28Feb 2013 by CJ

Littering is NOT cool

Life & Living
Last night while waiting for a friend in a Starbucks parking lot, in a rather upper crust neighborhood I might add, I was quite literally shocked and disgusted by what I witnessed just a few car lengths ahead of me. I had taken notice of the pearl white Chevy Tahoe when it first pulled in the lot – probably because I’m not used to seeing a vehicle of that size being driven as though Mario Andretti were behind the wheel. To say they were going “fast” would be an understatement. After circling the lot several times, they eventually pulled into a space – oh wait I’m sorry, two spaces. When the driver emerged from the car, I noticed it was a female about five foot two, tan to a crisp,…
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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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15Feb 2013 by CJ

A valentine to yourself can help you appreciate the person you are

Love & Relationships
Feeling a little down in the dumps and unfulfilled, a dear friend of mine suggested writing a “valentine” to myself – a note of love and appreciation for the person I am and rarely see. I’ll try just about anything once, and so I sat down to write myself this message of love. I’m rarely at a loss for words, but I struggled to form complete sentences to express my inner appreciation for the person I am today. In life, we’re rarely called upon to write about ourselves, our abilities and our accomplishments. While such a practice might be commonplace for those appearing in a theatrical playbill, for the ordinary people of the world there just never seems to be a need. It’s awkward to sit down and tell yourself…
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11Feb 2013 by CJ

Do it now – Something better may just be on the horizon

Life & Living
“One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.” Paulo Coelho I realize how impossible this might be to actually apply - to do it now - based on the daily realities and burdens we all have to live with. But many times I myself wonder, are some things REALLY that impossible, or am I just making excuses – afraid of taking risks, exiting my comfort zone or committing to the unknown? While we all understand that life is fragile and can be taken away from us at any moment, how many of us are trying to live each day to the fullest? How many of us are putting off our hopes and dreams until a…
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