Book Review : Callie & Kayden by Jessica Sorenson

I have read the two books from this series in less than a week. I have had sleepless nights in the last week just because I wanted to find out what was next and to see how it was handled.

I do not want to go into the details of the story line, essentially Callie Lawrence and Kayden Owens both come with their own special bits of baggage.

Callie views herself as fragile, but in truth she's stronger than most people I know. Whereas Kayden thinks his tough - he almost crumbles at the sight of receiving a random act of kindness.

I picked up the first book, the Coincidence of Callie & Kayden based purely on the use of the word "coincidence" in the title. Now I know, you should never judge a book by it's cover but it's the second time it worked in my favor.

The story also touches on a lot of taboo (albeit sensitive) topics and it made me draw on people I know who have been in similar situations which is both sad and eye-opening.

You can know someone has been through an event and think you understand the pains that they feel. The truth is, I had no idea but this book allowed me to have a deeper understanding.

Seth, Callie's best friend, also reminds me of so many men I have come to know. The follow up to the Coincidence of Callie & Kayden aptly called The Redemption of Callie & Kayden was good. Really good. I was so invested in the characters that I couldn't wait to buy the physical book and downloaded it to my kindle and then I finished it in two days.

I am so happy that this book reignited my love for reading!

What are you currently reading?

13 Incomplete Blog Posts of 2013

Here is some of my drafts which never quite made the cut....

1.BEING AWESOME

I found this article once and it made me think there is nothing better than being awesome!

2.DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO DUMB YOU DOWN

As I'm writing this post I am aware that it is entirely possible that it will be months or years before I can actually publish it but I feel compelled to document what I'm feeling and I am almost 100% certain that everyone in life will need this advice at some point or another.

I am very well educated. Not just for my age (although I am extremely well educated for my age - 26) but well educated for anyone's age and it has taken me a long time to stop being embaressed by my education. I used to think I don't want people to think I'm showing off or being condescending to them because I am smart but here are my truths (any maybe you can identify with them):

1.  I am intelligent and a nice person
2. I am educated and a nice person
3. I have worked HARD to become as educated as I am
4. Other people will try to pull me down because they may think I want their job/their money/their life but all I want is to be challenged in my career and to grow.
5. There is nothing wrong with wanting to learn more.
6. There is nothing wrong with asking more questions (including those which relate to your career growth).
7. Some people may try to put you in a box in order for you not to grow but God will show the way.

I know this may seem like an extreme or odd post (ok, maybe rant) but you cannot allow other people to dumb you down by giving you minimal work and/or giving you work that you are too qualified to do

So number 8 would be this - there are certain activites which you are too qualified to do and yes you can do them and you should do them BUT those should not be your only activities.

9. People in the workplace (well, people in general) are vindictive. That is an unfortunate truth. I am the kind of person that can change a work environment and be all bright and shiney but the truth is that there will still be people in the department/company that will not like you for those things - which is fine BUT they will pretend to like you which is where the 'vindictiveness' comes in!

3. 7 THINGS THAT ENTERTAIN ME

After my earlier post, I feel compelled to remind you that I am not going to allow myself to emotionally hoard and instead, I wanted to share things that entertain or make me happy

1.My Family and friends

2.TV (including watching Football)Fashion Police and especially reruns of FRIENDS

3. Solving problems
This is the nerd in my coming out but I think it may equally be the fighter in me as well....

4. Good Food

5.Reading blogs

6. Traveling and meeting people from other places (includes those who are not from Johannesburg)

7.When people talk to themselves in public. My dad is one of these people, in fact I remember, clearly, that once my mom, dad and I were the only ones home and my mom and I were talking in the kitchen and then I heard my dad talking. When I asked her was he talking to us, she said "no he's talking to himself" and if that was not strange enough... picture my dad,

4. BRAVE,DUMB OR STUPID

This is the title of the post I started when I arrived in Germany for my Eurotrip. But the title is as far as it got....

5. COINCIDENCES

I met someone a while ago, and then a couple of years later I met this person again - randomly... was it a coincidence? Is there such a thing as a coincidence or is it serendipity? Does Serendipity even exist?

6. I ALWAYS WANT TO BE HONEST

I always want to be honest. I am to be honest in my day to day life but I also want to be honest here - in my web world so I think it is only fair to share some of my thoughts on a topic which has been playing on my mind A LOT. Well, since my Eurotrip.

7. THREE THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME THIS WEEK

This is a completely unplanned post but

Today I was told that I am fearless which is funny because it is the one thing I would never call myself.

8. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I feel like posting but just don't know what exactly I want to blog about. So I thought why not introduce a new series about What would you do... I'm not exactly sure where this series will go but I thought why not just go with it, for now..

WHAT WOULD YOU DO if you could spend a day without being questioned by society (or your family.. or whoever you think judges you)

Even as I typed this, I'm not sure where I am going with this train of thought.

When I was younger I used to be a lot more, brash, I suppose so I

9. THREE THINGS I'VE BEEN THINKING OF

1. Why are more people not loving the TV series, Betrayal. I am absolutely loving this show and no one else seems to be watching it...

2.

10. THINK.. THINKING... THOUGHT

I am a thinker.

To be more accurate, I am an over thinker! I am 

11.MUSIC THERAPY - IS IT JUST THE PINK FLUFFY STUFF?

I love music, all types of music and at all times in the day.

I don't think there's ever been a day in my life when I thought "No more music!"

