28Oct 2020 by CJ
So many times in life we have no idea what a blessing is

So many times in life we have no idea what a blessing is

Generosity & Kindness
“If material things are what you’re talking about when you say, “I’m blessed” – you have no idea what a blessing is.” – DailyKarmaQuotes.com I came across this quote earlier in the week on Facebook – right around the time much of Colorado was blanketed with half a foot of snow and temperatures were hovering in the teens. A rarity these days, I found myself driving to the post office to drop off a package for work – a strange feeling as much of my time is now spent isolated inside my home. Little did I know that day I’d discover that sometimes I have no idea what a blessing is. It was late in the afternoon and the sun had already begun its decent behind the mountainous backdrop –…
Read More
30Sep 2020 by CJ
Poor people have a better sense of what’s important than we do

Poor people have a better sense of what’s important than we do

Generosity & Kindness
“Poor people are, as a rule, a bit more generous. We understand what it might be like to have to beg even if we have never done it ourselves. In fact, there’s data to back me up. The latest research shows that people of low socioeconomic status are more likely to be altruistic than their higher-class counterparts. In 2011, the bottom 20 percent of earners gave a higher percentage of their wealth away than the top 20 percent.” ― Linda Tirado, Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America During these times of staying close to home, I’ve been trying to educate myself more on so many of the problems which plague our great country. I’ve gone through four eye-opening and profound books on racism before turning my attention to homelessness and poor…
Read More
07Sep 2020 by CJ
What real courage is often is misunderstood in society

What real courage is often is misunderstood in society

Generosity & Kindness
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, main character Atticus Finch says, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” What real courage is. The message that Atticus Finch provides us is simple yet poignant and so often overlooked in our society. A quick search on Merriam-Webster reveals their definition of courage to be, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. That definition fully supports the message Atticus Finch provides us. However, what it doesn’t support is society’s view that courage is about being tough, macho, bullying,…
Read More
26Jul 2020 by CJ
The grass is always greener blinds you from seeing what you already have

The grass is always greener blinds you from seeing what you already have

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
On WritingExplained.org, the phrase, “The grass is always greener on the other side” is defined as such: “When someone is not satisfied with their own lot in life and always assumes that there are better things in other places.” Sound like anyone you know? I can think of a handful people off the top of my head. Actually, on occasion, I’d group myself into that category. I think a lot of us subscribe to the notion that “the grass is always greener” as we’ve become a society who spends far too much time worried about what other people have when compared to what our own lives might be lacking. My wife and I have remained fairly confined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some might consider us overly cautious, and that’s just…
Read More
09Jun 2020 by CJ
Acknowledge me to affirm that my contributions matter

Acknowledge me to affirm that my contributions matter

Generosity & Kindness, Love & Relationships
“It amazes me that we are all on Twitter and Facebook. By ‘we’ I mean adults. We're adults, right? But emotionally we're a culture of seven-year-olds. Have you ever had that moment when are you updating your status and you realize that every status update is just a variation on a single request: Would someone please acknowledge me?” ― Marc Maron, Attempting Normal I once had a co-worker who would often question whether or not she was invisible. Now before you call in for a straitjacket, she was speaking metaphorically as she struggled with the feelings (both professionally and personally) which Maron highlighted above – would someone please acknowledge me? While the two of us would often joke about her feelings of being invisible, I knew there was some truth to her…
Read More