for copyrighting)
- rightsofwriters.com
- copyrighted.com
- writing-world.com (great advice for understanding how copyrighting works and your legal rights as a writer)
- own-it.org (great and safe alternative for copyrighting your work)
- clickandcopyright.com (resources to aid you in copyrighting)

Self Publishing VS. Traditional Publishing

So I know many writers contemplate this decision. It's hard to change a route once you've already gone far enough down another, so it is a big decision to make. For example, let's say you choose traditional self publishing and later on decide it's too limiting/restricting and want the freedom of self publishing, well going from route A to route B isn't an easy task. Your fan base, they're used to seeing your work out in stores and they're aware that your books are published by a certain company. Switching to self publishing would be a lot of work, having to alert and revert your fan base elsewhere is not such an easy task. And you can't be both at once, if your work belongs to a certain company and you signed a contract, self-publishing would be against your publisher's permissions.

You must know that publishers are strictly interested in first rights. If you've already had your work published, whether it's as an ebook, on a website for free, self-published in print, vanity published, or traditionally published with someone else, they are more than likely not interested.

Many people have their information wrong, usually because of lack of research. They e-publish in the hopes of finding a traditional publisher. They think it's a good way to start off and promote their work, but the truth is it may just chase any potentially interested publishers away. So basically, unless they've actually sold hundreds and thousands of copies, then no, never.

So if you've self-published as an ebook and sold the typical 50 copies to friends, family, and maybe a few strangers here and there then you can pretty much guarantee that they will turn away. You've actually proven that your book doesn't grab the attention of much people and probably wouldn't be a successful book. Or maybe you've just proven your bad skills at promoting and how you're horrible at self-publishing. But it could be the first one, either way, so just be aware.

The benefits (and disadvantages) of self publishing:

*You get free control over when you write and what you write.
*No deadlines (although they could be a good thing because they promote discipline and quickness)
*You're your own boss (although it may not be such a great advantage since you may not be very well informed or familiar with the field of publishing/promoting and just overall creating quality content that will attract readers and a fan base).
*You keep all your earnings to yourself (minus editting and publishing fees).
*You keep full ownership over your work.
*Overall you certainly have more freedom, but you may not be very successful (self-publishing is mainly for people just looking to simply put their work out there and are fine with just selling a few copies here and there for extra income).

The benefits (and disadvantages) of traditional publishing:

*You have more of a chance of hitting it big and becoming a best-seller (due to more outlets of distribution like having your books sold both online and at stores).
*Great milestone for writers (regarding the fact it's not easy to get traditionally published).
*More discipline and structure (you will have set deadlines and expectations).
*If you become a best-seller you can make good money and potentially get rich off of a writing career (although if this is a main priority for you then maybe you're writing for the wrong reasons).
*More recognition and a better chance at building a stable fan base (but with it comes a lot of dedication like attending events to promote your latest book and more).

Bottom line is: Anyone with money can self-publish, but writers who get traditionally published are generally viewed as a little higher up on the totem pole because not just anyone can get published. This is not devaluing the work of people who self-publish; there's many great successful and talented authors out there that self-publish. I was just referring to society standards which unfortuantely do play a big role in how people are viewed/regarded.

A good reference site if you're interested and want to look into self-publishing: http://www.go-publish-yourself.com/

So you want to be a children's book author?

Do you ever get nostalgic reading children's books and realize that maybe a great way to keep your youth alive is by writing some children's books of your own? Ignite your imagination again and delve into a world of wonder and magic with stories that you create and, in a way, live through so you can revive your childhood. Me, being passionate about writing and all, this seems to be a wonderful fantasy and would definitely be a dream come true. But you can make it come true, it's up to you. You just have to take proper action in achieving your dreams and goals and here is a great guide for those who share this same dream.

Getting published: The basics-

*Advice on how to prepare a manuscript (yes and no-no’s).
*Check out the current edition of the Children’s Writers and Illustrator’a Market (best go-to resource) which is published by Writers Digest (prestigious and popular magazine). It has a list of various available markets for children's writers.
*How to write a query letter, manuscript formatting, agents and other helpful tools to help get you on the right path to being published.
*The importance of originality. Although, for some it seems like they can get away with some super generic story and somehow get published right away, but what makes your manuscript stand out the most is obviously a truly unique idea/story.