12. Coming and going but who are you sending?

Trust is important…but naivety is dangerous."

This quote is courtesy of The Single Woman Blog and deeply resonated with me as soon as I read it. It made me think how often I have been upset by "people betraying me"but then it got me thinking... a person can only hurt you as much as you allow them too. Yes, I've heard this saying a number of times but truly understanding it made me look at life differently.

I have a lot of people in my life that I refer to as "takers" the people who are my friends because I have something that they want whether it be free legal advice, money or just company when they are bored - there are many versions of "takers"and you may be able to recognise some of them in your own life. I think it's important to recognise relationships for what they are and understand that not every person you meet is as genuine as they present themselves to be BUT in the same light there is no need to be suspicious of everyone around you either.

I think it's important to allow yourself to open up to others especially new people because it is important to show your real self as soon as possible otherwise you might end up being the person who is not what you seem.

I am a very lucky individual and have friends in my life who have been a friend for over 20 years. (Just in case you forgot, I am only 26 years old! So 20+ years of friendship is extremely impressive).

I say all this to say…SET BOUNDARIES, with your heart, your time, your LIFE. Not everyone who knocks on the door of your life should be allowed in.

Not everyone has good intentions. This is not to say you should barricade your heart behind a brick wall and never allow anyone in…but you do owe it to yourself to protect yourself.

13. 3 THINGS - EVERYONE SHOULD DO IN CAPE TOWN

I'm starting this list at three things but truth is i'm certain I will have issues reducing them to 7!

1. Table Mountain - this is one of the new 7 World wonders as off 2012 and why wouldn't it be? While I lived in Cape Town, our balcony had the BEST view of the mountain, it was the way my mom and I used to know if it was going to be a good day or a bad one. I suggest you visit Table Mountain and if you're up for the activity you should hike it. I did it once and it was exhausting but compeltely gratifying. You should l

SO..... WHICH ONE SHOULD I HAVE ACTUALLY PUBLISHED?

13 Things I Accomplished / Decisions I Made In 2013

This is a bit of a serious post because it can fall in with Soulful Sunday... this year has brought a lot of challenges but I have also overcome a lot, some I didn't even blog about.

1. Making the decision to get admitted as an attorney - I fulfilled all the requirements in May 2012 but it took me months to actually commit to getting the paperwork and it was all due to my friend, Kaylene, deciding to get admitted as well so I thought it would be awesome to be admitted with a friend. 

2. THEN actually getting admitted - you can read about it here 

3.I finally traveled overseas again. It frustrated me that it took so long between trips but I don't intend on letting it go that long again.

4. I traveled to Europe all on my lonesome! You can read about all of them

5. I managed to throw an actual "SURPRISE" birthday party where my brother was ACTUALLY surprised.  - yay me!

6. I can bring people together, whether it be at work or a Hostel in Ireland....

7. Returning to Ireland - I am still incapable of explaining my pull towards the country and that place

8. There was this guy, who I thought I had unfinished business with - but now it's finished.

9. I finally wore a red dress!

10. There was an extremely toxic person who was trying to poison my family (metaphorically speaking) and she finally left and things are so much better.

11. Deciding to finally start a blog .... and then moved it here!

12. I had to overcome bullying in the workplace.

13. I decided to take a leap of faith and resign from my job. While the decision was not easy especially in this economy but I knew that staying there was making me sick and that it wasn't going to get better.

So there it is... what have you accomplished this year?

13 Things i learnt in 2013

It's the first installment of 13 of 2013 series and I am super duper excited! I feel somewhat bitter sweet about this year. I have had so many incredible things happen to me this year but at the same time I have had some of the hardest situations to handle.

I'm glad that there are officially 13 days of the year left and while 2014 holds it's own challenges, joys and sorrows - now is the time to reflect of 2013.

First up, are the lessons I walk away with. While some are obvious and some may seem redundant to previous years - each of these took on new meanings to me.

1. It's ok to be lonely but I'm never alone, while it appears not everyone agrees - I think it's important to know what kind of person you are when you are lonely and then be ok with that person

2. I have the ability to light up a room as much as I have the power to dampen it, apparently people feed off my energy!

3. I am more fearless then I would I ever give myself credit for.

4. God has truly blessed me with the virtue of patience this year. Things at work or situations in which I have found myself has shocked me that I haven't reacted badly because this is how I really felt...

5. I will not apologise for not blogging because my daily life is busy - after all it is my life.

6. Some people will bully you - even as a grown up

7. Some parents shouldn't be parents because they have no idea what it means to educate a child.

8. Holding onto Serenity in the midst of chaos is an art form but once you've mastered it, there is nothing as wonderful as it.

9.It is entirely possible that the people you interact with on blogs can become your friends, they get to see a side of you that some people in your "real" life never do.

10. A lot of people outside of South Africa are shocked to hear that I am from South Africa.

11. Modern technology can maintain and develop frienships

Remember Juls and Oli who I studied with in 2009 and finally visited them in Germany

Jamie and Brian who I met during a random night out in Dublin in 2010 - we got to go for lunch almost three years later

12. Keeping with Number 11, if someone wants to be a part of your life - they will if they aren't it is because they don't want it enough.

13. Sometimes fortunate accidents (serendipity) occurs but sometimes, you shouldn't look into a deeper meaning when all it is, is God showing you the possibility of what could come.

What are some the lessons you learnt this year?

Soulful Sunday : On my mind