30Jan 2013 by CJ

Making life worth living for requires having a little hope

Life & Living
A life worth living for doesn't always require something grand, it just requires a little hope. Case in point. Some of you might be familiar with the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway. If not, Home & Garden Television is giving away a prize package which includes a brand new home (fully furnished), cash and a car to one lucky winner. My wife is determined. Beyond researching the homes location and travel times from popular destinations, she’s educated herself on the contest rules and regulations – reading the fine print that most entrants probably never even look at. She diligently enters the contest each and every morning without fail – talk about determination. And while she understands that our chance of winning this over-the-top prize is slim at best, she always says,…
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23Jan 2013 by CJ

Our lives are measured by the memories we store in our hearts

Life & Living, Youth
"Memories are photographs taken by the heart to make a special moments last forever." (Unknown) This week a dear friend of mine had to deal with the loss of a cherished uncle – her father’s brother and the last remaining window into the history books of her legacy. Regardless of age or circumstance, the death of someone you care about is never an easy thing to process. In fact I’m a firm believer that we never really get over that loss, but rather find ways to cope through it. But if you’re a person possessing an unselfish character, chances are that you’ve been left an invaluable gift upon someone’s passing, and my friend is certainly one of them. Memories we store are a series of cherished moments that can be…
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21Jan 2013 by CJ

Cancer survivor offers a wonderful resource for patients and caregivers

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living
Up until recently, the only thing I knew about Jeannine Walston was her mother – whom I had the great pleasure of working with for the better part of a year.  I’m happy to say that we’ve stayed in contact since my departure from the organization we shared in common, and that’s how I eventually came to learn about her daughter Jeannine and her incredible cancer journey. Mary Lou Kownacki once said that, “There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.” Isn’t it true that far too often our relationships are very superficial? We exchange pleasantries, but otherwise we shield ourselves from having to console or advise others on the struggles they deal with personally. Many times it’s those unheard stories which help us re-evaluate our own…
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18Jan 2013 by CJ

What will matter is not your success but the significance of the contribution

Life & Living
In society today, “you success” is inevitably linked to some monetary equivalent or fame. We measure the success of a business, initiative or person by their arsenal of cash in the bank, rather than their impact on the world around them. Seems a little backwards if you ask me. Poet Michael Josephson once wrote, “What will matter is not your success but your significance...” And that’s how I look at this blog. Yes it costs me money to run this site year after year, but honestly the individuals I’ve been able to inspire with my writing has been invaluable and utterly rewarding. Individuals from all around the country, and even around the world! It’s truly amazing how the advent of the internet has allowed us to connect with individuals we…
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16Jan 2013 by CJ

Regardless of your age, no one likes to be called fat

Life & Living
When I was a prepubescent, I was pretty chubby – though the clothing manufacturers of the time called the larger size “husky”. Did they really believe such a term would make a little fat kid feel better? I assure you, it didn’t. For me sweets were the enemy – and the fact that I’d rather be sitting inside watching game shows on television, than outside exercising. When I finally hit puberty though, and battled a case of Mononucleosis, I had lost a considerable amount of weight. I vowed right then and there to never fight the battle of the bulge again. So much for that. My wife and I are still on diets, which seem to stretch the length of our marriage. Why does food have to taste so damn…
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