Research each company/publisher thoroughly so you can make the best decision. Decide which one would suit your book the best, browse through a list of their published authors so you can get an idea of what they're after.

Read the requirements carefully before sending in your work; you don't want to start off on a bad foot. Make a good first impression; show that you are responsible, professional, and organized (all important crucial qualities). Some publishing companies may want an entire manuscript while others just want a query letter. Make sure they accept solicited manuscripts. Pay attention to the guidelines, they're your ticket to getting in the front door.

Avoid fancy fonts and unusual formatting. Manuscripts should be typed in a plain font, double-spaced on standard letter size white paper, and sent to a specific editor or The Editorial Department of the publishing company you're submitting to. The guidelines/steps are usually pretty basic and simple.

Research and read, a lot. Have to place emphasis on this. The best advice out there, quite surprisingly, is quite simple actually. Doing your research and reading are two important activities to involve yourself with.

A great way to get started/involved is by joining The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Even if you don't join, find out if any SCBWI conferences or seminars are being held in your area. By attending those events, you will learn about the issues facing children's book publishers and other information that could aid/benefit you. You could even make contacts that may lead to a contract. So there's a lot of possibility here.

Rejection is something you should get used to/expect. The least you expect, the less dissapointed you'll be. Reality is that the majority of children's books published each year are written by previously published authors. However, don't let this discourage you, once in a while they do specifically scout out new writers to freshen the market. Like previously mentioned, doing your research is key, stay on top of what's going on in the publishing world. The best times to send in your work is when the market is booming and they are specifically looking for new authors to add some variety.

Learn from the rejection letters you receive, it's constructive criticism that can help you improve and overall raise your chances of getting published for next time. If you get a lot of form letters, perhaps you weren't targeted enough in your choice of publishers. If you receive a more personalized rejection letter, take the comments a bit more seriously. When they actually take the time to send you a response like this, you should truly consider what they say. Never be ashamed or afraid to stand up in the face of rejection and better yourself so you can eventually succeed and have publishers looking to contract you (yes I meant to make 'publishers' plural). 

Remember this: If you possess both talent and perseverance, you'll find a way to succeed.
   
Important key qualities: Consistency, perseverance, and even a little persistence. My father always used to tell me "The squeaky wheel gets the oil!" And it's true, if you want to succeed, you need to be a little persistent and determined.

Now, for the illustration bit: If you are strictly a writer and not looking to write and illustrate your own books, that's totally fine. You don't need to worry about the illustrating aspect of your book so much, especially before even getting contracted. Focus on your writing and the manuscript/query letter you will send in. The publisher, if interested, will take care of the rest. Usually, when you take the route of traditional publishing, you don't have as much freedom as when you're self-publishing; your publisher basically takes charge of your stories and decides on an illustrator and sometimes even the title. During the editting process, they can request you to change a certain part of the story or remove it altogether. This may be a reason why you would want to consider self-publishing as an alternative. Research both and decide which would suit you best.

Here's the thing society doesn't tell you/want you to know; you don't need school for this. School can benefit some people sure, but it is not a set requirement for getting published.

Remember to never give up after just one submission; succeeding takes time and perseverance. Rome wasn't built in a day and you certaintly won't become a published author overnight.
With many possibilities open, you just need to find the right ways to go about reaching your goals. Set realistic goals, but don't be afraid to dream and be a little ambitious.

Good sites for reference:

- publishingcentral.com -a lot of valuable information on here, including advice and guides on how to get published and just about everything you need to know to get on the right path to becoming an author.

- the-best-childrens-books.org -it may help to see different successful authors and their books so you can have some sort of idea of what publishers generally look for.

- childrensbooks.com -all about children's books and publishing; great reference site.

- http://publishersarchive.com/childrens-book-publishers.php -compiled/organized list of publishers specifically for children's books; great for reference when deciding who to send your work to.

Live Better

It feels so good to write goals down, you feel more organized; you can create a gameplan, a roadmap.

Bring organization and consistency into your life and it will improve.

Too much time is wasted, start making better use of your time. Fulfill your goals and live with no regrets.

Prioritize and eliminate unimportant things from your life.

Are You A Smart Cookie?

