24Jan 2025 by CJ
Impress Others with Who You Are, Not with What You Have

Impress Others with Who You Are, Not with What You Have

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
On days when I try to make sense of this nonsensical world, I often find myself lost in deep reflection on various topics. On this particular day, I pondered why we invest so much time and energy trying to impress others, even those we don’t know. As is often the case, I received some unsolicited wisdom that reminded me of what is most valuable in life. This time, the insight came from a daily motivational message that arrived in my inbox every morning. “The only way to impress me is by being a good person. I don’t care what you have, what you wear, where you live, or what you drive. I just have a deep respect for people with pure hearts and good intentions.” From childhood innocence to the…
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17Dec 2024 by CJ
A Midlife Crisis is Uncertainty of One’s Life Purpose

A Midlife Crisis is Uncertainty of One’s Life Purpose

Life & Living
"I think midlife crisis is just a point where people's careers have reached some plateau and they have to reflect on their personal relationships." - Bill Murray. I have always been highly self-reflective, frequently expressing the thoughts and emotions that arise from this process in my writing and conversations with others. After all, the only way to genuinely improve oneself is to look back on our lives and reflect on our actions and decisions with complete transparency. Self-reflection is challenging and often requires us to confront uncomfortable truths about our choices, discomfort necessary for achieving meaningful results. As I explore this stage of life, I realize that aging alters our perceptions and impacts how we tolerate ourselves and our shortcomings. While I wouldn't necessarily label it a midlife crisis, reaching…
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17Nov 2024 by CJ
Hope Begins in the Dark…Begins with Us

Hope Begins in the Dark…Begins with Us

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up." ― Anne Lamott While many of my fellow Americans have been celebrating the results of the 2024 Presidential Election, I cannot. I've struggled to reconcile with reality, unwilling to acknowledge what I've witnessed and experienced about humanity lately. In short, electing a president who is blatantly racist, homophobic, sexist, elitist, and narcissistic means much of society sees nothing wrong with his rhetoric. They downplay messages of hate against our fellow Americans as nothing more than amusement at the expense of those who are deemed unworthy in a society led by wealthy white supremacists. Such overt behavior…
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25Oct 2024 by CJ
Mainstream Media Normalizes Bullying Behavior

Mainstream Media Normalizes Bullying Behavior

Information & Education, Life & Living
“As the mainstream media has become increasingly dependent on advertising revenues for support, it has become an anti-democratic force in society.” Robert Waterman McChesney, an American professor Parents and teachers have an invaluable impact on shaping a child’s moral and ethical values. Whenever a child misbehaves at home or in the classroom, parents and teachers are often the voice of reason in the situation. They use the bad behavior as a teachable moment to help ensure that such behaviors aren’t repeated in the future. Educator and author Beth Lewis defines a “teachable moment” as “An unplanned opportunity that arises in the classroom where a teacher has an ideal chance to offer insight to his or her students. It is not something that you can plan for; rather, it is a…
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01Jul 2024 by CJ
What’s wrong with lying in dating apps, resumes, and politics? A lot!

What’s wrong with lying in dating apps, resumes, and politics? A lot!

Information & Education, Life & Living
"My father always told me that what's wrong with lying is that it's an admission of weakness. If you're the strongest, you can afford to tell the truth." K.J. Parker, British novelist A few days ago, I stumbled upon some information that I've struggled to purge from my mind. This information suggests that society cannot fully grasp what's wrong with lying, especially when creating a fictitious version of oneself to appear more desirable in a given situation or circumstance. In a 2023 survey by Bright Futures, 90% of online dating app users admitted to lying on their profiles. The most common lies were age, height, career and financial status, location, and appearance. In a 2022 survey by LinkedIn, 72% of respondents admitted to lying on their resumes. The most common…
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