Craig Ruvere

01Apr 2021 by CJ

It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to my father

It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to my father. A sentence no one ever expects to hear muttered from their lips, certainly not from me given the unshakable bond my father and I always maintained so religiously. But life is not a fairy tale or worse yet a Hallmark movie where irreparable circumstances are easily and painlessly resolved in under two hours. Whether the individuals in question are your friends, your spouse, or even your parents, the relationships we foster and propagate are not always enough for a sustainable or guaranteed future together. It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to my father yet I’m often reminded of him when I’m doing the simplest of things like surfing through television channels late at night and landing on…

28Mar 2021 by CJ

Souls many of us have been blessed to share time with are gone

Life & Living

There are souls many of us have been blessed to share time with here on Earth. Their presence will never be filled again; their void will always feel apparent; their memory we’ll use to judge all other occasions. Sadly, after these souls left this earthly place, nothing feels quite the same anymore. Holidays and birthdays still come and go with the same regularity, only now they no longer have the same magic. We try to recapture some of it by recreating traditions, recipes, even looking at old pictures, but by the end, we’re reminded of their absence and grieve once again. I realize that not everyone struggles with this sense of loss. Perhaps some are better able to compartmentalize their feelings and find ways to keep moving forward. Though I…

15Mar 2021 by CJ

To fall apart is oftentimes the only way to truly heal

Love & Relationships

The other day, I stumbled upon a song by Christian singer/songwriter Ryan Stevenson. The song is called When We Fall Apart, and it’s a moving tribute to his beloved mother who passed away at age 57 from bone cancer. Explaining that the lyrics were the last words she spoke to her son he says, "Even in the face of imminent death, she was pouring out wisdom and words of healing and encouragement to me that it's OK to cry, it's OK to grieve, it's OK to fall apart. We are all going to experience loss at some point to some degree. This song has been my way of working through and navigating one of the most painful storms of my life. I hope it encourages you to do the same."…

04Mar 2021 by CJ

A great leader knows it’s all about engagement and communication

Love & Relationships

Over the years, I’ve read countless books on what constitutes a great leader, though admittedly the characters they describe often seem elusive to me. One only has to turn on the news, surf the internet or go about their daily lives to quickly learn that while these books may very well have captured what truly comprises a great leader, the individuals who should be reading these books are not. The subject of what makes a great leader is incredibly broad - with many believing they have a firm understanding of what such a prestigious title entails based on character and behavior. But the fact of the matter is that many so-called leaders are severely lacking and not properly trained on how to engage and communicate with others. One of my…

23Feb 2021 by CJ

People don’t ever plan to offend us – but a lack of empathy makes it feel like they do

Generosity & Kindness

I’ve come to what I believe is a very significant and oftentimes overlooked conclusion about relationships – both personal and professional. People don’t ever PLAN to offend us – though there are certainly some manipulative and calculating individuals out there. The conclusion I’ve finally discovered is that so many people (and I mean A LOT!) simply do not possess any kind of genuine empathy. I truly appreciate this Anonymous definition of what empathy is. “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.” While that might sound easy to do, few I’ve encountered have truly mastered what I consider a social art. Where we get stuck so often is in the listening. Yes, we’re all hearing what other…