03May 2012 by CJ

Feeling emotionally down can sometimes be rectified with a brisk walk

Life & Living
There are two things you can do when you’re feeling emotionally down – you can either succumb to the feeling while sitting on the couch in a vegetative state or you can try to build up some positive energy with a little light exercise. Today, I was feeling emotionally down and facing such a decision. Feeling pretty low, I reviewed the above choices and was leaning towards the vegetative state. But deep down I knew I needed to get out and try to make something of the day. So, I grabbed my iPod and went for a stroll around town. It wasn’t a particularly sunny day – mainly cloudy and cold, which didn’t help me feeling emotionally down. I had no planned route in my head. I just went wherever…
Read More
01May 2012 by CJ

Standardized testing shouldn’t be the only measure of knowledge

Information & Education, Youth
There’s been a lot of debate surrounding how to measure a student’s success in the classroom – standardized testing being the only answer anyone can seem to come up with. I’d like to quote the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences, which issued a report from its Board on Testing and Assessment. “…a test score is not an exact measure of a student’s knowledge or skills…no single test score can be considered a definitive measure of a student’s knowledge.” And yet America continues to view standardized testing as the only determination on how effective a teacher has been in the classroom or how intelligent and advanced a student might be. I consider myself fairly intelligent, yet I can tell you without fail that I’m a terrible…
Read More
30Apr 2012 by CJ

Do-it-yourself projects are fine but know when to cut your losses

Information & Education, Life & Living
When I was younger, my grandfather and my father provided me with invaluable knowledge about home ownership – most notably the endless array of do-it-yourself projects. I consider myself fairly handy and willing to try just about any do-it-yourself projects, within reason, before picking up the phone to call the professionals. I’ll admit there’s a certain feeling of gratification in knowing you’ve successfully completed a project and thus saved yourself a little cash is the process. But there are just some things I should not attempt and that’s plumbing work. You’d think I’d have learned my lesson by now, especially given the fact that last year it took me two days to replace the faucet on my bathroom sink. But pride often prevents us from stepping back and looking at…
Read More
19Apr 2012 by CJ

Doing nothing is sometimes the break you need in life

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
Lori Deschene of the wonderfully inspirational website “Tiny Buddha” recently provided her readers with the following message about doing nothing. “We are more than we produce. Even if we feel we have a lot to do, sometimes doing nothing is the healthiest choice of all. We owe it to ourselves to be patient with ourselves. Even if we feel we should be doing more, we’re doing the best we can. We can only grow from right where we stand, but first we have to accept it.” It’s strange how somewhere along the line we’ve been conditioned to believe that taking some time to recharge and gather our thoughts is a bad thing – that it’s nothing more than a waste of time. I’ll admit I’m an offender. At any given…
Read More
10Apr 2012 by CJ

The past is no excuse for who you are – change is possible

Life & Living
In the book, “If Only I Knew…Gentle Reminders to Help You Treasure the People in Your Life” by Lance Wubbels he states the following about how the past is no excuse. “If only I knew that my past is no excuse for who I am now, that truth could have set me free to change.” While we all have character traits which remain with us throughout our lives, the way in which we behave and interact with others should evolve and mature as we age. So many times we hear “this is how I am” from those who refuse to simply grow up. But behaviors can be changed to not only better your life but the life of those around you. The only thing that’s required is a little effort…
Read More