03Apr 2013 by CJ

Remembering the elderly

Life & Living
Nursing facilities are unfortunately overflowing with human beings closing out the final chapter of their lives. They’re left with little in the way of dignity – a pale comparison to their younger selves. There’s no doubt it’s a sad reality for lives that have existed, triumphed and survived for some 80 or 90 years, but there’s little that can be done beyond making their last days as comfortable as possible. Seems terribly inadequate, but the human body can only bare so much. Admittedly, such facilities can be a rather depressing place to visit with any regularity. Watching a human life succumb to the aging process is not always pleasant – especially when it’s someone you love dearly. Some will say they simply cannot visit family members in such facilities –…
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01Apr 2013 by CJ

Life’s journey is a never ending classroom

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
The other day I came across this quote by Charlotte Joko Beck, which really made me think. “Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.” Interesting, right? “The teacher we need at every moment” - I don’t think I’ve ever thought about the journey of life in that way before, but looking back it makes total sense. I’ve learned invaluable lessons through the challenges life’s handed me over the years. And while they certainly were stressful and difficult to navigate at the time, I emerged with…
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26Mar 2013 by CJ

Don’t convince someone WHO you are – let them experience it

Life & Living
I used to believe that being an “overzealous” person could never be a bad thing when you’re trying to prove your worthiness at a job or in a relationship. And while a certain amount of enthusiasm does go a long way to showing your motivation and devotion, it can also be misconstrued as ego. Simply put, sometimes people need to find things out for themselves, rather than you trying to prove yourself in every imaginable capacity - all in an attempt to show them the person you are rather than letting them experience for themselves. New situations are never easy to adjust to, and many times we often put far too much effort into trying to talk ourselves up instead of just being ourselves. Winnie the Pooh once said that…
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24Mar 2013 by CJ

Beauty comes in all sizes

Life & Living, Youth
For those of you who don’t know, classic soap operas “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” are being revived online starting April 29th. Both of the sudsy dramas were cancelled several years ago – at the chagrin of my wife who had been a lone-time fan of AMC (as she commonly refers to it). But as videos and photos began appearing in an effort to promote the new productions, my wife noticed something almost immediately. Many familiar faces were gone and in their place were a crop of young actors and actresses who look as though they just stepped out of the gym or a fashion show runway. It’s obvious the shows are trying to go after the younger generation in order to make these new offerings popular…
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18Mar 2013 by CJ

Giving yourself time to adjust

Life & Living
I’ve been a little MIA from the blogosphere lately. Believe me I haven’t run out of things to say, but rather the time and energy to write them all down. In fact I’ve been terrible at answering emails and staying in touch with friends – things I’ve always prided myself on maintaining in a timely fashion. The book I’ve been trying to complete; the piano I’ve been trying to play; the blog I’ve been trying to update – all remain dormant because of one change in my life, which has truly consumed my thoughts. I recently started a new job, and am so very happy with my new position and the wonderful people I get to work with. After many years of bouncing from one mediocre employment opportunity after another,…
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