The Smart Cookie

"You are what you eat." ;)

Gathering the best life advice, DIY's, and more from around the worldwide web. Also featuring orignal material, because we are creative cookies too.

Segments:

Food-

*Organic Food
*Food Healing
*Unlock your healthiest potential
*The Ideal Diet
*Eating the best foods
*Food knowledge
*The Diabetic Diet
*Healthy Sweets
*Dark chocolate chip cookies (dark chocolate is healthier)
*Brain power foods (if you make a smart food choice, you're a smart cookie)


Resourceful Living-

*Tips to save money
*Cost-efficient alternatives
*DIY's
*Worthy Reads (feat. books that give life changing advice)
*Daily Routines (organized living)
*Excercise and laughter (make you live longer)
*What to do? (when you're caught in a pickle)- helping deal with difficult situations
*How to make a difference for the better
*Gardening
*Living longer
*Save money/Financial fitness
*How to make the most of what you have
*Promoting imagination/creativity

Pets-

The Smart Cookie

Are you a smart cookie?

Here at: The Smart Cookie

We mainly promote frugal living and organic food.

We want you to live life to the fullest

And make the smartest choices when it comes to food.

Now that would be one smart cookie!

*Intro to website

This frustrates me...

People that say reality is stupid and usually hate talking about it are people too busy living in fantasy. It's also the same people that spend a lot of time sitting in front of the television feeding into bullshit riddled media and just helping perpetuate a corrupt system in general, whether they're aware of it or not. And the same people that think you have a horrible worldview simply because you're attentive to all of the overwhelming negative realities of the world that they choose not to contend with so they can come off as being more optimistic and continue living in fantasy. Truth is truth, opinion doesn't make anything a fact; perceive things as they should be, simply put. I don't completely blame them for wanting to remain in their sheltered fantasy worlds, but being aware of reality and the truth of it is one step closer to helping make this world a better place; a place where you would rather live than in a fantasy world so that you don't have to be a contradicting pile of flesh, complaining about how shitty reality is and yet doing all the things that only help support it. Being attentive to reality and actually helping make the world a better place is what I strive to do. Much more productive than wasting away while wasting time doing wasteful shit. Because the ones who would rather just escape are the ones too lazy to even try and make a difference in this world for the better. I may be ambitious and my ideas may be far-fetched to the point where people deem them as 'stupid,' but at least my intentions are good and I fucking try... You kind of have to stretch your ambitions in this world; to rise above the shit takes a lot of ambition and at least I try every day and it is all in pure selflessness. So if being able to put your selfish ways aside is stupid to you and I'm talking to everyone and anyone, then you are a selfish unnapreciative fuck and quite bluntly all I have to say is fuck you because you're one of the reasons why the world is the way it is.

Natural Healing With Foods

For stress and anxiety: Bananas, honey, ginger root, and lemon juice.

For depression: Tuna (omega 3 fatty oil)

For energy: Peanut butter

For high blood pressure (diabetics): Raisins

For constipation/gas: Yogurt (plain organic preferrably)

For preventing kidney stones: Apricots

For nausea: Ginger tea

For headaches: Potatoes

For high cholesterol: Pears

For fatigue: Orange juice

For ulcers: Cabbage

For yeast infection: Garlic

Functioning Properly is Key to Interpreting Properly

Everything you experience is through you, but not just credited to you to come from solely within when all the knowledge we gain is from without. Our bodies are merely machinery to carry out functions and process information. And we must learn to operate it properly.   

