01Aug 2013 by CJ

A lifetime isn’t forever – don’t wait for second chances

Life & Living
When it comes to deciding what to eat for breakfast or which outfit to wear to work, I find little difficulty committing to a choice. After all, if you’re not happy with your selections you can easily change them the following day - with no consequences to speak of (except maybe landing on the “Worst Dressed” list at work). But many choices in life aren’t that simple. Take our recent decision to begin looking for a new home. My wife and I have lived in our current side-hall colonial for 11 years now – where did the time go? And while we love our home and the improvements we’ve made over the years, we’ve grown tired of the overpopulation a suburban lifestyle can bring. We both grew up in similar…
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30Jul 2013 by CJ

If someone truly loves you, you’ve been given the greatest gift

Love & Relationships
Isn’t it funny how our emotional state often fluctuates like a roller coaster – up and down with little warning? Over the last few days I just feel kind of blah. There’s nothing wrong with me physically – no glaring problems to speak of at home or a work. I just feel a little down – which means emotional songs filled with sadness are rotating on my iPod. I guess you could say I’m feeling a little numb emotionally. Stuck in limbo it would seem between reality and this foggy area that doesn’t necessarily make me sad, but it isn’t making me happy either. But that all seems to change when I catch a glimpse of my wife’s smile. She truly must possess some kind of magical powers because around…
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28Jul 2013 by CJ

It’s time to put the past to rest

Life & Living
“One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us.” ~Michael Cibenko So many of us cling to the past like a security blanket – regardless of the fact that nothing will change its outcome. I don’t know about you, but my past is littered with events I wish I had handled differently – and I’ve spent many years holding on to that pain with deep regret. I’ve replayed them over and over in my head – each time suffering the same hardship I felt on the day they originally occurred. But when all was said and done nothing had changed, and I was left to yet again grieve as I had done before. The one…
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25Jul 2013 by CJ

Are you a good listener?

Life & Living
Though this might seem like a strange request, have you ever sat back and asked yourself, am I a good listener? When someone engages in communication with me, especially from their heart, do I only hear what I want to hear – enabling me to shy away from conversations I’m not comfortable having? There’s an art to being a good listener. It means clearing your mind of all other thoughts and preconceptions and truly “hearing” what the person before you is saying. Empathizing with their plight in life and trying your best to offer constructive solutions, unconditional support or well-thought out arguments for what they’re trying to share with you. I know I make is sound difficult, but as I said it’s an art that not everyone in the world…
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18Jul 2013 by CJ

I will mourn Talia Castellano, but not Glee star

Life & Living
I’ve seen the depths of depression; I’ve contemplated the escape suicide provides. And while it’s easy to simply give up and propagate those feelings of despair, I instead reached out for a helping hand to guide me through a storm so many of us shoulder in life. It was during this time of challenges and self-discovery that I learned how valuable life truly is. Yes, it can be a daunting road to travel at times, but as long as we’re living and breathing, regardless of age, there is always an opportunity to make a positive change and re-plot the course of our journey. I’m reminded of a quote by Mother Teresa: “Life is too precious, do not destroy it.  Life is life, fight for it.” A popular headline proliferating across…
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