09Jul 2014 by CJ

Complaining never really makes anyone happier

Life & Living
Many years ago I had a co-worker who was known for being a constant complainer. It was as though nothing could please them be it personally or professionally. It got to the point where people never wanted to ask how they were doing for fear of hearing a lengthy rant about how unsatisfied they were with something going on in their world. Maybe you know people like that. Look, nothing (and I mean nothing) ever goes the way we want it to. Life is filled with unpredictability and plans are destined to fail the first time around – that’s just reality. But author Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture, writes that “Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is…
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08Jul 2014 by CJ

Returning to simpler times can bring you a new perspective

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Today I’m doing something I haven’t done in years – write a blog by hand. I’m sitting at the dining room table armed with a black pen and a yellow lined note pad, actually finding it awkward to use the writing skills I learned back in the second grade. Writing has become one of those “things” that’s become passé in life. In today’s technological society, people don’t write in day planners and address books. They don’t sign greetings cards or compose letters to friends living across the country or across the globe. Many of us don’t even sign checks or credit card receipts any longer as such transactions are now funneled through those tiny handheld devices we’ve all become so reliant on – myself included. But writing this post (by…
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07Jul 2014 by CJ

Our hopes and dreams for tomorrow have no expiration date

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Youth
As a little kid I liked to dream—big, whether it was believing my red-Huffy bicycle would one day turn into a Transformer or convincing myself that as an adult I’d be spending much of my time in Hollywood hosting “The Price is Right.” As I said, I liked to dream big. I still do sometimes. If we think back to our childhood, we all can remember when our dreams didn’t seem that far away from us. I remember spending countless hours in my basement pretending I was a rock star on my make believe stage. There I’d be holding my microphone (nothing more than the cardboard tube from the paper towel roll) belting out song after song from a collection of 45’s. Truthfully, I never really did sing as much…
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02Jul 2014 by CJ

Life is all about timing – but you’ve got to have patience

Life & Living
The last time I posted I was still living in New Jersey – the place I called home for almost 40 years. But today I’m posting from some 1,800 miles away in Colorado – the place my wife and I have decided to start the next chapter of our lives together. The weeks leading up to our official move date on the 24th of June were difficult – both emotionally and logistically. But as of today we’ve been residents of Colorado for exactly one week, and truthfully are finding the adjustment period somewhat difficult. For starters we’re living with family. And while we enjoy their company and appreciate the hospitality and generosity they’ve given us, it’s not “our” home. Our home is now packed up in storage crates back on…
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11Jun 2014 by CJ

Do you put relationships on your to-do-lists?

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Take a look at your life and ask yourself, what’s on my to-do-list? Our lives are often filled to capacity with an excess of errands, chores and commitments – pulling us in different directions and robbing us of the more memorable moments life has to offer. We prioritize our lives based upon what we believe to be important and inadvertently forget about the people we always assume will be around when our to-do-lists are finally complete. It’s funny how our lists seem to focus so much on taking care of responsibilities, yet pay little attention to taking care of the people who provide our lives with infinite meaning. Imagine turning off all the distractions of life to interact with that special someone who’s been sitting right next to, yet somehow…
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