28Mar 2016 by CJ

Success doesn’t always make sense

Life & Living
The way I see it, one’s ability to succeed is fundamentally comprised of two basic elements: 25% comes from one’s natural ability and the other 75% is based on pure old fashion luck. That statement is in no way meant to diminish the overwhelming talents so many of us possess. But it does make you think about those that have the ability, who seem to have the drive, but can’t seem to make their dreams come to fruition. When was the last time you watched a movie, read a book, heard a song on the radio or watched a program on TV and thought to yourself, “wow, that was really bad”. You spend a few moments pondering the amount of money publishers and entertainment gurus must have spent to produce…
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21Mar 2016 by CJ

Being an active listener is sometimes all people need

Life & Living
"As a relationship matures, you start to see that just being there for each other is the most important thing you can do, just being there to listen and be sorry with them, to be happy with them, to share all that there is to share." - Fred Rogers Today my wife was a little down. She's usually the picture of happiness and joy, but today she just found herself burdened with the uncertainties so many of us feel at some point in our lives. I hate to see her like that, and typically I always find something constructive to say in order for her to compartmentalize her feelings and find some peace. But this time I actually found myself somewhat speechless. My mind was at a loss for anything…
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15Mar 2016 by CJ

Prayers aren’t only when you need something

Life & Living
“You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.” – Kahlil Gibran Though I’m not a religious person, I readily admit to saying a nightly prayer with great regularity. It’s something I started over 20 years ago after reading an article about “praying” to a higher power – whomever you might deem appropriate. Truthfully? I’m pretty surprised I’ve stuck with it all these years based on two main reasons. One: I was brought up in the Catholic faith, but gave up on them a long time ago. Their form of organized religion is laced with rules I don’t agree with and hypocrisies I certainly will never support. Two: My life has certainly…
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08Mar 2016 by CJ

Change oneself in order to change the world

Life & Living
"Everybody thinks of changing humanity, but nobody thinks of changing himself."  - Leo Tolstoy I don’t care who you are, everyone could benefit from changing something about themselves – most notably how we interact and behave towards those around us. Now I’m not talking about drastic changes, which are often more of an evolutionary process than a simple change in personality. I’m talking about realistic changes we can apply in our daily lives – things which might seem trivial or insignificant, but I assure you have a great impact on the world around you and most definitely on yourself. Here are some thoughts: Be kind to others for unselfish reasons. Be a patient and captive listener. Check your ego at the door – always! Go out of your way to…
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07Mar 2016 by CJ

Silence shouldn’t scare, but refresh you

Life & Living
“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” – Blaise Pascal I’ve known a great deal of people in my life, both living alone and living in a relationship, who can’t bare the quiet of silence. They immediately need to turn on the television, the radio or other noise making device in an effort to drown out the silence all around them. I’ve never understood this really. What’s wrong with sitting in silence every now and then? Why must there always be something to distract us? I often wonder if this fear of silence has been created by our fierce reliance on technology. We’re so used to being instantly gratified by computers and smartphones, which have become like another appendage, that many of…
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