MY INTERVIEW

God is truly blessing. I am honored to have been selected for the April 2008 feature story of The Book Lovers Haven. I enjoyed being interviewed. As always, I hope that this blesses and encourages you.

Profound gratitude and appreciation to Denise Turney who thought enough of me to feature me. Denise is an incredible and very loving author. She loves the community and is always doing something to bless others. She is quite successful as an author and I ask that you visit her website.

Carla


Feature Interview - Carla Nix

Carla Nix - Carla Nix is an author, speaker and Christian Life Coach. She is online at www.freewebs. com/passion4life . You can also reach her at carlanix1@aol. com.

MEET CARLA NIX

Book Lovers Haven: I loved your E-book, Walking In Your Purpose. Why is it important that each of us does what we were created to do rather than what we feel may provide us the most comfortable (financially and socially) lifestyle?

Carla Nix: It is vital to our peace of mind and state of being to operate in our purpose. Otherwise, we are out of sync and we simply exist, as opposed to truly live an authentic and genuine life. When we live outside of our purpose, we feel as though there is a void in our life, because there is. We are not complete outside of our purpose and we continuously search for something to fulfill us. If our driving motive is to only obtain financial and social gain, then that is all that we will receive. We will always have a hunger and thirst that only fulfilling our purpose can quench and satisfy.

BLH: Is it possible to be truly happy without walking in our purpose? Why or why not?

CN: No, I don't believe that it is. Most importantly, we lack true joy when we are not walking in our purpose. That is because we are not doing, or being, what we were designed for. It's difficult to go against the grain of the fabric that makes us. You see, the purpose that God gave us is what NATURALLY brings us joy. It excites us. Ignite us. It is what keeps us going.

BLH: What is "walking in our purpose"? What does that mean and what are some signs that we are walking in our purpose?

CN: "Walking in our purpose" means to live the life that God created you for. No one came into existence by chance. No one was born by happenstance. Every single person has a reason for being here. Each one of us has a specific destiny and plan to complete. Along the way, we may be given various assignments to fulfill. No one else can be you. No one else can do anything as you do. God equipped each of us with our own unique personalities, likes, abilities, talents, and gifts to fulfill our purpose. You are like you are for a reason. That is why it is important for us not to try to be anything or anyone other than who we are. God did not make a mistake when He made you. It is important for us to seek God to learn how we can use our gifts for Him.

BLH: Share a personal experience of when you did not walk in your purpose and how that felt and when you did walk in your purpose and how that felt.

CN: Well, I spent a lot of my life hating myself and questioning God about my own existence. I once felt that something was wrong with me because I was not like other people. I did not love nor appreciate who I was. I found everything wrong about myself. I did not have confidence in myself. I thought that everyone hated me. I never felt that I fitted in. I was not happy with myself or my life. I was most miserable. I did not value who I was.

I first began to walk in my purpose when I came to the realization that I actually had a purpose. That was an absolutely fantastic feeling. I recognized God's love for me and realized that He even knew who I was. See, I once saw myself as a mistake or a "freak of nature". I really did. But, when I discovered that I had purpose, it was a liberating feeling. This is when I finally acknowledged that I actually had "talent", that I possessed "gifts", and that God designed me to be (among other things), a writer! Prior to this discovery, I never acknowledged what was inside of me. I would minimize who and what I was by saying things such as, "I dabble in writing", or "my hobby is writing". When I acknowledged that this "hobby" and "dabbling" of mine was actually who I am, I felt a sense of freedom.

BLH: You also wrote an E-book titled Seven Keys and Affirmations for Victorious Living. The books you write are positive and scripturally based. There are many books that speak to living on purpose, connecting with our source, etc. Why do you think we need to keep hearing this message and what portion of the global audience do you think your book is meant to reach specifically?

CN: Oh, we very much need to hear on a consistent basis the importance of living on purpose. We tend to forget very easily, and what is out of sight (or ear shot) definitely is out of mind. Additionally, life generally has the potential of tearing us down. We need to equally be empowered and encouraged to stay the course. Joyce Meyer has a wonderful book named "Battlefield of the Mind". It is true that our mind is a battlefield. So, we need to feed our minds with positive reinforcement.

