18Sep 2014 by CJ

Living a simple life leads to the most happiness

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
“A simple life is not seeing how little we can get by with—that’s poverty—but how efficiently we can put first things first. . . . When you’re clear about your purpose and your priorities, you can painlessly discard whatever does not support these, whether it’s clutter in your cabinets or commitments on your calendar.” ― Victoria Moran, Lit From Within: Tending Your Soul For Lifelong Beauty It’s rare that we ever take the time to evaluate the material (and personal) clutter in our lives and ask ourselves, “how can I simplify my life – what could I truly live without and still be happy?” For me, a highly anal organizer, there’s no greater feeling than purging the unneeded “stuff” we seem to hoard. We’ve got closets, basements, garages, attics, sheds…
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14Sep 2014 by CJ

Seems happiness isn’t the ONLY purpose in life

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Famed writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” I find his rather candid statement to be somewhat contradictory. After all, thousands of self- help gurus have written countless books on the subject of personal happiness and now all of a sudden Mr. Emerson is saying that “the purpose of life is not to be happy”? I don’t get it! But in all seriousness folks, I do get it. When our lives come to an end, and they all will someday, the only thing that will matter is how much good you did for someone besides yourself – how…
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12Sep 2014 by CJ

Oftentimes it’s the little things that remind us of home

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
It’s six o’clock in the morning and I’m sitting here with a steaming hot cup of coffee writing this blog post. It’s still black as coal outside, with a light rain gently tapping against my bedroom window. I’m somewhat surprised I didn’t wake up to the first snowfall of the season, as temperatures in Colorado had dropped to 34 degrees overnight. I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the up and down climate here in my new state, but it does keep it exciting – never knowing what to expect from one day to the next when you walk out your front door. (taking a sip of my coffee) Up until now the only clothes we’ve needed to pull from storage tubs sitting in our oversized closet or from…
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19Aug 2014 by CJ

The love of a grandparent is everlasting

Love & Relationships
Lately, I’ve been feeling rather nostalgic. Maybe it’s because much of my current life is so unsettled at the moment (unemployed/living with my in-laws) and my heart and mind remember back to a time of stability and comfort as a way of coping through. I often relate this feeling of nostalgia to walking around an old antique shop filled with treasures from days long ago. There’s a sense of history all around you, stories associated with each and every item. Our memories are just like that – a place we can “walk around” to remember – a place of constant inspiration through all the challenges and discoveries we face in life. But over the last few weeks, one person has been continually on my mind – my grandmother – who…
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12Aug 2014 by CJ

My contribution to Ultimate Life Magazine

Love & Relationships
I'm very excited to be featured in a brand new international publication entitled Ultimate Life - a recently released, on-line publication. It's filled with stories that are both inspiring and informative and I hope you'll all take a few minutes to give it a look. And you can check out my "Thought of the Month" on page 118. Enjoy! Ultimate Life Magazine  
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