03Jan 2016 by CJ

Plans often change – you must be ready for them

Life & Living
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell I’m acquainted with two individuals who’ve planned occasions in their life down to their age. One is determined to achieve a certain career level by the time he’s 40, and the other has it set in stone to move back home and build a house of her own by the time she’s 27. Goals are an important part of life. They help to keep our journey on track and moving in the right direction, further enabling those aspirations to become a reality. But planning too far in advance, in such great detail, can also lead to a feeling of utter failure when plans go…
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30Dec 2015 by CJ

True progress leads to lasting fulfillment

Life & Living
“True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.”  St. Francis De Sales Years ago, not long after being promoted to designer at an upscale magazine in New Jersey, my colleague announced he’d be going away on a pre-planned vacation in a week and a half. Normally this wouldn’t be cause for alarm, except for the fact that the magazine was scheduled to go to press on the very week I’d find myself all alone in my new position. While the design wasn’t necessarily an issue, the logistics and processes (not to mention the workload) was much more intense than my previous position. And while my colleague did an excellent job of teaching me the ropes before he left, it’s not always so easy to remember when you’re thrown into…
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29Dec 2015 by CJ

The sick and aging deserve to be remembered

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
The other day I was flipping through a photo album – a window into a world when my grandparents were young and vibrant. Their smiles for the camera were true ​and honest​ - something I can still remember with such clarity, though I haven’t seen their faces for many years now. A thought popped into my head while thumbing through one page, one photograph after another. While age is a sign that you’ve had a long life, it also means that once you’ve become a pale representation of your former self, many will inevitably forget you. Humanity has a difficult time dealing with those we love when they’re nearing the end of their life – when age has made them withered, frail and feeble. I suppose it’s a defense mechanism…
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27Dec 2015 by CJ

Change in behavior could change your life

Life & Living, Youth
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”  - C.S. Lewis Some of you might be familiar with the initials CBT. For those who are not, it stands for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy -  a common form of mental health counseling, which has been used to treat anxiety and depression for years. From the Mayo Clinic’s website: “Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking, so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.” And while many of you may dismiss CBT based on your current mental health status, they go on to say, “But not everyone who benefits from cognitive behavioral therapy has a mental health condition. It can be an effective tool to…
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20Nov 2015 by CJ

Having a nice house doesn’t equal happiness

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Whenever I’m feeling a little down in the dumps, there’s a gentleman at work who’s quick to point out, “You live in a nice house – what do you have to be unhappy about?” I’m always amused by such statements. I’m not really sure how a house, a car or any material possession can ever be a predicator for happiness. And yet Americans spend more time than they probably should convincing themselves that such “things” will bring them elation. Let me be the first to tell you – they won’t. That momentary gratification fades over time, a short time to be exact. What you’re left with is still that emptiness inside – that longing to belong to something; to be unconditionally loved by someone; to be deemed important enough that…
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