Are your dreams dead, or should you still pursue them?

        Are your dreams dead, or should you still pursue them?

Hello everyone, first I want to apologize for not updating this blog for a long time.  I have been very busy and needed time away.

So let's get into this.  Are your dreams dead, or should you still pursue them?  I have been blogging for many years and for a while I didn't see any financial benefits associated with blogging.  I was doing it as a hobby and I really loved doing it.  Many times I fell into a slump and just couldn't find the right words or didn't have the drive to blog regularly.  I may step away, but I will never give up on my blog. 

So, you have this dream and you perhaps fell into a slump, your interest changed, or maybe it was very expensive to keep things going.  I am here to tell you not to give up.  There are times when you may have to step away for a while.  Maybe you have been trying to start a business, but it isn't growing like you thought it would.  You may have to continue working for someone else and work on your business part-time.  

I am an advocate of people not sharing all of their dreams with people who may be negative and talk you out of what you want to do for yourself.  Now, if your dreams are interfering with you, paying your bills, or bankrupting you.  Take a little break or find ways that you can do this without costing a lot of money.  Find people who you can barter with that you can work on projects that they need done and they can help you with your projects for a lower cost or no cost.  Make sure that it is an equal exchange. 

If you have to take a long break, you can always come back and start again.  I would also suggest that you join Facebook groups that align with your hobbies or interest to find people who share the same things that you enjoy.    You got this and if your dream right now is out of reach right now, work on something else that you enjoy doing.  Keep pursuing your dreams and do not give up!

Are big content creators going broke?

Are big content creators going broke?

I have been a content creator since 2012.  I have seen a lot of people come and go.  Doing YouTube or being on any other social media platform takes work.  It is definitely not easy that's for sure.   Some people automatically think that if you have big numbers you are making a lot of money.

I am a small YouTuber and I enjoy creating and making content for other people to enjoy.  There are a lot of big YouTubers who are struggling but they try to look like they are rich. They are afraid to show their real life because they are afraid of the backlash that they may face.  

Many of them move from place to place, and they come up with excuses to try to cover or justify why they move so much.   The truth is they are totally broke.  

Big content creators get a lot of perks.  They get to represent some great products and they even get a chance to travel to some beautiful places.  They get to receive beautiful clothes and products to review.  

But the dark side of this equation is the fact that you may be making a lot of money today but next month you may make a different amount of money.  This creator economy is not very stable.  Some creators don't even consider the fact that they have to pay taxes on the money and the perks that they receive.

It seems like tax time comes around so fast and if you are not prepared, you will feel like you are drowning.  You have to save all of your receipts and get your taxes prepared because if you do not you will owe a lot of money.   I think that a lot of content creators should get a regular job and do content creation on the side.  It definitely is not a free ride like some people assume that it is.  They could even start a business that isn't connected to their social media platforms. 

We live in a society that feels like they want everything right now.  Some of us refuse to save money.  Saving money towards your taxes and also having a rainy day fund is a good idea. 

 The ad revenue has been down and it is affecting so many people.  It affected me.  This made me realize that you cannot put all of your eggs in one basket.  I make sure that I pay my taxes and people who have a steady income have to make quarterly payments to their taxes. 

There are so many people very nervous this time of year because they haven't made any plans to save money toward their taxes.  They spend everything that they get.  Being a big content creator can be glamorous but you have to use it to your advantage to make your money grow. 

 I would also tell wealthy content creators to save money for their future because social media as we know it will not be the same twenty years from now.  There will be something bigger and better than we know right now. 

Big content creators are going broke because our expectations of them are so high.  They have to live up to an image that most of the time isn't even real.  This can lead to depression. 

 Taking investment courses would be the best course of action to protect your income and your future.   Being a big content creator can be a nice way to make an income but secure your future and make smarter choices and it will really pay off in the end. 

Why are you still struggling like a single mom when you are not?

Why are you still struggling like a single mom when you are not?

I have been watching women on social media for some time and noticed a sad trend. There are a lot of women who are in a marriage or a relationship, and when they have a crisis, the man is nowhere to be found.  The man is supposedly in the household but you have to ask family or strangers for help.  

I know that everyone falls on hard times sometimes but this is happening with every man you are with.  Some women are struggling to keep a roof over their heads and also with food for their kids.  It is really unfair to the women and the children.  Why do we put up with such nonsense?

Ladies, please be careful with the people who you allow into your life.  If he is just sitting around while you work, and he is eating up all of the food, and when your food gets low, he is gone; you don't need him. 

 Some of us are constantly becoming pregnant by these men, but they have nothing to offer you and your children. If you don't have someone who will add to your household and help you with expenses; you don't need them.

  Some of you are good mothers, and you are really trying hard to raise your children, but you are doing it alone when you don't have to.

 This is all I have to say on this matter.

Is your money not stretching enough this year?

Is your money not stretching enough this year?

Image courtesy of Pixabay

If your money isn't stretching very far this year, you are not alone.  I had to cut corners myself.  Food is high, and so is everything else.  It is getting harder and harder to make it, quite frankly.

