01Apr 2013 by CJ

Life’s journey is a never ending classroom

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth
The other day I came across this quote by Charlotte Joko Beck, which really made me think. “Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.” Interesting, right? “The teacher we need at every moment” - I don’t think I’ve ever thought about the journey of life in that way before, but looking back it makes total sense. I’ve learned invaluable lessons through the challenges life’s handed me over the years. And while they certainly were stressful and difficult to navigate at the time, I emerged with…
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24Mar 2013 by CJ

Beauty comes in all sizes

Life & Living, Youth
For those of you who don’t know, classic soap operas “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” are being revived online starting April 29th. Both of the sudsy dramas were cancelled several years ago – at the chagrin of my wife who had been a lone-time fan of AMC (as she commonly refers to it). But as videos and photos began appearing in an effort to promote the new productions, my wife noticed something almost immediately. Many familiar faces were gone and in their place were a crop of young actors and actresses who look as though they just stepped out of the gym or a fashion show runway. It’s obvious the shows are trying to go after the younger generation in order to make these new offerings popular…
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06Mar 2013 by CJ

Overcoming anxiety – finally!

Life & Living, Youth
It’s taken me years…literally…but I’m happy to say that I think I’ve finally overcome my ongoing battle with severe anxiety. Whenever I’m challenged by a new experience or situation, I often find myself riddled with anxiety – and many years ago it was enough to cripple me emotionally and physically. But thankfully today I have a better understanding of my anxiety – what triggers it and how to go about controlling it. So much of my own anxiety was tied to childhood insecurities I carried into adulthood – often leaving me to question my character and my abilities in this life. But recently I started a new chapter in my personal history book, and was pleasantly surprised by something that was missing. Yes, there were butterflies in my stomach over…
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27Feb 2013 by CJ

Courage doesn’t always roar

Life & Living, Youth
I suspect few of us would classify ourselves as being “courageous” – me being one of them. I’ve never rescued anyone from the scene of an accident, or stood on the frontlines of battle during wartime. But then I began to wonder if acts of heroics were the only actions allowing someone to be classified as courageous? After doing a little digging, I came across this statement by Mary Anne Radmacher, which pretty much answered my question perfectly. “Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow.” While I’m in no way discrediting the selfless individuals out there who risk their own lives for the protection of others, I know how difficult it can be sometimes to…
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21Feb 2013 by CJ

The tiniest percentage of what people do

Life & Living, Youth
Famed children’s television personality, Fred Rogers, once remarked that, “The media shows the tiniest percentage of what people do. There are millions and millions of people doing wonderful things all over the world, and they’re generally not the ones being touted in the news.” Sadly this practice seems to have trickled down to our own existence. We spend so much of our time focused on the challenges and struggles we face in life, that we often overlook that which deserves our gratitude and praise. This applies to our personal relationships, our occupations and yes, even in our schools. The educational system of today is constantly in the headlines – often used as the scapegoat for a host of issues plaguing youngsters today from low test scores, to bullying to even…
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