The beginning of a story is never where the story started…

For me, building this website on October 3rd, 2025 is definitely not where the story started. I bought my camera in March 2020, a way to encourage myself to brave the blazon heat outside. At that time I was a machine gunner in Twenty-nine Palms, CA. stationed with ANIMAL company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. I had taken a photography class in high-school on a whim and enjoyed it, plus I was only 20 minutes from the Joshua National Park entrance, and got free admission as active duty military.

I’ve finally decided to create a place that I can put my journey on display, selfishly for myself, so that I might have a place to come back, reflect to showcase my work and pay tribute to all the wonderful opportunities I’ve been fortunate enough to receive. But also so that maybe by laying my journey on display it might provide some sense of ease in another whose at a loss and wants to see some pretty pictures.

Awareness is always the first step. See Things as they really are, ask yourself why, and what part do you play, how can you re-allocate your power?

Trust that what you are doing is the best you can do for that moment. Trust that you’re able to make the change. Trust that wherever it might look like your path is taking you, as long as you’re showing up with intention and integrity in that intention, your path is heading in the right direction. No one said it was a straight line. Paths twist and turn, double back, have dead ends and forks in the road. So too will your journey. Don’t lose sight of the good, your awareness to change, your intention to show up differently and the consistency to stay on the path that you forget there is a goal behind it. Remember when you’re feeling down and feel like you’re failing that at least you’re trying, at least there is an end goal, a reason an intention. Otherwise, you’d just be wandering aimlessly, not knowing what you're even looking for. Which within its own lens can be right at times too. It’s all about what you’re striving for, change, knowledge, awareness, etc. But no one says you need to listen to me, I’m just a guy writing about my experience drinking coffee and sitting on the floor.

-C.J. (Jan 29, 2024)

Then Intention. Move forward with a clear intention of how you would like to show up, instead of where your subconscious/ default settings might take you. This won’t go seamlessly, so bring in a healthy dose of compassion and grace to yourself as you move through the world with a clear new intention. If you misstep rather than getting down on yourself, instead evaluate in hindsight, how would you of liked to show up? Write about it, and if necessary, apologize and clearly state your intention to the person on the receiving end of your misstep; even if that person is you.

And Thirdly, Consistency. Show up every day with as much ambition as you had on the first day. Let yesterday stay in yesterday, regardless of how “good” or “bad” it was. Today is where you make all of your decisions, so focus on today.

Every mis-step is still a step in your story. No one’s journey looks the same, so never compare yourself to another, just as no one should compare themselves to you. As Jared says, “we’re all on our own little journeys!” So discover yours. Enjoy it. The lower the lows opens up an opportunity for higher highs. Throughout this whole process, trust yourself.