Highlighting the I in difference
Did you know there are positives in failing? I didn’t realise this until I failed something quite important to me. I needed to pass, but God said no, it’s not time yet. You need to learn what it feels like to fail. We all go through times in our lives when we pass or fail […]
The Positives of Failing — Olivia Lucie Blake
Good afternoon everybody!
I hope you’re all having an awesome start to the week!
I’ve been writing blogs here on Sweeney’s Blogs for well over 2 years, and in that time, I have learnt so so much. Blogging, for me, has been a journey, one that I have thoroughly enjoyed so far, and I am looking forward to whatever is to come next! Let’s take a close look at some of my thoughts in today’s blog!
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Good morning everybody!
I hope you are all having a lovely start to the day!
When I first started Sweeney’s Blogs, back in February 2019, I didn’t just want to create a singular blog page – I wanted to build a community, a safe space where people can come to talk about all of the topics that genuinely matter to them. Over the last 2 & a half years, I have been so lucky to see that vision grow more & more into a reality, and it is such a rewarding process!!
Let’s take a bit of a closer look at this in today’s blog!
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Good afternoon everybody!!
I hope you are all having a lovely day so far!
The end of October is now less than a week away, so you know what that means – it’s time for another Sweeney’s Stuttering Update, this time for October 2021! I do these update posts monthly, as a way of keeping track & sharing my journey to speech fluency. How has my speech & Stutter been this month? Well, let’s take a look in today’s blog 🙂
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Why is it that hero stories continue to capture the human imagination?
While we have no shortage of action-packed Marvel films, the archetypal hero myth is manifested is different cultures throughout history.
If you pay close attention, you’ll start to realize similarities in structure and pattern across different stories and mythology. Achilles in the Homer’s Iliad, to Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films and Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings are all connected in their journeys of adventure and personal transformation.
For the mythologist and scholar Joseph Campbell, the ubiquity of these stories reveals some fundamental truth about the human experience. He calls this framework commonly found in our literature, stories and films the hero’s journey.
The Framework
In the Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell lays out the 17 steps of the hero’s journey which can be summarized in
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Tuesday the 20th October 2020 marked the 2-year anniversary since I jumped out of a plane at 12,000 feet to raise money for The Alzheimer’s Story. It was one of the craziest and most memorable things that I have ever done in my life, and looking back on the experience, I am so glad that I seized the opportunity and did the jump. I can’t wait until I can do another jump, but for the time being, let’s take a look at my Skydiving story!
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6 years ago yesterday I got rushed into hospital and was diagnosed with Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome. I was only 15 years of age when it happened and I am eternally grateful for all of the work that the surgeons, doctors, nurses and more did to save my life when I was but 3 hours away from what would have been my unfortunate death.
I am James Sweeney and this is my Peutz-Jeghers Story, My Dance with Death:
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Since we began the Self Care Sunday series, we’ve discussed what self-care is, why it’s important, and a few different self-care methods. For today’s post, I want to talk a little bit about the methods I use, what they are, and why they work for me. Everyone is different, so every person needs to find out what works for them.
This one may not seem like much, but it’s so important. Figuring out what you feel and why can provide you with the tools to figure out what you need to do about it. It can also potentially stop you from doing or saying things you’ll regret later. For example, I (like most people) get very cranky when I’m stressed out, frustrated, or even just hungry. Sometimes, I just need to take a step back and evaluate. What am I even stressed out over? Did something actually happen…
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Good afternoon everybody
How are we all doing?
World Mental Health Day 2021 falls tomorrow on Sunday the 10th of October 2021!! World Mental Health Day is one of the biggest days on the Mental Health calendar and is something that I am very passionate about. In today’s blog, we are going to be taking a look at this special day, why it is so important, and how you can get involved!
Let’s get cracking!
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Good afternoon everybody!
I hope you are all keeping well & are having a lovely start to the week!
I am super happy to announce that Sweeney’s Blogs passed over 25,000 total views last week!! We are going to be taking a little look at my thoughts surrounding hitting this milestone in today’s blog!
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Why is taking the first step always the hardest?
Why people are so scared of stepping out very first?
It happens! Even it’s me as well. I was afraid to move out first, and then to come out from my comfort zone. It’s really, really very hard.
What’s the reason?
It’s our insecurities that push us back and we get scared to move ahead. But, we forget that the greatest person of today was once a beginner. Yes, he also faced lots of insecurities, challenges, and fear of coming out for the very first time. However, he did it and overcame his fear. Hurray!!!
Yes, it’s not easy to take the first step and face the world. But, you are not alone, your ideas, thoughts, willpower, vigor accompany you that keep pushing you ahead to do it. And, you will do it.
Don’t let your fear overpower your willingness to…
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Good afternoon everybody!
I hope you are all having an outstanding day so far!
September 2021 has nearly come to an end, and with that, I have got another Sweeney’s Stuttering Update for you all! I do these posts once a month as a way to collate all of the things that I discover & learn about Stuttering into a series of blog posts for you all to see! So, let’s get cracking with today’s post!
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Good afternoon everyone!
World Alzheimer’s Month is running through September 2021, a national holiday that means the world to me! To help celebrate such a special event, today’s blog is going to take a look at World Alzheimer’s Month, and why it means so much to me. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
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Good afternoon everybody!
Last Friday, I moved back up into the Halls of Residence at the University of Reading, ahead of starting my final year of university next week. Here are a couple of my thoughts surrounding me entering my last year, hope you enjoy!
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Good afternoon everybody!
I hope you are all having an excellent start to the weekend!
The Festival of Learning Month is running throughout September 2021, so, in celebration of such a fascinating month, we are going to be looking at what it is, and how you can get involved, in today’s blog!
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Sweeney's Blogs 