26May 2015 by CJ

Social media posting – some things deserve a little privacy

Life & Living, Youth
Here is another example of just how crazy the world of social media has gotten. It appears that the Today show is under fire because of comments made by hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. The subject was woman posting themselves openly breast feeding their children on social media platforms. Gifford said, "There are two types of people, Hoda -- those who feel the need to share their most precious moments and those who'd like to keep it private like I prefer." Kotb responded, "I say breastfeeding is beautiful and natural, but sharing it on social media: TMI." As you might expect, breast feeding mothers everywhere became infuriated with the comments – even staging a “nurse-in” outside the studio. Sensitive subjects such as this are often taken out of…
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21May 2015 by CJ

Let go of your age – hold strong to your ideals

Life & Living, Youth
“Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.” -Leroy "Satchel" Paige This April I turned (gasp) 40. The event passed with little fanfare, mainly due to my reluctance to acknowledge that number with a unique celebration often fitting this milestone. And though it’s been over a month since my 40th birthday, today was the very first time I actually admitted my age to the people I work with. The words seemed strange being uttered from my mouth. My age is something I try and keep to myself – not because I’m ashamed of the number (or the gray hairs littering my scalp), but rather what I haven’t yet been able to achieve in my career at this stage in my life. For anyone…
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13May 2015 by CJ

Trusting others is never easy – no matter your age

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
"Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters." --Albert Einstein When I was in my early 20’s, I was far too trusting of people – sharing personal emotions, experiences and opinions with little concern about the credibility of the person I was revealing them to. But once that trust was violated, I eventually grew to become incredibly guarded – remaining superficial when it came to interacting with acquaintances around me. At this stage in my life, I trust few people with the internal workings of my heart and mind – protecting myself from those who have a difficult time simply being a listener. But the other day I let my guard down. As we form new relationships in life, we all possess and…
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05May 2015 by CJ

Characteristics of those with down syndrome – they know how to live

Life & Living, Love & Relationships, Youth
Life at times can be daunting. An endless journey filled with one insurmountable challenge after another. From our homes to our businesses to the world going on all around us – it’s often hard to stay focused on the proverbial “big picture” when faced with a continuous sea of unknowns. I present to you the following story – words once spoken by the late Fred Rogers as only he could. “There was a story going around about the Special Olympics. For the hundred-yard dash, there were nine contestants, all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled at the starting line and, at the sound of the gun, they took off. But one little boy didn’t get very far. He stumbled and fell and hurt his…
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20Apr 2015 by CJ

Decision making is tough, but it’s better than the unknown

Life & Living, Youth
“It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions.” Jim Rohn Making choices in life is never easy. What often compounds our decision making ability is the uncertainty of those decisions and the incredible (often unpredictable) impact they will have on the course of our lives. The questions we undoubtedly ask ourselves during the decision making process can be crippling at times. They prevent us from making a firm commitment – leaving us in a constant state of limbo. While some believe living in that constant state prevents them from experiencing the negative repercussions of their decisions, all it really does is limit our opportunities. I think many of us fail to realize…
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