08Sep 2015 by CJ

Last wills and testaments can be cause for anxiety

Life & Living
Jack has died. His lawyer is standing before the family and reads out Jack’s Last Will and Testament. “To my dear wife Esther, I leave the house, 50 acres of land, and 1 million dollars. To my son Barry, I leave my Big Lexus and the Jaguar. To my daughter Suzy, I leave my yacht and $250,000. And to my brother-in-law Jeff, who always insisted that health is better than wealth, I leave my sun lamp.” - Anonymous Perhaps one of the most melancholy tasks to do in life than preparing last wills and testaments. You know, that little piece of paper that states who you want to leave what to when you die? Making decisions about what happens to everything you’ve worked so hard to acquire upon your death can…
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30Aug 2015 by CJ

Gossiping isn’t for building self-esteem

Life & Living, Youth
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”  ― Henry Thomas Buckle As harsh as this might sound, anyone who tells you they don’t “gossip” on some level is a blatant liar. Gossiping is as common and natural to human beings as breathing, and therefore is an unavoidable part of our social makeup. Dr. Peggy Drexler writes on psychologytoday.com, “Anthropologists believe that throughout human history, gossip has been a way for us to bond with others—and sometimes a tool to isolate those who aren’t supporting the group.” Drexler is 100% correct – gossiping does create a bond with those we otherwise would struggle to maintain a relationship with, by uniting others with a common interest. Sadly that “common interest” happens to be talking about others behind their…
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17Aug 2015 by CJ

Alzheimer’s disease is not a sign to stop loving

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s a miraculous and humbling sight to see a young grandmother holding her three-month old grand-daughter – especially when that grandmother has Alzheimer’s disease. It’s obvious the old instincts of motherhood (to which she is no stranger) are still very much alive and well (at least for a little while). Anyone who’s watched a loved one suddenly fade away due to this horrific illness, understands the difficulty in seeing the person you remember with your eyes, only to find a stranger has taken their place. But as I’ve come to realize (and cherish) every so often they come back to us. Maybe not 100%, but enough to remind us they’re still here, still living and still in need of our love – perhaps more so than ever before. Maybe it’s…
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16Aug 2015 by CJ

Distractions – don’t let them rob your life of time

Life & Living, Youth
“Happiness can only be found if you can free yourself of all other distractions.” -Saul Bellow Recently, I found myself stepping back in time – riding aboard a railway train pulled by a steam engine locomotive built in the year 1925. One look at the lead car was enough to reveal its age – years of service, engine emissions and no doubt neglect weathering the appearance of this once majestic engineering marvel. Yet even at 90 years old, the locomotive had little trouble pulling the passenger cars behind it – seeming almost effortless as it made its way down the long stretch of track. I was riding on the Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad – America’s longest and highest narrow gauge railroad. It was originally conceived as a way to…
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13Aug 2015 by CJ

New friendships – exciting and challenging at the same time

Life & Living, Youth
“We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.” - Unknown When we go off to college, get a new job or even move to another state, we’re given an opportunity to make new friends. While the majority of those we encounter along the journey fall into the category of “acquaintance,” if you find yourself saying things like, “gee, I could see myself being around this person on a regular basis” - chances are you’ve found yourself a new friend. I love this quote by C. JoyBell C. - “There are still some wonderful people left in this world! They are diamonds in the rough, but they're around! You'll find them when you fall down– they're the ones who pick you up, who don't…
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