Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog of the new year. I decided this year's blog is going to be a bit different than last years. Starting with me putting a little more of myself and my writing into the blogs and also covering a broader spectrum of topics. So here I go into my first new topic: Karma.
Ever since I was a little kid, I always heard the saying: What goes around comes around. When I was younger, I admit, I didn't really understand the meaning behind it. And then I kept hearing the phrases Life's a bitch, Karma's a bitch, and Karma will come around and bite you in the ass. I kept hearing these phrases and began saying them without comprehending the meaning.
Karma is actually derrived from Indian cultures; especially Hinduism. They view Karma as a means of cause and effect, but is also dependent on the will of God. Another way to look at it is God does not punish without reason and likewise God does not reward without reason. They say God is fair and gives you exactly what you deserve.
Now I cannot say for sure that is how life is. But I believe in the expression you only reap what you sow. You only get what you put into life. Bad things can still happen to good people, but I feel they are a test of your character and will lead you to better things if handled correctly.
So the question still begs to be asked. Does Karma exist or is it just another expression? That is something you need to look to yourself to answer.
So as always, I welcome any feedback, suggestions on future topics, or any kind of comment as long as it does not put someone down. Happy New Year.
Phoenix Entertainment and Development
Friday, January 11, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
My Second Book
So without further wait, I'd like to take the time to announce that my second book, The Hall of the Forgotten is now available on Amazon.com, Kindle, and CreateSpace.com.
http://www.amazon.com/Hall-Forgotten-Andrew-Hess/dp/1481287664/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357140651&sr=1-7&keywords=andrew+hess
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHall-of-the-Forgotten-ebook%2Fdp%2FB00AVS0S9O%2Fref%3Dsr_1_3%3Fs%3Dbooks%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1357140651%26sr%3D1-3%26keywords%3Dandrew%2Bhess&h=vAQEuQtw1
https://www.createspace.com/4102233
http://www.amazon.com/Hall-Forgotten-Andrew-Hess/dp/1481287664/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357140651&sr=1-7&keywords=andrew+hess
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHall-of-the-Forgotten-ebook%2Fdp%2FB00AVS0S9O%2Fref%3Dsr_1_3%3Fs%3Dbooks%26ie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1357140651%26sr%3D1-3%26keywords%3Dandrew%2Bhess&h=vAQEuQtw1
https://www.createspace.com/4102233
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Before the presents are exchanged, the eggnog passed around, and the football games begin, I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas (Happy holidays for you who don't celebrate) and a Happy New Year to all.
It wasn't long ago that holidays weren't that important to me. There was too much in my life that got in the way. My ego and my past always seemed to get in the way of seeing what holidays were all about. They are about spending time with your family, giving back to others that are less fortunate, and being kind to others. Now I know it's cliche, but it's the truth.
Family will always be your family. You can't get rid of them, you can't change who they are, and let's face it ignoring them won't make things any better. The best thing you can do is accept who they are and make the best of it and move on from there. Yelling, screaming, and fighting about it won't do anything except cause more problems. If there are issues to deal with, the holidays are not the time to choose to argue about them. Take the person or people aside when it's not going to cause a scene and calmly talk about the issues you might have. The holidays are meant to celebrate your love for your family and cherish the moments you will always have; especially during Christmas. I can honestly say, I can still remember Christmas Eve with my family when I was a little kid because my parents always tried to make sure it was the best possible Christmas for us.
Giving back to those less fortunate is a great way to celebrate the holidays. The greatest thing you can do is help give a Christmas to those who cannot afford it or who have lost everything; even if it's buying a toy or two and giving it to a toy drive or a church. Speaking of Church, they always have a giving tree and many people help as much as they can. I would like to send a thank you to everyone who has helped out by sending gifts to the church and would like to encourage more people to do the same. It means so much to the boys and girls who receive those gifts to have something to open up on Christmas. We take something like that for granted every year. So I would like to challenge everyone reading this to help out more in the next year.