I haven't really been able to have a night out lately because food and transportation are so expensive, and you know you have to give a tip. 

 I have been spending more time enjoying my family.  I am cooking more at home.  I have a Firestick, and it is such a blessing.  We enjoy watching movies and eating home-cooked meals together. 

It truly is bringing us closer together.  I am careful about not buying things that I really don't need right now.  In the last two years, I actually prepared myself for this time because I started buying products in bulk to prepare for the increase in prices.  I am still using these products today. 

Check and see if there are any ways that you can cut down on some of your expenses.  Sometimes, there are things that we are so used to spending extra money on that we don't realize that it costs a lot more this year. 

Maybe you have the heat up high when you are at work and nobody is at home.  You can put the heat down, and time it to come on when you are on your way home.  That way, you come home to a nice and warm house.   

Add more blankets to your bed to save money.  Try doing most of your shopping in one trip so you don't have to make unnecessary trips, and this will cut down on gas. 

Make a list of some of the products that you would be willing to buy that are generic and some of the products that you are willing to pay extra for. 

Take on an online side hustle or do Uber or Lyft.

Learn how to cut or maintain your own hair at home.  Hair clippers are very inexpensive compared to going to the Barber or hair salon.

Buy your snacks in bulk so you can avoid the vending machine at work.

I have been buying cheaper cuts of meat and preparing them in my crockpot.  This saves quite a bit of money.  Going to the butcher counter and finding out what meat is on sale will help you to save money.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

If you are paying a lot of fees at the gym, spend time running in the park or buy gym equipment on Facebook Marketplace for a good price.  This will save you so much money in the long run. 

Buy your clothes in the summer so you can get them for a cheaper price.

If you have children, find a cheaper phone service that they can use.  There are a lot of them out there, and they are always having promotions.  Sometimes, it depends on how many lines you need. 

Make a list of the things that you are willing to do without or cut down on this year.  You will be amazed about the amount of things that you cut down on that will free up a lot more money. 

Lunch and chat with me/ He is not your kids uncle/ relationship and cheating advice.

I have a series that I do on YouTube where I have lunch and I chat with you.  Today I am eating Blaze Pizza and I talk about why Men respect the wedding ring but Women do not.  Sometimes, people think that they should date whomever they want without any consequences.  

People get married because of love but also because it is a contract between you and that other person.  To prove that it is a contract, you have to get a divorce to end it. So it isn't something that you should enter into without much thought.  

When you are dating a Man who is married, it affects everyone in the family, not just the wife.

Nobody really thinks about the children and how this affects their self-esteem.  Please check this video out, and please let me know what you think about this subject.

 

What is the best thing that you did for yourself this year?

What is the best thing that you did for yourself this year?

It took me a while to fully invest in myself.  This year, I made it my business to invest in my peace of mind.  I spent more money investing in my brand.  Trying to promote yourself is not easy because blogging is really over saturated. 

 I took the time to research what my audience like and I also took some quiet time to just focus on the things that I love and to rest.   Social media can be taxing on your body and your mind. 

 You try to support a lot of people and next thing you know, your day is totally gone.  I had to start doing what I required for myself.  Supporting myself became a big priority.

Updating my equipment to be a better creator is a must for me.  As I get older I want some of my content to concentrate on women who are in my age group because we are often ignored. 

 My biggest viewers of my blog and my YouTube channel are women 25-45 which is very surprising to me.  I love that they like my content without judging me because of my age.

It took me a long time to grow on both platforms and I am still not that popular but I am seeing a lot of growth from last year till now.  I think it is because I have become even more authentic.  

The best thing that I did for myself this year was to embrace every part of me and to know that I deserve the best.  That means for me to embrace my flaws and all.

I am going to be more consistent on my platforms and to share more of my life.  I appreciate you all for being here and supporting my content.  It means so much to me.

Family estrangements and how to cope with them

Family estrangements and how to cope with them

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Estrangements are one of the subjects that no one wants to talk about.  Most of the time we sweep things under the rug and just hope that they will magically go away.  It is something that should be talked about because it happens to so many of us.

Sometimes people decide to stop talking to their good friends and family because a lot of things happened such as abuse, alienation, being mean and not hearing people, being judgmental and etc.

But sometimes it comes from people using this tactic to try to control their friends or family. People have the right to protect their sanity and their family but there is the narcissist who uses it to come into people's lives and then abruptly leave for no reason at all.  Then they will come back and do the same thing.

You often wonder what did I say, what happened.  You cannot remember what you did and you come to the conclusion that you haven't done anything.  Some people have an abusive personality and they want to abuse you and gaslight you in a way where you are constantly wondering what happened.

I am not a psychiatrist or a therapist but I refuse to put up with such nonsense from a friend or family.  Get counseling and also read some self-help books to heal from this emotional abuse because that is what it is.  Never allow someone to do this to you.  It is quite painful emotionally.

Life is too short. Keep people in your life who add to your life in a positive way. Sometimes people are not going to care about you and you have to be honest with yourself regarding this.  Do not let anyone use you as their whipping board.