Tips For Successful Blogging

What blogs yield the most results? Of course a big factor of that is how well you promote it and the quality of the content. Also how consistent you are with blog posts. But if you are doing everything properly and using the best blogging platforms, you have a pretty good chance of being successful. Blogs are a popular go to source for information on certain things. The best is to have a specific focus so you have more regular visitors, people that are interested in the specific niche and are willing and interesting to read your posts. If you have a blog that consist of a hundred different things and varying topics, sure promoting diversity is great, but people will never really know what to expect and if they want a one stop source for a specific thing, they may look elsewhere for something more direct and stable. For example. let's suppose that you blog about frugal living for a few posts and then go back to blogging about environmental issues, the lack of consistency will have people stray elsewhere for a blog that is specifically aimed towards what they want to read, without having to scroll through irrelevant posts. Organization is very important, categorize your posts, make your blog easier to browse through. You want your visitors to have a good lasting impression about your blog, something that they would reccomend to friends and family. One main thing is finding your unique style, something that makes your blog different than the rest; something that makes it stand out from the others and sparks viewers' interest. Maybe your blog on frugal living is different from all the rest because you take a comedic approach to it and make sure your users are not only getting valuable information, but having a good laugh as well. Be smart, settle on a main niche, stick to your unique style, and promote of course. Once you have a pretty stable blog, you can start promoting; if you want to keep your viewers, you have to stay consistent. Make sure to post daily or at least once a week, depending on the traffic flow your aiming towards. You can promote by telling friends and family about it and asking if they can tell people they know about it that may be interested and so on and so forth. You can also make a Youtube channel dedicated to just that. There's different social networks you can take advantage of for promoting as well.

I will be writing a post that focuses on a step-by-step guide to successful blogging, including popular/successful topics to blog about, what websites to use, how to set-up/organize your blog, what your posts should generally consist of, finding your own unique style, how to attract viewers and promote traffic, how to keep peoples' interest, consistency and reliability, how and where to promote, and more!

Just Accept Reality For What It Is

Sure, we all have our reasons for liking things and doing things. But this doesn't change the independent truths about a certain person, place, or thing.

People's minds and personalities, when their emotions flare up, don't mesh well together. That's why they have fights. It starts off with something that sets off those emotions of anger and frustration. It could be for many different reasons. And then after they have reached a certain level of anger, it's hard to have a rational conversation, and they begin to yell and use swear words. People fight inevitably, of course you can prevent a lot of fights, but people will get on each others nerves and set each other off. We are all humans with emotions.

Negative realistic and positive realistic. You must be attentive to everything. Every side and every part.

The Science of Life

I am about to state the TRUTH about living forever. To live forever, you need Stem Cells. We humans are created with Stem Cells. When we are developing in the womb, stem cells are created and those cells form all the organs in the body. You can call Stem Cells "cell templates." The reason why that is true is because Stem Cells can literally transform into any cell that exists. If we could create trillions of stem cells for every person, we could all become immortal. The reasoning behind this is whenever an organ starts to fail, you create a new organ with stem cells! It would be like changing the faulty parts in a car or any other mechanical device! Think about it, your heart starts to fail and all donated hearts from organ donors are already scheduled to be used by another person. What do you do? If you can create a new heart from Stem Cells, you'll have a healthy new heart! If we could develop a way to mass produce stem cells and technology to use the stem cells for creating new organs and refreshing the brain to make it as if it was 20 years old in order to preserve your memories, you could potentially live forever! Sadly, Christians with their stupid ideas and "morals" have almost completely botched Stem Cell research! This is a reason why I hate Christians so much. Those bastards inhibit VALUABLE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH! Using Stem Cells to live forever is also much better than using robotic parts because you'll still be 100% human. Tell me people, does it pain you to know that arguably one of the most important scientific discoveries, "Stem Cells", isn't being researched that well because some lunatics who believe in a magical man who created the universe don't accept SCIENCE?

More valubale information:

Oxygen is a free radical, not an antioxidant.  It is true we use it for respiration, but it also is still slowly causing damage to cells of the body.

Keep URINE PH around 7.3 and the brain will stay healthy, cheat with BAKING SODA (more info on this in another post).

Two things you mainly want to flush out is carcinogens and cholesterol. For this you need vitamins and minerals as well as a lot of water. The vitamins create essentially hydrogen peroxide for the most part. Hydrogen peroxide is just water with a free oxygen atom attached; the oxygen will bond to and sequester carbon and  unwanted atoms or molecules. Minerals act as catalysts and neural gates. Additionally nano minerals bond to and sequester excess cholesterol. You can buy nano dirt capsules from Germany or get a concentrated soluble ion solution at a health shop.

To clarify, everything should be a balance; this is ultimately the key of life. Having more potassium than sodium can lead to problems too. There shouldn't be more of this and that. Everything should be what the body tells it it should be.

My 5-points proven system

Start off the day the healthy way~
*Ways to energize yourself naturally

*We're going to be talking about natural cures for anxiety/depression, things that a high percentage of people deal with every day.

