11Nov 2012 by CJ

Don’t hoard your blessings like an old miser

Generosity & Kindness
“The real issue in life is not how many blessings we have, but what we do with our blessings. Some people have many blessings and hoard them. Some have few and give everything away.” Fred Rogers Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and sadly so many families will go without many of the trimmings that fill our holiday tables. This self-serving behavior that our society seems to have adopted has got to stop. The only way a positive change can begin is to learn the art of compassion – to look beyond our own needs and desires to help someone less fortunate than we are. To be grateful for all our blessings. So maybe you have to skip your morning Starbucks for a week and instead buy a few canned goods for…
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01Nov 2012 by CJ

Nothing is ever lost by courtesy in life…or is there?

Generosity & Kindness
Sometimes I'm not sure it always pays to offer courtesy to others in life - even when it's a practice you often do. There’s a large tree in the back of my house that was tossed and thrown around like a rag doll during Hurricane Sandy. My wife and I cringed every time a strong gust of wind came barreling through our area. But I’m happy to report, amazingly, we only lost a dozen or so branches in varying sizes during the historic weather event – none of them hitting any structure on ours or our surrounding neighbor’s property. The tree is in fact in my yard, so I do feel obligated to at least retrieve whatever limbs might have fallen on my neighbor’s property. After all, it was a…
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12Oct 2012 by CJ

Healthcare is also about empathy not just medicine

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Something the healthcare profession is missing is a dose of empathy. My 92 year old grandmother took a little tumble the other day. The result? A painful break in her shoulder. And yet even with that, still not a complaint from this stubborn, strong-willed Italian. Me? I’d be crying over in the corner somewhere begging for some pain medication. My wife and I went to see her in the hospital last night and her spirits were good, though I can’t say she was getting all that much attention from the nursing staff. I understand they’re busy, but for the hour and a half we were there, nurses were nowhere to be found, and when I did ask them a question they weren’t the most friendly or helpful individuals around. It’s…
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19Aug 2012 by CJ

Unless it’s urgent, make Sunday a day of peace and relaxation

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
It’s often been said that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Yes, Saturday is often the day when you hear lawn mowers buzzing and people fluttering about taking care of household chores they simply couldn’t find time to take care of during the week. But Sunday, yes Sunday is supposed to be a time of relaxation – a time to recharge from a hectic work week and personal schedules to enjoy quality time with family and friends. There’s nothing I love more than a lazy Sunday whether it’s watching old movies, having company for afternoon dinners or just sitting outside enjoy the peace and tranquility of nature before another hectic week begins. But sadly, depending on where you live, Sunday serenity can be hard to achieve when…
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18Aug 2012 by CJ

What sacrifice have YOU made to better your character?

Generosity & Kindness
We could learn a lot from former Ford and Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca, who made a great sacrifice for his professional character. This was taken from an article written by Susan Tompor – a Free Press Columnist. Iacocca cut his salary to $1 a year as Chrysler arranged concessions that the Loan Guarantee Act required. "I didn't take $1 a year to be a martyr," Iacocca wrote in 1984 in his bestseller Iacocca: An Autobiography. "I took it so that when I went to Doug Fraser, the union president, I could look him in the eye and say: 'Here's what I want from you guys as your share,' and he couldn't come back to me and ask: 'You SOB, what sacrifice have you made?'" From homes to businesses to politics,…
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