Hey #JustWrite, as you know it has officially been a year since we launched the first meeting in May 2014. We have come so far from that first meeting. Our first guest at our inception was Silee K. Williams, author of The Makings of A Champion: 13 Steps That Will Revolutionize Your Life and the upcoming book, Exceptionalism: You Were Created To Stand Out. Silee was also our recent speaker at last month's brainstorming session. It was only befitting to have Silee featured in this month's blog. Prior to last month's brainstorming session, I had a chance to catch up with Silee and discuss with him his journey as an author, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur. Silee and I initially connected about 5 years ago via a Facebook group he started called NewBirth Connect. We knew each other from church and I had an opportunity to join one of his previous conference call sessions. It had literally been a year since I last saw him so it was great to talk and reunite with Silee.
Silee is the CEO of Silee Williams Enterprises, LLC, a publishing company he started as a way to self-publish his own books, taking ownership for when and what he wanted to publish, and to leverage the business side of self-publishing. This decision has helped him to grow and develop on that level. I shared with Silee that I didn't know anything about self-publishing years ago until I received a new follower on Twitter named Tiphani Montgomery (www.tiphanimontgomery.com) who teaches a class on self-publishing. Silee shared that it was our sister, Lakia Brandenburg (featured in #TheWriteMoment May's blog) who taught him how to self-publish his books. Yay Lakia!! Reach One, Teach One!! From there, Silee and I discussed the conception of his upcoming book, Exceptionalism: You Were Created To Stand Out. Silee stated that the idea for the book came to him after being on the road doing speaking events. Different words would come to him. He was reminded of how each person in the Bible was gifted with uniqueness and how their obedience was needed to progress the plans that God had for them. The book talks about staying in your lane and using your gifts to walk in your purpose. It encourages readers to understand how God created you to stand out and how to capitalize on it. Silee's first book, The Makings of A Champion came forth in an unexpected way. In all transparency, Silee shared he wasn't initally inspired to write. In school, reading and writing were the most difficult subjects for him so the idea of writing a book was far from what he thought. However, Silee knew that he was great at communication, particularly verbal communication. Although, writing was out of his comfort zone, Silee received encouragement from others to write. In 2011, Silee started to put things on paper, which became therapeutic for him. It was then that Silee recognized that the center of his calling was communication and writing was one of the various channels he used to communicate. Silee believes that when people read books, they validate the existence of the author and what God's calling is for that author's life.
His book took a year to conceive, but the process for Silee was not easy. Although Silee had the outline, he kept procrastinating until life events pushed him to write. Silee realized that he had to build his confidence to write. A lot of his personal life was put into his book; he was uncomfortable at first, but as he wrote, he began to learn that the things he struggled with was for someone else; they happened to him, but they didn't define him. He was transparent about a moment in his life that affected him. When he started writing, he realized that the moment pushed him to write the book and deal with those events and forever close the chapter. I shared with Silee that when we write, it's healing for the reader and the author. Sharing a story closes the chapter of the events and moves the person forward. Silee's transparency led me to share with him how my experience with the effects of my parent's divorce (from 11 years old to 19 years old) pushed me to write about it in college as part of an assignment. I was uncomfortable writing about it and didn't want to share even though the professor suggested that I should. I eventually shared years later. Another reminder that everything that happens to us is not for us.
I commended Silee for sharing his transparency on vulnerability with writing the book. He went on to share that "people tend to compare their worst days to other people's best days." At the time of writing his book, he didn't want to present himself as a perfect person. He wanted to show that if God can bless him in his mess, then He can bless them as well. We both agreed on how transparency is needed so other people can be released from their fears and discomfort. Silee stated that "when one writes, it is like having a heart to heart with the reader: one person shares their story intimately, then trust is built. Once the trust is built, it releases the other person to share the story.(This happened between Silee and I during our conversation.) People walk away feeling like they know the author without meeting him or her and taking the advice as legit." When asked about his advice for aspiring writers, Silee offers the following: 1. "the #1 thing is transparency; the more real a person is, the more he or she can create the change one desires. When readers see and apply the results of what the author is writing about, then change has taken place as opposed to reading general information with no authentic examples with just a simple response of, "that was a good book!" 2. Ask yourself the question, "Why am I writing?" "What am I trying to accomplish?" Sometimes we verbally say something, but our actions contradict it. When that happens, go back to the drawing board and ask those questions. 3."Writing a book is tough so be very clear on why you are doing it. Your vision has to be big enough to sustain you through the process. People tend to give up when it's hard so be realistic; don't underestimate the challenges you will face. Work has to be put in; otherwise, you're wasting time and it may not be the vision for you.(Ask those questions)" Remember, write the vision and make it plain.
