10Feb 2016 by CJ

Feeling down? Just grab a spoon!

Life & Living, Youth
“When I’m feeling down, I make myself a big bowl of Up Soup. The bowl only looks empty, but in reality it’s full of hope. Grab a spoon, there’s plenty for both of us.” — Jarod Kintz, A Zebra is the Piano of the Animal Kingdom Today was my “feeling down” day. That typically encompasses feelings of loss and loneliness from the past, not to mention frustration over current situations I’m simply unable to “fix” right now. I don’t wake up in the morning proclaiming that I’m going to start off my day feeling down, but people and circumstances beyond my own control often set those wheels in motion. It’s difficult to reframe your mindset – to refocus your attention on the many blessings your life’s been afforded, rather than…
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09Feb 2016 by CJ

Appreciate the simple times that make you happy

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
“Please notice when you are happy – and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.” – Kurt Vonnegut There are days when my wife and I relish simply sitting in our yard on a beautiful spring day, listening to the peacefulness of nature and basking in the amazing glow of nature’s sunlight. There are snowy nights when we sit bundled up in two or three blankets, while the glow of a nearby fire illuminates the room and two steaming cups of hot cocoa warm our souls. There are moments when the two of us are cooking together in the kitchen – me usually making a mess and cleaning it up, while she utilizes her talents to create culinary masterpieces I…
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02Feb 2016 by CJ

Problems only get solved if you see them

Life & Living
Albert Einstein lived between 1879 and 1955 and yet this quote is probably more fitting today than on the day he originally said it: "There's been a quantum leap technologically in our age, but unless there's another quantum leap in human relations, unless we learn to live in a new way towards one another, there will be a catastrophe."  Turn on any news program, visit any related site online or step foot outside you very own door and chances are you won’t have to look far to witness the “catastrophe” Einstein is speaking of. It’s the year 2016, and I won’t argue that our society has made quantum leaps in technology – many of which I admittedly utilize on a daily basis with much satisfaction. But while technology has progressed…
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01Feb 2016 by CJ

A life of things is no life

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
"The best things in life aren't things." - Art Buchwald My grandmother was one of nine children living in a tiny, three bedroom apartment. Few things were truly "yours" in my grandmothers household growing up. You often shared a bed with one ore two of your sisters, not to mention clothes, toys, books and anything else which could be handed down to the next oldest child. When I used to listen to my grandmother talk about growing up, while there was no denying it was hard, the sense of family and security she felt for the people living in that tiny apartment was something few of us will ever understand. As cliche as it sounds, my grandmother would sometimes tell me, "We didn't have much, but we had each other…
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28Jan 2016 by CJ

A true connection is seen, heard, valued

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” - Brene Brown Seen…heard…valued. In my mind they are three incredibly powerful words which are the very foundation of all great and long-lasting relationships. That connection, that energy that two people can share is not something that comes along every day. In fact, I often wonder if there’s a possibility of one day it becoming completely extinct. I learned a long time ago that relationships (be them plutonic or intimate) require a great deal of effort in order to succeed. They need attention and care in order to develop and flourish into an invaluable resource for the…
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