09Jan 2017 by CJ

Failure is not an option unless you allow yourself to do so

Life & Living
“There is no failure except in no longer trying.” - Chris Bradford Writing this blog is not the only writing I do during any given week. For many years, I’ve been determined to write a novel or screenplay. As anyone who’s tried to create either will tell you, even highly prolific writers, it’s no easy task. For starters, with a full-time job and a long commute, the last thing I want to do after a long day is focus on the creative writing process. But what I find most difficult is solidifying a compelling storyline and not losing interest along the way. I’m not at a loss for ideas, believe me, just look at the stack of notebooks in my desk drawer. But after numerous attempts and failures, I found myself trying…
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29Dec 2016 by CJ

The year 2016 wasn’t as bad as we think

Life & Living
The year 2016 is coming to a close. Countless posts on social media have revealed that many plan on “flipping the bird” to the outgoing year at 11:59 PM on December 31st.  Why you might ask? Because they feel it was a year of disappointment, hate, violence and despair. It was a year when American’s lost all hope. Sorry to rain on your pity parade, but the only way hope can ever be abolished from our lives is if you allow yourself to kill it. Hope is something that lives in all of us and should never be so easily cast aside like many Americans have done.  Marianne Williamson once said, “We can always choose to perceive things differently. We can focus on what’s wrong in our life, or we…
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20Dec 2016 by CJ

Social media I think it’s time we break up once and for all

Life & Living
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” ­­­– Steve Jobs The world of social media. I lived through its advent, yet know very little of its history. After some research, I learned that one of the first social media sites was called Six Degrees created back in 1997. It allowed users to upload a profile and ultimately make new friends right from the comfort of their personal computer. Soon others came to market offering similar connection opportunities – MySpace and LinkedIn in the early 2000s; Facebook and Twitter in 2006. I believe social media has evolved into nothing more than a platform for perpetual propaganda and opinions aimed at instigating a negative response. Social media gone wrong Case in point. Famed entertainer Bette Midler…
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27Nov 2016 by CJ

Lately, the internet seems to feed negativity

Life & Living
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been re-examining my reliance on the internet and the importance I place on it in my everyday life. In many instances, there’s no denying it’s benefits from online purchases and banking, to streaming services and DIY information. But there’s something else readily available at our finger tips – something that’s not always easily detected as we bounce around from one site to another. It was during my re-examination that it became evidently clear how many websites, which I visit with some regularity, had become nothing more than a sea of negative information and sensational headlines. Even sites with no political agenda had begun spewing and supporting hateful propaganda in order to sway an impressionable society one way or the other. The internet feeds negativity…
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03Nov 2016 by CJ

Alzheimer’s Awareness happens in November

Life & Living
Nothing inspires me more than well-crafted lyrics paired perfectly with a haunting melody. When She Loved Me is one of those songs. It was beautifully sung by Sarah McLachlan back in 1999, as part of the soundtrack for the movie Toy Story 2. When I first heard the song, it was clear by the circumstances of the film that a lonely “toy” was singing the song to the little girl she used to be inseparable with – only now she’s all grown up.  When taken in the context of the movie, you rarely assign the song any other possible meaning beyond what the film intended. But the other day the song popped up on my play list (somewhat randomly) and now 17 years later the song has come to mean…
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