16Dec 2014 by CJ

Where are you Christmas? I think I might have found it.

Life & Living, Youth
Originally posted on December 11, 2014. As of this writing, there are exactly 15 more days until the conclusion of 2014. It was a year not uncommonly filled with its share of highs and lows and looking back it’s difficult to imagine where the last eleven months have escaped. But as John Lennon once said, “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” But before we welcome in a new calendar year, we have another time-honored holiday to celebrate – Christmas. A subject of continuous debate, and the recurring theme of countless movies, books and television specials, is what is the true meaning of Christmas. While arguments surrounding its true meaning are subjective, it’s hard to decipher a logistical explanation when December 25th is continuously shrouded in dazzling…
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10Dec 2014 by CJ

Don’t worry about being generic – be proud to be yourself

Life & Living, Youth
“There are people who are generic. They make generic responses and they expect generic answers. They live inside a box and they think people who don't fit into their box are weird. But I'll tell you what, generic people are the weird people. They are like genetically-manipulated plants growing inside a laboratory, like indistinguishable faces, like droids. Like ignorance.” ― C. JoyBell C. There are times throughout our lives when we find ourselves surrounded by an endless stream of individuals who adopt what is “popular” in society – all in an effort to fit in rather than stand out. We conform our language, behaviors, preferences and prejudices based on what is deemed acceptable as a culture, whether we truly agree with it or not. Today we seem to gauge what’s…
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19Nov 2014 by CJ

The journey is always challenging, but the rewards are there if you’re patient

Life & Living, Youth
This Wednesday marks a week to the day that my wife and I closed on our new house. While real estate transactions probably occur to thousands of homebuyers everyday across the nation, for us this was the final piece of a puzzle, which started back in January of 2014. It was during that time when my wife and I debated and deliberated where we wanted to spend our future. Would we stay in the comfort and security of a state we called home for almost 40 years, or would we take a chance and restart our lives elsewhere? It’s not an easily answered question – the results of which would greatly impact every facet of our lives, personally and professionally. But it’s a question definitely worth asking. Life is not…
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29Oct 2014 by CJ

Personal accomplishment often comes quietly

Life & Living, Youth
500 dollars is a lot of money to have in your pocket. 500 miles is a long way to travel by car. 500 blog posts means you’ve got a hell of a lot to say. This post represents number 501 for me. What happened to 500 you say? Honestly, it came and went with little fanfare. I rarely keep track of how many posts I’ve logged since this blog went live in 2011. I write when I feel inspired, not just to build an arsenal of posts. But I have to say that I was somewhat surprised by this number. 500 posts seems like a lot to me, though other bloggers might think it’s just a small bleep on the radar. Still, I’m pretty satisfied with what I’ve been able…
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07Oct 2014 by CJ

Don’t wait for the right moment, create it

Life & Living, Youth
Paulo Coelho once said that, “The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.” Patience – I’ve never been a big fan. While I’m far from being a registered member of today’s Instant Gratification Society, I hate waiting around for things to fall into place. Perhaps what I hate most about these times is the fact that they’re often beyond my control. Curses! – can’t things just fall into place a little faster? But then I remind myself that change is always possible, and before long you’ll find yourself staring “the right moment” in the face. You’ll probably laugh at how ridiculous you were behaving during your “disappointed” phase. How you’d…
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