22Feb 2015 by CJ

Social Media Platforms don’t often paint reality

Life & Living
“Social media has given us this idea that we should all have a posse of friends when in reality, if we have one or two really good friends, we are lucky.” Brene Brown, American scholar, author and public speaker The burdens and worries of life are infinite at times. For every day that’s seemingly “perfect” and void of any and all stressors, the next seems to bring about chaos we’re forced to delicately juggle. But if there’s one thing I can assure you I no longer worry about from one day to the next, it’s my status on social media platforms. For years I found myself stressing over how many likes I had on Facebook or how many people recommended me on LinkedIn. I would waste so much of my…
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20Feb 2015 by CJ
Friendship vs. Acquaintance: more commitment & investment

Friendship vs. Acquaintance: more commitment & investment

Life & Living
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Out of Solitude: Three Meditations on the Christian Life Making new “acquaintances” is not difficult. This often happens with people we work with – those individuals who know…
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18Feb 2015 by CJ

Death and dying – the topic no one wants to talk about

Life & Living
This post was not easy for me to write. I suspect it won’t be easy for some to read either. Death is something few of us ever really talk about – and with good reason. It’s a morbid and thoroughly depressing subject we’ll all eventually have to deal with, though it’s rarely a topic of conversation at the dinner table. I think the older we get, and the more we see death and sickness with our own eyes in our own lives, the more the subject begins swirling around inside our heads. Yet even so, we’re still reluctant and even fearful to discuss it in any capacity with anyone. There will come a time when discussions will need to occur with regards to final planning, from burial choices to sustainability…
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12Feb 2015 by CJ

Kristen Chenoweth “Latte” tune always brings a smile

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Happy is entirely up to you and always has been.” ― Janette Rallison, My Fair Godmother   I’ve always been a music buff, and have dozens of songs in my repertoire that I consider my “go-to-tunes” depending on my emotional state of the day. If I’m melancholy, I typically choose a slow, highly orchestrated ballad whose underlying theme is filled with loss and despair. I have a lot of these songs. But when I need a little cheering up, there’s one song in particular that always makes me smile. Taylor the Latte Boy was recorded back in 2005 by beloved Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth – from her album As I Am. This well-crafted tune can bring a smile to my face the instant she begins singing. It’s as though it…
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11Feb 2015 by CJ

Continual Negativity often intensifies our own misery

Life & Living
As a subscriber to the inspirational website TinyBuddha.com, I receive daily posts designed to guide and motivate our lives in a positive direction. Today’s post was crafted by Ed Herzog, a board certified life coach, providing readers with ways to cope through a miserable job. After reading his well-written and though provoking piece, I found much of his advice was extremely relevant to coping through life in general, not just a miserable job. In particular the following passage caught my attention: Misery is created when we create and cling to stories such as “I can’t stand this,” “This is awful,” or “I should be doing something else with my life.” If you want to feel less miserable in your current situation, then change your stories to something neutral or even…
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