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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
01Feb 2013 by CJ

Being a dad is not an easy job – it takes someone special

Love & Relationships, Youth
“Any man can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” Anne Geddes Anyone familiar with the “birds and the bees” knows that becoming a father is not a difficult process from a scientific standpoint. But just because you were able to create this new human life, does not automatically nominate you for father of the year. That’s a title you must diligently earn over the course of your child’s lifetime. There’s much more to being a father than simply providing food on the table and a roof over their head. It’s more than just attending little league games and class recitals. In short, it’s about unconditional love and continual support – regardless of their choices and your stern disapproval of then. Far too often father’s…
Read More