01Dec 2015 by CJ

3 Realities of Christmas Gifts

Generosity & Kindness, Youth
December 2nd - 23 more days until Christmas. By now a slight panic has begun amongst the everyday chaos we already bare. Anxiety over how many gifts we need to buy, what and where we’re going to buy and how in the world we’re going to afford to pay for it all. Buying for a child is pretty easy, but for an adult it can be a daunting task. At some point you reach an age where all the “christmas gifts” you want you typically buy for yourself throughout the year. That leaves very few options for gift givers come December. For years I’ve felt that if giving gifts is all that stressful, then why do we keep on doing it? And so I’ve come up with three important things…
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15Sep 2015 by CJ

Memories – the things you never want to lose

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
Many of you might remember the television dramedy The Wonder Years which ran on ABC from 1988 through 1993. Set in the year 1968, the series followed young Kevin Arnold as he made his way through pubescent life - dealing with typical societal issues of that time. The show was narrated by a much older and wiser Kevin, often describing what is happening and ultimately what he learned during any given situation. On the series finale of the show, as a group of young children can be heard playing in the background, the final narration is given: “Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you're in diapers, the next day you're gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul. I remember a place, a…
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30Aug 2015 by CJ

Gossiping isn’t for building self-esteem

Life & Living, Youth
“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”  ― Henry Thomas Buckle As harsh as this might sound, anyone who tells you they don’t “gossip” on some level is a blatant liar. Gossiping is as common and natural to human beings as breathing, and therefore is an unavoidable part of our social makeup. Dr. Peggy Drexler writes on psychologytoday.com, “Anthropologists believe that throughout human history, gossip has been a way for us to bond with others—and sometimes a tool to isolate those who aren’t supporting the group.” Drexler is 100% correct – gossiping does create a bond with those we otherwise would struggle to maintain a relationship with, by uniting others with a common interest. Sadly that “common interest” happens to be talking about others behind their…
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25Aug 2015 by CJ

Cherish your legacy – It’s worth remembering

Youth
When my grandfather’s health began to decline, the family decided that both my grandparents would be better off if they moved to a modestly sized, one floor apartment. Sadly this meant leaving the light blue colonial home they had lived in for almost 50 years. I remember on countless nights and weekends my wife and I would go over and help pack up decades of cherished memories and mementos into dozens of cardboard boxes. It was a bittersweet occasion for me as the realization that their years here on this earth were not infinite. While I was packing up a closet in one of their spare bedrooms, I came across a large photo album with a colorful patchwork print of varying flowers on its cover. I remember asking grams (that’s…
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16Aug 2015 by CJ

Distractions – don’t let them rob your life of time

Life & Living, Youth
“Happiness can only be found if you can free yourself of all other distractions.” -Saul Bellow Recently, I found myself stepping back in time – riding aboard a railway train pulled by a steam engine locomotive built in the year 1925. One look at the lead car was enough to reveal its age – years of service, engine emissions and no doubt neglect weathering the appearance of this once majestic engineering marvel. Yet even at 90 years old, the locomotive had little trouble pulling the passenger cars behind it – seeming almost effortless as it made its way down the long stretch of track. I was riding on the Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad – America’s longest and highest narrow gauge railroad. It was originally conceived as a way to…
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