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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08Feb 2013 by CJ

For all the truly “healthy” people

Information & Education, Life & Living
Some of you might be familiar with the very funny Melissa McCarthy – star of the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly. Sadly, this talented young lady has been under attack because of her weight - by critics who have more to say about what she looks like, than her ability as an actress. Take a look: 2013 – Rex Reed, The New York Observer "Melissa McCarthy is a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success." He goes on to say that she’s “a screeching, humongous creep”, “tractor-sized” and a “hippo”. 2010 – a Marie Claire blogger Critizied the show Mike & Molly saying that overweight people shouldn’t be intimate on TV because they gross her out. How either of these two…
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06Feb 2013 by CJ

Nothing stays the same in life so cherish every minute

Life & Living
“Whether it's the best of times or the worst of times, it's the only time we've got.” - Art Buchwald. If there's one thing we can say about life, nothing stays the same. I remember as a little kid, time seemed infinite and waiting for holidays, birthdays or summer vacation seemed like an eternity. But now as a 37 year old adult, things seem to move at an alarming pace – maybe they always did, I was just too naïve or innocent to notice. I came across a wonderful song by singer/songwriter Darius Rucker entitled, “It Won’t Be Like This For Long”. It’s a moving ballad about just how fast children grow and how nothing stays the same. It's a wonderful example of how important it is to cherish every…
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05Feb 2013 by CJ

Not taking time to read things – another breakdown in communication

Information & Education, Life & Living
While I understand that we’re a highly advanced society – technologically and intellectually – I’m not so sure the latter is always as evident as it should be. Case in point – did you ever notice that lately people don’t always take the time to read things? Society has become so familiar with short, to the point text messages that many of us simply will not read things longer than a few sentences. The problem with that is oftentimes we’re missing out on important, relevant information that could answer a question, present us with an opportunity or simply ask us for a courteous response. This leads to a fundamental breakdown in communication, and can easily be avoided if people would just stop and take the time to read things, rather…
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