*Spirituality

*Mental health

Offer to people with pitch: "So do you ever wake up feeling low on energy? Are tired of drinking sugar packed energy drinks and feeling tired all the time. You don't want that crash and burn effect of coffee. You want something natural and proven to be effective. You need a system, a special diet that consists of foods that will not only boost your energy naturally, but have you feeling better overall. Well, I am here to help you with just that. With the most effective, proven method. I have researched this for years and have found the most effective ways to go about this naturally. Natural is better and your body deserves the best.

*Also talk about the diabetic diet, a special diet specifically aimed towards diabetics to improve their lifestyle as best as possible and help combat their disease. My father is a diabetic and I originally came up with this for him, but I would like to share this with the world so others can benefit from it as well.

These informational posts consist of years of research and study. Only contain factual evidence and proven to be effective methods.

At least some people are aware of the bullshit...

Quoted from a friend's status:

"Dear Yahoo! news (and I use that term as loosely as possible), according to you, there are only two races of people that exist in the world; white and black. And any other group is talked about through the catalysis of these two groups. One trick pony, I get it. People keep coming to your pony show EACH AND EVERY time.... I get it. It's multi-mass media, it's advertising, propaganda.. It's all for convenience, attention, and money. But if possible, how about A. stop treating celebrity news as if it's actual beneficial news. It's not. B. get some fucking diversity. I'm tired of whites, I'm tired of blacks. Seriously.

Sincerely, someone sick and tired of seeing who Miley Cyrus' bony ass is kissing. When there's way more important shit to be concerned with."

-Ashlyn Forge

Comments:

"I just wish they would report the facts and not tell me how I'm supposed to feel about it."

"And I agree, I could care less who Miley Cyrus is playing tonsil hockey with. I've got far better things to spend my time reading and informing myself on."

"And Google is not much different, same shit different place. It's all about gossip; it's pretty much the same formula. Whiny white parent trying to tell you how their life is awful. Black person guilty of murder. All this hyped up bullshit. And shuffle that shit right around. On top of it? Blow by fucking blow about each and every celeb that I could care less about. Half the names I no longer even know and are wasting memory, melting brains. Bored... Bored and annoyed."

Happiness Comes From Inside

If you can't find happiness within yourself then you won't find it anywhere else.

Can we unite in truth?

People interpret things the way they want rather than the way they should be, solely on facts. This creates unnecessary bias and opinions. And people seem to think that their opinions are just as good as knowledge which promotes ignorance. This world lacks organization and it is mainly because people fail to do things properly.

If there is a God, please help us...

Why does there have to be so much conflict and chaos? All this separation and segregation. All these clashing heads. Vast array of religion. Can't people just agree on pure solid facts and unite together as a team? We're all in this together, we're all living in the same world facing similar problems, so why must we bring each other down? We all have the same general objectives, the essentials for life and surviving. We all just want to reap the best rewards out of life and find happiness and success. Why fight over pieces of land like animals? Knocking others down just to bring ourselves up. All this hunger for power and money. All this pollution and overpopulation. Why not learn to co-exist together in peace? People just refuse to do things right; people would rather destroy and fight. It's no surprise that there is more divorce than reconciliation. It's so disappointing that people just can't stay together. And those old couples you see have become some sort of myth. Because people can't do shit properly, people can't really co-exist peacefully.

The Idiot Box

The media is deceiving and it specializes in brainwashing people, forming an ignorant society. Television sucks you in and has you wasting time that people should value more and use more productively. It's a regression. In moderation, it's fine as a hobby, but people spend a large amount of time sitting in front of a television screen doing nothing and getting nowhere. Giving up time of their life that they will never get back just to feed into advertising and bullshit riddled media; glamorized television shows that are hyped up to suck in viewers that would rather waste their time watching people lead fake lives than just living their own and doing something actually worthwhile that will overall benefit them better. Something actually productive, instead of just sitting and consuming.

Time is something we all give but never get back. Be wise with your time.

And be careful with what the media feeds you.

Fuck The System

Regrettably, I was not awake enough to tell my young children about the game that we are all playing, and that their participation is optional. Fortunately, my kids woke up and after years in the traditional school system, they each independently saw through the holes in the system...

