Craig Ruvere

16Sep 2020 by CJ

Investing in yourself through education highlights your character

“Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.” - Robin Sharma It’s been a long time since I’ve meandered through the halls of an educational institution where the ultimate goal was investing in yourself through learning, growth and experience. For many, one of the pitfalls of inhabiting the working world with some longevity is a sense of superiority. This often supports an all-knowing attitude which renders us believing that personal and professional development is only for those with limited career success. I myself have easily fallen into that rhythm. It wasn’t until a communications issue with a co-worker arose that I realized I might have something more to learn about…

07Sep 2020 by CJ

What real courage is often is misunderstood in society

Generosity & Kindness

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, main character Atticus Finch says, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” What real courage is. The message that Atticus Finch provides us is simple yet poignant and so often overlooked in our society. A quick search on Merriam-Webster reveals their definition of courage to be, “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear or difficulty. That definition fully supports the message Atticus Finch provides us. However, what it doesn’t support is society’s view that courage is about being tough, macho, bullying,…

27Aug 2020 by CJ

Long Term Care Insurance is an investment in you AND your family

Life & Living, Youth

Early on in my married life, the subject of Long Term Care Insurance was never a conversation at the dinner table. As is common with most people today, we certainly weren’t thinking about aging – choosing to live (and spend) in the here and now rather than dwell on realities aging might bring. But the realities of aging - of becoming ill and dying – are an unavoidable part of everyone’s journey. While we ourselves might still be relatively young and healthy, those who have come before us are sadly growing older. Before long, the case for Long Term Care Insurance is profoundly staring us in the face. My grandparents were not wealthy, and truthfully, I’m not even sure such plans existed in the 1970s and 1980s, when it would…

20Aug 2020 by CJ

Driving While Black shows how often whites take traveling for granted

Information & Education, Life & Living

Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights, is a book penned by Dr. Gretchen Sorin, a distinguished professor at The State University of New York College at Oneonta (SUNY). I was made aware of the book’s existence in a very unlikely place – a guest article in my latest edition of MotorTrend. For those of you unaware, MotorTrend is an American automobile magazine which dates back to September 1949. My wife and I had just completed reading several informative books on race – White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo and So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. I highly recommend both. When the September issue of MotorTrend landed in my mailbox with the Driving While Black guest article, it seemed like fate was…

11Aug 2020 by CJ

News is everywhere and sometimes it’s better to stay silent

Life & Living

News is everywhere, and its sole purpose today seems to encourage divisiveness rather than unity. Today’s societal climate is a raging sea of confusion, judgment, adversity and animosity. The information being reported - both accurately and inaccurately - is extremely impactful as we go about our daily lives, none of which are spared involvement in one way or another. The era of definitive and esteemed experts has been replaced by the internet’s unending stream of information. It often lacks credibility and statistical proof yet remains revered by those who cannot discern between what’s factual and what’s propaganda. This unending internet stream allows individuals to find the information which best supports their feelings, claims, views, decisions and biases – maintaining ignorance rather than challenging their own beliefs and trying to…