It is my desire to reach as many people as I can with my work, but I have a particular interest in reaching women, teen girls, and young adults.
BLH: You and your family lived through Hurricane Katrina. How did that storm and the experiences after the storm change you?

CN: One way that I describe my experience with Hurricane Katrina is by saying that she left a huge footprint on me! That is because the entire ordeal kicked me in many ways. We are one of hundreds of families that lost absolutely everything in the storm. Our home, our jobs, our possessions, our life in New Orleans. It felt as though we were kicked out of the world that we knew. It was traumatic and very difficult for us. Our life after the storm was surreal. We went through the motions of living. We only existed. We survived the storm, but for quite a while, we did not thrive. There is a difference. Depression set in. Anger. Fear. But, we shifted into survival mode. That is when you do what you have to do to live, but there is no real life for you.

We were blessed because we evacuated and had somewhere to go. We lived with mother-in-law. That was a humbling experience. I was happy to have shelter, and we eventually and slowly were able to obtain some of the material necessities of life. Yet, I continued to feel "homeless" because we did not have our own home to live in. My life was in a shamble. I can honestly say that I did not have a full and good night of sleep for more than a year after Katrina. Don't get me wrong; my mother-in-law made everything pleasant for us. I have no complaints about her or the home that she provided for us. I will forever be grateful to her for all that she did for us. We would not have made it without her. That wasn't the issue. The issue was mental for me. My mental state was definitely altered after Katrina.
But God continually reminded me that He never left us. He was always there. Yes, I struggled, and to this day, I still have some struggles because of the storm. But, God brought us through all of it and in time, He blessed us with our own new house, new furniture, and new life. In many ways, He's given us more than what we had before. And more than anything, He has shown me even more of my purpose and what I am to do in this life. I am more determined and excited about walking in my purpose. My life before Katrina prepared me for life after the storm. My experiences during Katrina and the aftermath further reinforced the calling on my life.

I know what I'm here for. I am here to help others as they discover and walk in their own purpose.

BLH: In what ways do you plan to continue to gain insight and inspiration to live your best life right now using real lessons you learned from those experiences?

CN: First of all, I plan to walk by faith in God and to seek Him for direction. My relationship with the Lord is my lifesaver. My relationship with Him is also paramount and I know that I could not exist without Him. I am open to God's will in, and for, my life. I am determined to remain obedient to Him and to follow His voice. I have learned, and am still learning in many ways, to stop depending on myself and what I think I know. I cannot live a qualitative life (my best life) if I "Edge God Out" (EGO). I must always depend on Him, trust Him, have faith in Him, and believe that He will take care of me. That's where my inspiration comes from. I know that I would not have made it through Katrina had it not been for the Lord.

BLH: Do you think you'll ever tell your story about your experiences in the storm with readers? Why or why not?

CN: Most definitely! In fact, I have written my story and I am happy to share it at anytime. You have reminded me that it is time for me to update my story so that others can know how much God has blessed me since Katrina. I don't mind sharing my experiences because I know that it will give hope and encouragement to others. Although our entire country felt the effects of Katrina because so many of us from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi suffered so much, not everyone knows our pain. However, one did not have to go through Katrina to understand pain. Your storm may not be Katrina, but there may still be storms in your life. My experience with Katrina is not any bigger than whatever it is others may be going through. When it comes down to it, a storm is a storm no matter what form it comes in. So, it is my desire to be a blessing to others by sharing my story.

BLH: For your first two titles, why did you choose E-books? What is it about the book form that appeals to you? Would you do it again and recommend it to other writers?

CN: I chose E-books because I wanted the information to be readily and easily available for readers. For me, it was the quickest route to get the material out. However, I also self-published both books in hard copy and have that available as well.

Yes, I do plan to publish more E-books, particularly in the Victorious Living series. There is more to come.

BLH: Both of your books are non-fiction. Do you have any plans to write a work of fiction? If so, what do you think the book would be about?

CN: Ah. There's a saying that there is a novel in all of us. Yes, I do want to write a work of fiction. In fact, there is a novel that has lived within me for many years now. I've played around with it and wrote a short-story format of it when I lived in New Orleans. Of course, all of my past writings were lost in the hurricane, but the story is still within me. And I know that this may sound crazy to some, but my characters live in my head and I know them very well! I just need to establish more structure, and discipline in my life so that I can put my story to paper.

