Work in Progress

     Americans spend billions a year on self-improvement. Is this because we’re trying to better ourselves or are there deeper lying issues and we’re searching for answers to why we’re not happy with ourselves? Perhaps, it may be combination of both. It’s cliché to say “life is short”, “you only live once”, or “take time to smell the roses”, but if you think about it, each of these statements resonates with us. Everyone has goals we’d like to accomplish, so what has prevented us from accomplishing them? If we were to take an assessment of ourselves, the majority of the reasons would be excuses. This is why I say to you “now is the time to stop wishing, and start believing.”

     I’d like to share my own experience about a personal goal that sat dormant on the bucket list for sometime. “Run a marathon.” Is it easy to understand why that one sat there for so long? I had tried to accomplish this goal in the past but I never saw it through. From this experience let me offer the most important piece of advice I can. Close your life off to negativity. Don’t let someone say to you that you “can’t do something”, that “it’s a ridiculous idea”, or you’ll indeed fail before you begin…and yes this means ignoring the little voice inside your head telling you that others are right and you can’t do it…because you can. What were my excuses preventing me from my goal? Work schedules, family schedules, injuries, self-doubt, other people’s doubt, and many other excuses to justify why I couldn’t do this. Notice I said excuses, because that is what they were. Finally last year I said, “forget it” enough with the “I can’t do it’s” and the “maybe next year’s” and I went for it. I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy, training was hard, injuries were abundant, babysitting bills added up, and I was tired, but when that gun went off, I was so proud to be at the starting line, and even more proud to cross the finish and it was all worth it. I can’t explain the sense of pride and accomplishment I had when I completed that goal. No self-help book, no perfectly placed highlights, not even a new designer bag would allow me to feel the way I felt in that moment. I beat the odds, I felt amazing, and not even the five-mile walk back to my hotel in the freezing rain, could bring me down. 

     You might wonder, OK but did that happy feeling last? Yes, everyday. I have my medal in a shadow box and I smile every single time I see it. My advice to you is to surround yourself with things that encourage you to set new goals, and things that make you happy. You hold the answer to your own self-improvement, you’re only as happy as you decide to be, and remember we’re all works in progress.

Bringing Words to Life

My husband and I celebrated out 12th wedding anniversary yesterday and we celebrated by going out to dinner and a movie. We chose to see the Hunger Games. I love Suzanne Collins' first novel of the series and was eager to see the movie. I liked it. It kept my attention and it was a good movie to see, so I wondered why I didn't feel as excited about it as I did with the book. The actors and actresses were fantastic, let me acknowledge them for the roles that they played. There wasn't a character I didn't enjoy.  The scenery was great, the story line was energetic and fast moving, yes, it was dark, but they did a decent job in making the violence bearable to watch (I still wouldn't let my kids see it). So what was it? "It" was that they changed parts of the story. I can't help but wonder why, it wasn't that long of a book so I don't believe they had to make any changes to the story line.  My biggest disappointment was the history of the heroine's mocking jay pin.(don't worry, I am not going to give away any spoilers here!)  Also some parts of the movie would be very confusing if you hadn't already read the book (which everyone should anyway before seeing the movie!). But back to the pin, big deal where the pin came from, right? Wrong! It was significant enough to stay with me throughout the whole series. One of the books is even named after it. I wondered if Suzanne Collins had any say in the edits. In my own writing, I have been asked if there were certain things that I would hold firm ground on and not want to change, like a name or a scene, etc.  Yes, it's funny, but there are certain things that I would stand firm on. And if I were Suzanne Collins, the history of the pin would be one of those.

Everyday Magic

I read an article from Forbes that asked "Do You Believe In Magic." My first thought immediately went to how badly I wanted to live in the world of Harry Potter. I would have loved to have gone to Ollivander's wand shop and have a wand choose me.  While reading the Harry Potter series it was so easy to believe in their magic and to become lost in their world. But what about our world? Could there be magic and if so in what forms? Karma, forces of positive thinking, superstitions, intuition. Could these all be forms of magic? Who knows for sure? Having faith, whether it be in religion, yourself, a project or endeavor, gives us hope and something to strive for. I believe that it makes us better human beings. So do I believe in magic? I am going to go light a candle, say a little prayer and tell you, quite simply, Yes, I do.

Here is a link to the original article: 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/13/superstitions-and-magical-thinking-how-irrational-beliefs-keep-us-sane/

Welcome!

I have completed my novel and would love to have you join me on this journey. It is a coming-of-age love story about a young woman and her quest to quell evil forces once she learns that she is an angel. I am currently working on the second novel of this series while seeking representation. You can also going me on my Facebook Author Page JBodnarDrowley (Please remember to hit the "like" button. or follow me on twitter @jbdrowley