28Feb 2014 by CJ

Flexibility is truly the key to maintaining your sanity

Life & Living
I’ve always been a big fan of planning and organizing. I think A.A. Milne said it best: “Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” Binders and tabs are my tools of choice in order to stay organized at work or at home. While I used to just dump everything into one folder, all that really did was contain the chaos, not make any sense out of it. I always think that planning is a way to keep you on track and give you something to look forward to. A way to manage your progress and make sure you’re hitting important milestones, so you’re not just spinning your wheels and accomplishing nothing. But one thing that always…
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24Feb 2014 by CJ

Why do we hold on to the pain?

Life & Living
Life is funny – the more space you have, the more things you collect. I’ve noticed this lately in my own home, where some early spring cleaning has revealed that while I need things to be organized, I also have difficultly letting things go. I wouldn’t classify myself as a pack rat necessarily, but when it comes to paperwork… well let’s just say I’ve cut down my share of the forest. But what alarmed me most while going through a few folders buried in a desk drawer were its contents. While there were many wonderfully positive things I still find worth saving, there were also a sprinkling of negative things I’d chosen to save for some reason. Personal and professional correspondents that were littered with defamation and even hatred and…
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17Feb 2014 by CJ

We all deserve to speak highly of ourselves

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
If somebody said to you… “Look how fat you are.” “You haven’t a thing to offer a new employer.” “You’re so dumb you’ll probably say the wrong thing.” You’d be highly insulted – and rightfully so. You might point out their rude behavior – maybe even say how inappropriate their comments were. At the very least, you’d expect an apology for these actions, right? But what if it’s not another person saying those things…what if it’s YOU! Far too often that’s exactly how we talk to ourselves. Some call this “negative self-talk” - and I’m just as guilty as anyone. This inner critic isn’t something we’re born with - it’s developed from our day to day environments. Maybe it’s the sting from the bully on the playground, a domineering relationship…
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03Feb 2014 by CJ

Technology has made applying for a job more difficult than ever

Information & Education, Life & Living
Most people will tell you that technology has revolutionized the way in which we live our lives. But I’m not most people, and while I do believe our lives have benefitted greatly from technology it hasn’t made everything easier. For example, ask anyone who’s applied for a job lately and they’ll probably mention the introduction of online forms. Years ago you could easily print out a cover letter and resume, fold it, seal it in an envelope and have it dropped at the nearest post office in no time flat! You could efficiently send out ten resumes in less than ten minutes – leaving you with a feeling of accomplishment and self-worth over the possibilities in your hands. But no more. Today applying for a job is a time consuming,…
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29Jan 2014 by CJ

Don’t allow insecurities to make you AGREE with everything a person says

Life & Living
Our 36th President of the United Sates, Lyndon B. Johnson, once remarked, “If two men agree on everything, you may be sure that one of them is doing the thinking.” I have no doubt that all of us have encountered people in our lives whose insecurities and need for continually acceptance causes them to AGREE with everything a person says. They have no opinion of their own (at least nothing ever expressed verbally). The rarely contribute anything constructive to a conversation for fear of being judged. They lack the courage and personal confidence a person needs to be proud of who they are and the many skills and abilities they possess. In short, their fear of failure or being criticized cripples them in every facet of their lives. How do…
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