Category: Life & Living

“Know that you are the perfect age. Each year is special and precious, for you shall only live it once. Be comfortable with growing older.” – Louise Hay Growing older has been weighing heavy on my mind of late, but NOT for the superficial reasons you may be suspecting. Yes, my hair is going grey and isn’t quite as thick as it used to be. Yes, it’s getting harder and harder to lose those pesky few pounds even with diet and exercise. And after a day of intense yard work, my body now aches in places it never did before. I’m willing to accept all that (okay, maybe not losing my hair) as typical signs of the aging process. But what I find myself struggling with is my own mortality,…

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.”  - Steve Jobs  What separates “good” people from “great” people in the business world today? In my opinion, it’s consistent quality that’s delivered, not promised. Regardless of how big or small the task at hand may be, “Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.” (John Ruskin) The other day I overheard a high-level executive tell one of their creative designers, “Not everything has to be a masterpiece. We need to get things out the door and that’s what matters.” I understand that a deadline is a deadline. I spent many years as a Graphic Designer for a high-end lifestyle magazine in New Jersey. For anyone who’s ever worked…

“Some people see scars, and it is wounding they remember. To me they are proof of the fact that there is healing.”  ― Linda Hogan The other day at work, I bumped into the open drawer of a metal filing cabinet, causing a three-inch cut on the middle of my thigh. My first thought? This is going to scar. I’m not sure why I care all that much about a scar on my leg. After all, I’m not a leg model for Vogue magazine. Not to mention my legs are littered with scars from the abuse I often put them through while performing any number of handyman projects. Eventually I shrugged it off and went about my day. Later on, while sitting in Colorado’s grueling rush hour traffic, the discomfort of…

“Karma has no problem getting back in touch with you when need be.” – Author Unknown What is karma? The internet is littered with definitions, which seemingly contradict each other, so it’s almost impossible to discern what the actual definition is. After going through page after page, I finally found one which supports the teachings I learned during previous yoga classes. “(In Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” Whether you agree or disagree with the concept of karma, its potential for the future ultimately inspires human beings from around the world to change their current behaviors. Suddenly kindness and compassion have become a daily practice in the hopes of securing better days…

What have I learned in life? An inspirational blog I subscribe to recently challenged its readers to write a letter to your 16-year-old self. Honestly, the assignment seemed like a waste of time. After all, the past is in the past and the outcomes can only be recanted, but never changed. Still I tried to have an open mind and sat down to write myself a letter about what I have learned so far. And for those younger people who have no idea what I’m talking about, a “letter” is a hand-written or typed communication which is typically sent through the mail in an envelope. For this exercise, I decided to save myself the stamp. Here’s the letter I wrote to a 16-year-old Craig: I remember what 16 was like…