Traditional schools, in the U.S and many other countries, are training grounds, intentionally constructed to prepare children for The System. If schools taught our children to be self-sufficient, confident and well-equipped for real life, The System would crash, or at the very least, dissolve naturally over time. So, why don't we tell our children the truth about The System as soon as they are old enough to understand? Instead of teaching children how to get along in a dysfunctional world, why don’t we teach our kids how to create their lives based on their highest values?

-By Contributing Writer Nanice Ellis

"Once a child is programmed for twelve or more years, he or she is well primed to move into the ' real world' with beliefs and behaviors that feed and perpetuate a systematic agenda."

http://wakeup-world.com/2015/04/05/raising-awake-children-in-a-broken-school-system/

If you are someone who is voluntarily attending school, or even involuntarily, this is something worth reading. It's good to be aware of these realities and what the truth is.

School is limiting, you don't need school to justify being educated.

And this is not to say that school is not beneficial at all, but there are many other reputable outlets of education and sources of knowledge that would overall be more efficient and benefiting.

The system is corrupt, find the ways around it and save yourself time and money. And from becoming a society robot, the unfortunate majority.

And now a word from our extraterrestrial observers:

E.T. is like: "Pull the plug!"

Balance is Happiness

Find balance in every aspect of your life; balance is the key to a happy, healthy life.

Conformity is doing what everyone else is doing despite what is right. Morality is doing what is right despite what everyone else is doing.

Peace is the process of processing life the way it is, rather than the way it should be. And becoming united as one with the universe.

Always strive to make a positive impact.

I would like to get a yin-yang tattoo on my mid-back.

Balance and harmony~

Intelligent Intuition

Some things are common knowledge, human instinct and intuition. It's amazing how we seem to adapt and comprehend certain things without being necessarily taught. And some knowledge is just so blatant and redundant that you don't need to be directly educated on it. Certain skills and information are acquired by practice and research, but there's general knowledge that's just there. Energy is an absolute; something that exists on it's own without reliability on something else. Everything seems to trace back to energy as the main source. And it's just there. Some things aren't meant to be scientifically explained, only marveled at the genuine incredibility.

The "meaning" of life and ethics is simple knowledge, albeit complicated to act upon: the maximization of the synthesis of Gibbs free energy into generalized happiness (or the minimization of suffering). All known virtues are aligned towards this purpose. 

A main necessity of life? Connection. Simple (yet not). You are designed for it. We require it as a species. Love is at the core of it. Truth cannot be removed from it. Virtue is born of it. Life without connection is death in the making.
 

 It isn't a stupid question but it does elicit plenty of stupid answers. When selfish people speak about love, it provides the most sordid kind of humor. When enlightened people speak of love, they are seldom understood. there is a paradigm shift that must take place to understand. That shift is to discover that Love is not about getting and that our selfish autonomy keeps us imbalanced and starving for understanding.

Love is wanting the other person to be happy, and that may not always mean by your side. I came to realize that although I would want my loved ones close to me, they would always be with me in my heart and if they would be happier, physically, somewhere else then I wouldn't want to hold them back... Love is sacrifice, however it's also compromise because you don't want to lose each other.

The meaning of life is to find meaning in it yourself; if everything means nothing to you then you are disregarding the things in life that deserve appreciation like just the sole fact that you are alive. This is ignorance, to not find a single purpose to live for when just a single impact on someone's life can make your existence worth something. You need to find the people who will value and appreciate you for everything you are. people who wake up every day grateful to live. This is the kind of positivity that this world lacks, but instead there's so much sadness and destruction and suicide. If I can contribute to world peace and salvation, even just a small percentage, then I will be doing my job as a selfless human being that wants nothing more but to help others and the world around her.

Everything is tied in from my love of the planet, my frustration of how people have let things go downhill and continue to contribute to the destruction; all of my anger was rooted in this. I become stubborn and righteous in conversations about the world and people because I feel so strongly towards the issues we are having. Overpopulation, pollution, just everything; it's all tied in with my dislike of people in general and what they do and how they act and waste their time and resources. It really makes me frustrated and ashamed to be human sometimes. But then I become grateful because I'm alive and I am able to realize these things and have so much strength and compassion because maybe I can impact things positively, maybe I can help the world and people and even if only a small percentage at least it will be something. And that is my goal.