25Jun 2013 by CJ

We can endure much more than we think

Life & Living
We can endure much more than we think we can; all human experience testifies to that. All we need to do is learn not to be afraid of pain. Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don't deny it, don't be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever. One day, the pain will be gone and you will still be there. Harold Kushner, When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough It’s been a week since my grandmother’s passing, and honestly I just don’t feel like myself ever since. The finality of her time here on earth is something that continues to weigh on my mind, and tug heavily on my heart. I try to go about my day as though it doesn’t bother me – pushing it to the…
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25Jun 2013 by CJ

What you say reflects the person you are

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Teenagers from every generation tend to have their own unique “slang” growing up – leaving adults in bewilderment as they struggle to figure out what they’re trying to say. But I’ve noticed something interesting about the current generation of young people, and even adults trying to recapture their youth by staying on the cusp of popular trends. The world of text messaging has created a new language of abbreviations across the digital superhighway - BFF and OMG being some of the more popular ones. But now there are thousands more – even websites dedicated to deciphering this new language for those of us who were once stumped by the abbreviation TTYL (talk to you later). But it’s a little frightening when people start to use these abbreviations in more than…
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24Jun 2013 by CJ

There’s nothing wrong with asking for help

Life & Living
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Fred Rogers Years ago I was the kind of person who’s pride and insecurities prevented me from asking for help from others – emotionally, physically or environmentally. Maintaining this kind of unhealthy behavior allowed me to continually and regularly throw “pity parties” for myself, saying things like, “nobody has any idea what I’m going through.” What I’ve come to realize over the last few years, and through this blog, is that our problems are not isolated – that people all over the world are plagued with many of the same issues we are, and are probably saying the…
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14Jun 2013 by CJ

Sometimes you just feel a little “blah”

Life & Living
I’ve been pretty quiet this week on the blogosphere. I wouldn’t say there was anything wrong with me necessarily, I just found myself kind of neutral – enjoying the simple pleasures of life, while managing the more frustrating ones. Sometimes it’s that very balance which leaves you somewhat “blah” as you make your way through any given work week. But like I said, there wasn’t anything specifically wrong with me, it was just one of those weeks – and we all have them. I was reminded of a song I used to love (and need to download again) called “Sometimes It’s a Bitch” – powerfully sung by Fleetwood Mac and solo artist Stevie Nicks. The refrain goes something like this: Sometimes it's a bitch, sometimes it's a breeze Sometimes love's…
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07Jun 2013 by CJ

Stories of Jeep fires are becoming propaganda

Information & Education, Life & Living
A headline some of you might be familiar with is a recent request by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, asking Chrysler to recall 2.7 million Jeeps from 1993 – 2007 – believing they’re at risk of a fuel tank fire in a rear end collision. As is often the case with journalists and media sources looking to make a name for themselves in the competitive news landscape, the propaganda has already begun on this issue. Propaganda is simply defined as “the spreading of ideas, information or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause or a person.” And sadly, that is what is starting to happen with the Chrysler story above. The other day I read a post online, from what I thought was a…
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