Giving back doesn't always mean spending your money on others. You can also devote your time to helping out. There are so many places where you can donate your time to food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and churches that can use your help. So again I challenge everyone to make a difference in this next year.
Finally be nicer to others. Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean that its okay for you to snap and be crazy driving, shopping, and yelling at other people. I know I'm someone guilty of yelling at people on the road and I shouldn't. But people need to be more considerate and be less in a hurry. Those two things alone can be so helpful to yourself and everyone around you. Take a minute, breathe, and clear your head. It's hard to do at first, but after a while it helps you deal with everything easier and your blood pressure will be a lot lower.
With that being said. I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy safe New Year.
It wasn't long ago that holidays weren't that important to me. There was too much in my life that got in the way. My ego and my past always seemed to get in the way of seeing what holidays were all about. They are about spending time with your family, giving back to others that are less fortunate, and being kind to others. Now I know it's cliche, but it's the truth.
Family will always be your family. You can't get rid of them, you can't change who they are, and let's face it ignoring them won't make things any better. The best thing you can do is accept who they are and make the best of it and move on from there. Yelling, screaming, and fighting about it won't do anything except cause more problems. If there are issues to deal with, the holidays are not the time to choose to argue about them. Take the person or people aside when it's not going to cause a scene and calmly talk about the issues you might have. The holidays are meant to celebrate your love for your family and cherish the moments you will always have; especially during Christmas. I can honestly say, I can still remember Christmas Eve with my family when I was a little kid because my parents always tried to make sure it was the best possible Christmas for us.
Giving back to those less fortunate is a great way to celebrate the holidays. The greatest thing you can do is help give a Christmas to those who cannot afford it or who have lost everything; even if it's buying a toy or two and giving it to a toy drive or a church. Speaking of Church, they always have a giving tree and many people help as much as they can. I would like to send a thank you to everyone who has helped out by sending gifts to the church and would like to encourage more people to do the same. It means so much to the boys and girls who receive those gifts to have something to open up on Christmas. We take something like that for granted every year. So I would like to challenge everyone reading this to help out more in the next year.
Giving back doesn't always mean spending your money on others. You can also devote your time to helping out. There are so many places where you can donate your time to food pantries, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and churches that can use your help. So again I challenge everyone to make a difference in this next year.
Finally be nicer to others. Just because it's the holidays doesn't mean that its okay for you to snap and be crazy driving, shopping, and yelling at other people. I know I'm someone guilty of yelling at people on the road and I shouldn't. But people need to be more considerate and be less in a hurry. Those two things alone can be so helpful to yourself and everyone around you. Take a minute, breathe, and clear your head. It's hard to do at first, but after a while it helps you deal with everything easier and your blood pressure will be a lot lower.
With that being said. I want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Merry Christmas and Happy safe New Year.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Dreams
Ever wonder where writers get their ideas from? They can come from anywhere or anything. When I started writing poetry, I would be sitting at work; thinking about random things. Sometimes I would come up with nothing, but other times I would have a great idea or remember something from my past. When I did write, people said I went into some sort of trance. I was staring at the wall or out a window. After about ten minutes I was done and ready to type it up on the computer.
My brother has his own way of coming up with ideas. He listens to what people say and gets an idea instantly. He comes up with elaborate storylines in a matter of minutes that would be great to see on the big screen.
Another way of coming up with ideas is through dreams. That has been the way I have been getting new story ideas, and from what I have read a lot of other writers get their plots from dreams they had as well. They are usually weird and abnormal, but most dreams usually are. Sometimes they feel too real. Some have you portraying the main character in the dream and other times you are a spectator watching everything unfold.
There are many more ways people can find ideas on what to write. Taking a walk through the park, the beach, observing people's interactions with each other, interactions with family, old jokes either with friends or family, songs, poetry, reading, and the list can go on and on.
The best piece of advice I can give when it comes to searching for something to write about, is don't discredit anything. Write any and all ideas down; either in a notebook, type it on a computer, or enter it into a cell phone. Don't ignore the thoughts that come to mind. Keep them and look to them when you decide you want to write something. If you think you can expand on it then go for it. If you can't, don't scrap the idea; keep it for another time.