When I asked Silee what he has learned as a writer, he reiterated that, "writing is an opportunity to affect change and help others. Writing allows me to understand and put life into proper perspectives. He used the process of baking as an analogy. We all know it takes ingredients to bake a cake.
Salt by itself is disgusting. Butter by itself is disgusting. These ingredients represent the situations in our lives that are not comfortable. When we put butter, salt, and other ingredients together, with instructions, we get a delicious cake. When we put all of life's uncomfortable situations and events together, with added directions and purpose, we have the grand prize of a wonderful story, a beautiful outcome of life. That's the beauty of writing. It is for the author and the reader. Silee says that he didn't realize his first book was a grand prize and the seriousness of his gift until doors began to open for him. Writing allowed him to connect with others and connect on different levels. Silee's book made it to Amazon's bestseller's list and in 2014, he received an award for the best book of the year. That moment led Silee to partner with Lakia and began working on his publishing company. Silee became more serious about his craft.
In closing, Silee stated he is "opened to what God brings his way to take him to the next level. He believes that his plans over God's plans would not be at the level of where God is taking him. Sometimes when we place barriers on what we want to do, then we hinder God's plans. Be present in the moment. Silee further stated that, "#JustWrite is a great community of people. It is good to be among a great group of people who hold you accountable. Just like a family that wants you to do well, #JustWrite stresses the importance of feedback and accountability. Why not join them and take the advantage of the information and advice that's being offered? In the word's of Sharon Frame, "Get on the Bus!"
Yes, #JustWrite, the goal is to make an impact, but it is not about numbers; it is about us helping you develop the vision God has given you. My prayer is that those who are engaged in the monthly sessions and blogs know that this is a place of community, wisdom, and growth.
For those of you who missed last month's #JustWrite meeting, check out the following 6 steps Silee gives that explain why goals are pertinent for what you want to achieve:
Jeremiah
29:11
For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of
evil, to give you an expected end.
6 Steps
1.
Goals Propel You Forward
Having a goal written down with a set date for accomplishment gives
you something to plan and work for. A written goal is an external
representation of your inner desires; its a constant reminder of what
you need to accomplish.
There’s a very common pattern that comes with working towards goals
that we’re all familiar with: you set your mind to something, you get
excited and work really hard at it, and then motivation starts to
fade. Having goals that you can focus on and visualize helps you
better connect yourself with your inner desires, and gives you the
motivational energy you need to work through periods where your focus
starts to wane.
2. Goals Transform Unconquerable Mountains Into Walkable Hills
Most of us have big dreams that seem at times impossible to
accomplish. Its easy to feel discouraged when you’re staring at a
massive, seemingly unclimbable mountain.
Proper goal setting can help break larger, intimidating aspirations
into smaller, more achievable stepping stones.
Planning towards these smaller goals not only makes it easier to
formulate a definite plan of action that we can start working on right
away, but research has shown that hitting smaller milestones provides
real motivation and greater contentment.
Take the mountains you need to climb and break them up into smaller
hills that you can walk. You’ll be happier and more motivated to start
working towards that next milestone on your way to greatness.
3. Goals Help Us Believe In Ourselves
Setting goals for yourself is a way to fuel your ambition. Goal
setting isn’t just about creating a plan for your life and holding
yourself accountable, its also about giving us the inspiration
necessary to aim for things we never thought possible.
Unless you see yourself slowly making progress, your dreams and
aspirations are nothing more than vague notions floating around in
your imagination.