BLH: You also do public speaking. How does that strengthen your writing career? Have you found it to be a good form of exposure for your E-books in effort to increase book sales and bring the message in your books to more people?

CN: Actually, my writing career fuels my public speaking. I was first, and will always be, a writer. I never thought that I would be a public speaker, but was encouraged some years ago because of my writing to learn about the Toastmasters organization. It was suggested that because I write as much as I do that I would possibly benefit from public speaking. I doubted it because I was extremely shy and was fearful of speaking before others. But, I ended up going to a Toastmasters meeting as a support and encouragement to a student that I was mentoring in 2000. I immediately fell in love with the organization! I kept going to the meetings and I eventually joined that local chapter. I soon soared through the organization and earned credentials that certify me as an "Advanced Toastmaster". I also served as President, Area Governor, and other offices as well as winning a few speech competitions.

My Toastmasters experience strengthened my writing because I obviously had to write all of my speeches. Now, as I speak to organizations and conduct trainings and workshops, I am well trained to give great presentations and to interact with an audience. I still get nervous, but I no longer am afraid to speak before groups.
I have used my E-books as the resource for several of the trainings and workshops that I conduct. It has allowed me to bring the message of my books to more people, however, I would like to bring it to even more. I honestly provide the information to the audience and not focus on the potential for sales because it is important to me that the information is received. I know that these books are God-inspired and Spirit-led. What's most important to me is that people are blessed.

BLH: Did you have to take any special courses to learn how to create an E-book (i.e. your book cover, page design)? If not, please briefly share with our readers who are interested in creating an E-book of their own how they can create an E-book from start to finish?

CN: I did not take any special courses to learn how to create E-books. I only had a strong desire to do so. Therefore, I looked at other E-books, yet I realized that these books are as individual as the person who writes them. The potential and possibility for the creation of E-books is as vast as the litany of the various personalities and messages there are to be delivered.

My books were created in a simple fashion. I used Word. That simple! I created my own covers, also in Word. Then I converted the documents into a PDF format, which I highly suggest. This allows your material to stay intact and your own.

BLH: What is your dream for Carla? Do you see yourself writing full-time or getting more involved in public speaking? What is it about your choice that makes you so passionate about it?

CN: Both! My personal goal for 2008 is to write full-time, and to do much more public speaking.

It's not that my choice makes me passionate about this, it is actually that I am already passionate about writing and speaking that I have no other choice to make. This is my purpose and I must walk in it with confidence and by total faith in God.

BLH: Who are some of your favorite writers and public speakers? What is it about their work you appreciate most?

CN: I love books by Dr. Myles Munroe. I remember reading "Discovering Your Potential" many years ago. This was probably the beginning of my self-awareness and the acknowledgement of the fact that I am a writer (not just a dabbler). One thing that I cherish and remember most about the book is that Dr. Munroe stated that the graveyard is buried with potential. That was a profound statement and turning point for me.

My favorite public speakers are Zig Zigglar and Les Brown. They epitomize the term "motivational speaker". Zig is like a sage. So much wisdom and life experience comes from him. Les is the same, but he is also so energetic and persuasive. He makes you believe that you CAN do anything you want (which is true); but he also makes you WANT to do EVERYTHING that you can.

BLH: What's next for Carla Nix? What would you like to be doing 2-3 years from now and what are you currently doing (not thinking about doing but actually doing) to make this happen?

CN: I am in partnership to build a non-profit organization for the empowerment of women and teen girls. Our name is "Her Purpose" and we will conduct trainings and workshops not only locally, but across the country. I am also establishing and building a clientele for my own Life Coaching practice. I currently provide services for a few individuals, but I would like to work with more people over the next couple of years.

BLH: Carla, thank you for spending this time with us. As we close, what last words of advice or encouragement would you like to leave with our subscribers at The Book Lover's Haven?

CN: I encourage the readers to refuse to settle for a life that is less than it should be. By this, I mean to live a full life by knowing who you are and what you were designed to do. Seek God to reveal to you your purpose. He is our manufacturer. He made you. He specifically created you for a reason. I cannot tell you what you were designed to do. You probably already know because other than God, no one knows you better than you know yourself. It's time now for you to live intentionally. To live on purpose. To walk in YOUR purpose.