My brother has his own way of coming up with ideas. He listens to what people say and gets an idea instantly. He comes up with elaborate storylines in a matter of minutes that would be great to see on the big screen.
Another way of coming up with ideas is through dreams. That has been the way I have been getting new story ideas, and from what I have read a lot of other writers get their plots from dreams they had as well. They are usually weird and abnormal, but most dreams usually are. Sometimes they feel too real. Some have you portraying the main character in the dream and other times you are a spectator watching everything unfold.
There are many more ways people can find ideas on what to write. Taking a walk through the park, the beach, observing people's interactions with each other, interactions with family, old jokes either with friends or family, songs, poetry, reading, and the list can go on and on.
The best piece of advice I can give when it comes to searching for something to write about, is don't discredit anything. Write any and all ideas down; either in a notebook, type it on a computer, or enter it into a cell phone. Don't ignore the thoughts that come to mind. Keep them and look to them when you decide you want to write something. If you think you can expand on it then go for it. If you can't, don't scrap the idea; keep it for another time.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Holidays-Happy Thanksgiving.
I would like to say first and foremost Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there reading this. This year has gone by so quickly and so much has happened and so much to be thankful for. For me I have dealt with near tragedies, the death of my grandmother, and a Super Storm Hurricane that destroyed a portion of my town, a huge area of where I spend a lot of time, and many other surrounding areas. Thankfully we were spared and were only minorly inconvienced. But despite any hardships we face in life, there is always so much we can be thankful for. A met the woman I plan on marrying, my family has been getting closer together, both of our families love each other; making us one big wonderful and happy family, and I have been making strides in both my work career and writing career.
Over the last few years, I have had such a different perspective on life as opposed to several years ago. Call it growing up, or maturing, or even having a deeper appreciation for the little things in life. Regardless, something I learned over the years is that everything that has happened in your life has led you to this point in your life. Despite any hardships or if there have been great things that happened, I say be thankful for everything in your life; the good and the bad things because both have created who you are today.
Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holidays
Over the last few years, I have had such a different perspective on life as opposed to several years ago. Call it growing up, or maturing, or even having a deeper appreciation for the little things in life. Regardless, something I learned over the years is that everything that has happened in your life has led you to this point in your life. Despite any hardships or if there have been great things that happened, I say be thankful for everything in your life; the good and the bad things because both have created who you are today.
Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Holidays
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Knowledge is Power
I have been writing for years and still found something very amusing. A lot of friends and co-workers always bought me gift cards for book stores, and then I tell them I'm not much of a reader. They always reply, but you're a writer so you must read all the time. To be honest I never really liked reading. It always had to be something that catches my attention instantly or else I couldn't read it.
About two years ago I started working with my brother and his wife. A friend of ours told me reading was an important thing to do in life. Without reading, you don't really grow as a person; especially if you are reading empowering books and not trashy magazines focused on following celebrities. So I started to read a few books and two of my favorite books were the Mentor, and The Instant Millionaire. Both dealt with working hard toward your goals and never giving up on yourself even in the worst circumstances. If you push hard, you can reach whatever goals you set for yourself.
Now I know what some people wanted me to do with what I learned from those books, but I chose to apply it to my writing career instead. I knew if I pushed myself and truly believed in me, I could start reaching my goals. I am proud to say that I reached my first last year when I put out my first book Chamber of Souls. This actually helped me in other aspects of my life. I became closer with my family including both of my brothers, I pulled myself out of what appeared to be a dead end job and found a great opportunity with a company that has treated me wonderfully for the last year, and even found the love of my life.
But as I sat in my brother's living room last night, we talked about how fast I caught up to him in regards to writing movie scripts. He has been reading endless amounts of books on writing from people who have done the leg work in the past. His writing has become better because of it and he has taught me everything he is learning. So I decided if I can learn fast from him, why not start reading books on my own. Share what I learn with those that can benefit from it; including him. And who knows, maybe I'll put out a best seller sooner than I would have or sell a movie script faster, or help someone who is reading this do the same.
