20Jul 2015 by CJ

Prejudices should not be something you teach your children

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
"Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list." Denis Leary The other day I was sitting in traffic, when a strange question sprung to mind: is it possible to fully love someone who supports societal and stereotypical prejudices? It was an odd question I admit, but there it was with no definitive answer on the horizon. Prejudice has often been defined as “a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience”. But I think Charles R. Swingoll summed it up best when he said, “Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudiced; you’re taught it.” For some it’s those individuals whose socioeconomic conditions pale in comparison to our own. For others it’s a person’s…
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14Jul 2015 by CJ

Leadership’s about more than saying what’s popular

Life & Living, Youth
“It is not easy to stand up against your constituents or your friends or colleagues or your community and take a tough stand for something you believe is right. Because you always want to keep working and live to fight another battle and it might cost you your career.” Caroline Kennedy Today’s society has become more sensitive and defensive than ever before. A direct result of this is much of society has become fanatical in how “politically correct” we all are in what we say and how we behave out in the world. At times I can’t help but wonder if this new normal is causing us to suppress actual issues no one wants to bring up publically. This suppression of reality is a dangerous place to be, and further…
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19Jun 2015 by CJ

Jealousy only robs your life of valuable time

Life & Living, Youth
I credit Jennifer James (cultural anthropologist, celebrity and motivational speaker) with one of the best summations of what it’s like for those of us who’ve ever battled feelings of jealousy. “Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you.” Her words are powerful – speaking to the inner root of a hard to control emotion so many of us experience. This overcomplicated and highly stereotypical society we now all live in has caused many to devalue the opinion they have of themselves. The media has identified what “is” and “is not” considered “acceptable” and thus we continually struggle to attain acceptance based on a set of criteria…
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15Jun 2015 by CJ

Father’s Day – more than just a Hallmark card

Life & Living, Youth
June 2015. It’s somewhat unfathomable to me that almost half the calendar year is already behind us. It doesn’t seem that long ago when we were decking the halls and screaming “Happy New Year!” and yet here it is the middle of June. With every month comes another holiday to celebrate – this month it’s Father’s Day. For some reason I always seem to overlook this holiday – that is until the advertisements begin for that “perfect gift for dad”. I’ve always believed that holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and yes, even Father’s Day are holiday more about commercialism than anything else. After all, will a well-written Hallmark card oozing with sentiment and the latest electronic gizmo really show dad how much you love and appreciate him? Call…
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29May 2015 by CJ

Impression Management – influencing what people see?

Life & Living, Youth
Some of you may be familiar with the theory of “impression management”. It’s been defined as, “the effort to control or influence the perceptions of other people. This could be their perception of a certain person (this includes you!), a material possession, or an event. The theory goes on to explain that we try to make the perception consistent with our goals.” I’m sure this is a very relevant theory for celebrities trying to balance a life of normalcy with the downfalls of stardom. But for ordinary, humble Americans, it’s not often something we think about. I’ve been told lately that I need to brag about myself more in my career. That one of the only ways to get ahead is to focus on impression management as often as possible.…
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