4. Goals Hold You Accountable For Failure
If you don’t write down concrete goals and give yourself a timeline
for achievement, how can you look back and re-evaluate your path if
you fail?
There’s something extremely humbling about looking back on a goal you
set for yourself 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years ago and realizing
that you were supposed to accomplish a lot more than you actually did.
Its a concrete sign that whatever you’re doing isn’t working, and you
need to make real changes if you want to get where you want to be.
5. Goals Tell You What You Truly Want
There are certainly times where we set goals that don’t really reflect
what we want. Sometimes we think we need more money, when really we
need a change of environment, or someone to love. Sometimes we think
we want more free time, but what we really want is work that we can be
truly passionate about. Sometimes we think we want to be alone, but
really we need to be around more positive people.
By asking ourselves what we really want and constantly re-assessing
our goals, we gain the benefit of introspection and self-reflection.
We can figure out what it is we really want in life – and then we can
go out and do it.
6. Goals Help Us Live Life To The Fullest
When you take the time to set goals, you ensure that your life is
geared towards getting the most out of every moment. There’s so much
to do and experience in life, but many of the things we want to
achieve and experience won’t be handed to us; we need to work for it.
Having a goal written down with a set date for accomplishment gives
you something to plan and work for. A written goal is an external
representation of your inner desires; its a constant reminder of what
you need to accomplish.
There’s a very common pattern that comes with working towards goals
that we’re all familiar with: you set your mind to something, you get
excited and work really hard at it, and then motivation starts to
fade. Having goals that you can focus on and visualize helps you
better connect yourself with your inner desires, and gives you the
motivational energy you need to work through periods where your focus
starts to wane.
2. Goals Transform Unconquerable Mountains Into Walkable Hills
Most of us have big dreams that seem at times impossible to
accomplish. Its easy to feel discouraged when you’re staring at a
massive, seemingly unclimbable mountain.
Proper goal setting can help break larger, intimidating aspirations
into smaller, more achievable stepping stones.
Planning towards these smaller goals not only makes it easier to
formulate a definite plan of action that we can start working on right
away, but research has shown that hitting smaller milestones provides
real motivation and greater contentment.
Take the mountains you need to climb and break them up into smaller
hills that you can walk. You’ll be happier and more motivated to start
working towards that next milestone on your way to greatness.
3. Goals Help Us Believe In Ourselves
Setting goals for yourself is a way to fuel your ambition. Goal
setting isn’t just about creating a plan for your life and holding
yourself accountable, its also about giving us the inspiration
necessary to aim for things we never thought possible.
Unless you see yourself slowly making progress, your dreams and
aspirations are nothing more than vague notions floating around in
your imagination.
4. Goals Hold You Accountable For Failure
If you don’t write down concrete goals and give yourself a timeline
for achievement, how can you look back and re-evaluate your path if
you fail?
There’s something extremely humbling about looking back on a goal you
set for yourself 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years ago and realizing
that you were supposed to accomplish a lot more than you actually did.
Its a concrete sign that whatever you’re doing isn’t working, and you
need to make real changes if you want to get where you want to be.
5. Goals Tell You What You Truly Want
There are certainly times where we set goals that don’t really reflect
what we want. Sometimes we think we need more money, when really we
need a change of environment, or someone to love. Sometimes we think
we want more free time, but what we really want is work that we can be
truly passionate about. Sometimes we think we want to be alone, but
really we need to be around more positive people.
By asking ourselves what we really want and constantly re-assessing
our goals, we gain the benefit of introspection and self-reflection.
We can figure out what it is we really want in life – and then we can
go out and do it.
6. Goals Help Us Live Life To The Fullest
When you take the time to set goals, you ensure that your life is
geared towards getting the most out of every moment. There’s so much
to do and experience in life, but many of the things we want to
achieve and experience won’t be handed to us; we need to work for it.
To stay connected to Silee, you can find him here:
Facebook personal page: Silee K. Williams
Website: www.sileewilliams.weebly.com
God bless,
~Lequvia Ousley~
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