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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06Mar 2016 by CJ

Just be happy – you have more reasons than you think

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy." - Guillaume Apollinaire I realized the other day that we spend so much time "trying" to be happy, that we forget about all the little things that already provide our lives with joy. Simple things like sitting on the back porch on a beautiful sunny day - lost in a sea of nothingness, as you allow yourself to just be happy in the wonders of nature. My wife and I did this just this morning over a cup of coffee and the sound of birds chirping in the background. Or watching a young child play superhero in the backyard - engulfed in a world of pretend, while entertaining their spirit of imagination. Watching my…
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