16Oct 2018 by CJ
One kind word is all it takes to completely change your outlook

One kind word is all it takes to completely change your outlook

Generosity & Kindness
“Sometimes, all it takes is one kind word to nourish another person. Think of the ripple effect that can be created when we nourish someone. One kind empathetic word has a wonderful way of turning into many.” ― Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember When opportunities fall through your fingers like particles of sand, you’re often left deflated and demoralized. You question whether or not you’ll find the courage to believe in yourself and continue moving forward. But then something truly wonderful happens. One kind word completely derails your deflated and demoralized feelings and suddenly you realize that everything happens for a reason. That today you’re you and frankly that’s enough. I recently found myself experiencing the feelings above as an opportunity I was convinced would…
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11May 2018 by CJ
What we have in life should not be worth more than who we have

What we have in life should not be worth more than who we have

Generosity & Kindness
“It’s not what we have in our life, but WHO we have in our life that counts.” – J.M. Laurence I recently heard this story, which will help illustrate my point that what we have in life is so meaningless – especially, if you never take the time to enjoy it with the people you love. Not unlike many generations in the past, a middle-aged woman was given a beautiful set of fine china when she and her husband were first married. And not unlike many generations in the past, she kept it locked away (literally) in a display cabinet – physically touching it only once a year when it was time to take it out and clean it. Otherwise, its intended purpose was never fulfilled. Then one day, a…
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24Feb 2018 by CJ

My lifeline – those who make the journey rewarding

Generosity & Kindness
You are my lifeline, you are my rescue Strength in my weakness, light in my darkness You are my safety, lifter of my head The air that I need when, I can't seem to breath in You are my lifeline When I first heard the refrain to You Are My Lifeline, I found myself playing it over and over again – each time feeling more inspired, more hopeful and more grateful. One thing that’s come with age is the ability to be more introspective. The reckless abandon which once drove my decisions, has been replaced with continual thought and reflection. It’s been that reflection which has provided me the most clarity about what’s truly important on the journey we’re all privileged to take for an unspecified duration. What I’ve come…
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22Nov 2017 by CJ

Secret of giving – what are you teaching your children?

Generosity & Kindness, Youth
“Think of giving not as a duty but as a privilege.” - John D. Rockefeller Jr. I think Rockefeller’s quote truly defines the secret of giving. For if you have the privilege to give to someone less fortunate, that means your life is blessed with abundance. But where do we learn this secret of giving from? I think it’s important to realize that some individuals (okay, a lot of individuals) simply don’t possess any genuine compassion towards others. Their view of life is so narrowly focused on their own agenda that they rarely, if ever, consider doing something for the betterment of someone else. The secret of giving is truly lost on them. But I was given a little hope last night. Hope that there are still people out there who…
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20Sep 2017 by CJ

Givers are a rarity, so hold on to them when you find them

Generosity & Kindness
“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that--warm things, kind things, sweet things--help and comfort and laughter.”  ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, A Little Princess Humanity is comprised of three types of people: takers, givers and matchers. While the first two are more well-known personas, “matchers” are people who will only give when they know they’ll get something back in return. What kind of person are you? Over the last decade, I’ve realized that givers are in the minority. While the matchers of the world still brand themselves as givers, that’s only to ease the guilt of their self-serving…
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