27Jan 2015 by CJ

A lesson about making quick judgements while in the Home Depot

Information & Education, Life & Living
As anyone who’s visited a Home Depot knows, many now feature self-check out lines, which are a great time saver when you’re buying nothing more than a handful of screws, a light bulb or a roll of duct tape. Typically there are four stations – two on the right, two on the left and a station in the middle for that helpful store representative when the computers begin acting up. Logically speaking, one might assume that two lines would form on each side – customers passing through one right after another, not crossing lanes. But maybe I’m wrong on this one, as I found out today on a recent trip to the home improvement giant. I was on the left hand side waiting for a station to open up. Directly…
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25Jan 2015 by CJ

Bettering ourselves means respecting the differences all around us

Life & Living, Youth
The other day I was re-reading some of my previous posts and came up with the following conclusion – I have a hell of a lot to say about pretty much everything. Admittedly I’m not a psychologist or a life coach. No, I’m just an ordinary guy in his late 30’s who often tears up during sappy movies, loves pizza to a fault and cringes whenever he hears the words “man cave” uttered.  On my journey to identify, appreciate and accept the person I am in the world today, I’ve also come to learn the things that truly matter in life – things I’ve tried to share in each post that I write. Each one of us is capable of reshaping the world we inhabit regardless of race, status, age,…
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15Jan 2015 by CJ

The consumer deserves better products for their money

Information & Education, Life & Living
“As a business leader you have to ask yourself, “Am I creating a consumer environment that is conducive to loyalty?” If the answer is no, FIX IT!” ― Steve Maraboli Years ago I was the kind of consumer that based my decisions more on price than anything else. What I learned from doing this was price does not always equal quality in the products and services we obtain for ourselves. As a consumer in today’s highly complicated and competitive product landscape, I can now tell you with great certainty that a company’s customer service is more important to me than just about anything else. Companies would be remiss if they haven’t yet figured out that brand loyalty is built not only from product offerings, but perhaps more importantly on the…
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12Jan 2015 by CJ

Hoarding time benefits no one – sharing your time is the greatest gift

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“Nothing annoys people so much as not receiving invitations.” ― Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest Something I’ve come to miss most in my life is the regularly scheduled Sunday dinners my Italian American family used to host. Typically they were held at my grandmother’s house, with a huge bowl of pasta covered in red sauce as the centerpiece - accented by dozens of meatballs and sausages, a crunchy loaf of Italian bread and a chopped salad. I’m getting hungry just writing this! My cousins were there, aunts and uncles and me all set to enjoy the weekly gathering filled with stories, laughter and reminiscing. Regardless of your schedule, you always knew there was an open invitation at grandmas, with plenty of food, company and love of family. But…
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30Dec 2014 by CJ

What matters in life is who you are, not what you have.

Life & Living
This morning on my way to work, while stopped at a red light, I noticed a young woman standing on a snow-covered street corner shaking from the frigid temperatures. In her hand she held a sign made out of corrugated cardboard and a thick black marker. It read simply, “Spent rest of money on rent. My 2 daughters need food.” It’s easy for onlookers to assume these individuals are drug users, degenerates or simply con artists playing on the sympathy of others during the holiday season. But I sometimes wonder if that kind of reasoning is concocted so we don’t feel a moral obligation to give of the abundances we find ourselves fortunate to possess. I couldn’t imagine standing on a street corner having to beg for food or money…
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