The point I'm trying to make with this post tonight, is do not give up on your writing, your dreams, or yourself. You can achieve if you believe in yourself and do the work. Push yourself and stay motivated. And read something that's empowering; you never know what it might spark within you.
About two years ago I started working with my brother and his wife. A friend of ours told me reading was an important thing to do in life. Without reading, you don't really grow as a person; especially if you are reading empowering books and not trashy magazines focused on following celebrities. So I started to read a few books and two of my favorite books were the Mentor, and The Instant Millionaire. Both dealt with working hard toward your goals and never giving up on yourself even in the worst circumstances. If you push hard, you can reach whatever goals you set for yourself.
Now I know what some people wanted me to do with what I learned from those books, but I chose to apply it to my writing career instead. I knew if I pushed myself and truly believed in me, I could start reaching my goals. I am proud to say that I reached my first last year when I put out my first book Chamber of Souls. This actually helped me in other aspects of my life. I became closer with my family including both of my brothers, I pulled myself out of what appeared to be a dead end job and found a great opportunity with a company that has treated me wonderfully for the last year, and even found the love of my life.
But as I sat in my brother's living room last night, we talked about how fast I caught up to him in regards to writing movie scripts. He has been reading endless amounts of books on writing from people who have done the leg work in the past. His writing has become better because of it and he has taught me everything he is learning. So I decided if I can learn fast from him, why not start reading books on my own. Share what I learn with those that can benefit from it; including him. And who knows, maybe I'll put out a best seller sooner than I would have or sell a movie script faster, or help someone who is reading this do the same.
The point I'm trying to make with this post tonight, is do not give up on your writing, your dreams, or yourself. You can achieve if you believe in yourself and do the work. Push yourself and stay motivated. And read something that's empowering; you never know what it might spark within you.
Friday, November 2, 2012
A dark time
I'm sorry to say, this post will have nothing to do with writing. I have been away from this blog for about 2 weeks now. The first week I couldn't find anything to say, and this week my state/my hometown was hit too hard by Hurricane Sandy.
Much of it has been talked about on the news, but focused on New York City and New Jersey. While NYC was hit hard, Jersey was hit a lot harder. However there are many other parts of New York that has been devastated. Breezey Point has burned down, Broad Channel has been flooded out and destroyed, Howard Beach has been flooded and many businesses condemed, and the South Shore of Long Island has been turned upside down. Many lives will never be the same. They have lost everything; their homes, their clothes, their family members, businesses, and there are still millions of people without power and have to fight the cold nights without any heat.
This is a very bad time for New Yorkers and people of New Jersey. People are homeless, they have lost everything, people have no power, there's no gas, and there are people looting the destroyed and ruined areas. Everyone needs to pitch in to help others around them even if it's something little. Donate your time, clothes, or money to help the relief efforts.
http://www.nyredcross.org/?nd=locations
http://www.bowery.org/donate/
https://www.wepay.com/xe8mtm9/donations/broad-channel-hurricane-sandy-relief_1
Much of it has been talked about on the news, but focused on New York City and New Jersey. While NYC was hit hard, Jersey was hit a lot harder. However there are many other parts of New York that has been devastated. Breezey Point has burned down, Broad Channel has been flooded out and destroyed, Howard Beach has been flooded and many businesses condemed, and the South Shore of Long Island has been turned upside down. Many lives will never be the same. They have lost everything; their homes, their clothes, their family members, businesses, and there are still millions of people without power and have to fight the cold nights without any heat.
This is a very bad time for New Yorkers and people of New Jersey. People are homeless, they have lost everything, people have no power, there's no gas, and there are people looting the destroyed and ruined areas. Everyone needs to pitch in to help others around them even if it's something little. Donate your time, clothes, or money to help the relief efforts.
http://www.nyredcross.org/?nd=locations
http://www.bowery.org/donate/
https://www.wepay.com/xe8mtm9/donations/broad-channel-hurricane-sandy-relief_1
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)