30Jan 2018 by CJ

Being scared really means you’re doing something brave

Life & Living, Youth
“It’s OKAY to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave.” ― Mandy Hale Many of us support the notion that “being scared” is only experienced by children who believe there are monsters hiding under the bed. While I agree that the fear of monsters, and other frightening creatures conjured up by our overactive imagination, disappears as we get older, that doesn’t mean we no longer know what it’s like to be scared. You may not know what it’s called, but all of us have a comfort zone. Author and thought leader Roy T. Bennett says, “The comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease and secure.” Breaking away from what’s familiar and safe can often be emotionally crippling to adults.…
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21Jan 2018 by CJ

Influence your children by example – they’re always watching

Youth
“Although parents can’t ultimately determine the outcome of their children, they do have a tremendous influence on them.” – Scott Turansky Recently, while flipping through a collection of old family photos, I realized how many people were a positive influence on my life. It’s a fact that our actions and behaviors are often the direct influence of someone we revere. For many of us, that influence comes from our very first teachers in life – our parents. As children, we often take on the characteristics of our parents – not surprising given that our parents are the first role models we see when forming behaviors (both good and bad). Our parents’ tolerance and biases; their likes and dislikes – all begin to influence the adults we’ll eventually become. But perhaps…
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16Jan 2018 by CJ

Combatting jealousy with logic and reason, not emotion

Life & Living
“Jealousy is vengeful – not to its target, but to ourselves.” – Terri Guillemets Combatting jealously is never easy. After all, it’s a natural human emotion felt by all of us at some point during the course of our lives. As human beings, we’re jealous of all kinds of things: relationships, fame, physical appearance, material possessions – the list is truly endless. My propensity towards having a low self-esteem, has often made me a jealous individual. To provide your life with relevance, you believe that having the “things” that others possess will somehow change the way you perceive yourself. Maybe that works for some people, but it doesn’t work for me – not in the long run. Over the years I’ve done an admirable job combatting jealousy with the realization…
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14Jan 2018 by CJ

The connection two people share is everything

Love & Relationships
“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” – Brene Brown The people we choose to surround ourselves with, the relationships we tend to foster, often reflect our own personal beliefs and values. The connection two people share is bred from commonalities – interests, religion, background, morals and the list goes on and on. Regardless of the relationship – romantic or platonic – that connection is often an indicator to the longevity of the pairing. However, if the connection is bred out of falsehoods, created in order to unfairly secure the attention of another, one will rarely derive sustenance and strength from the relationship. Loneliness…
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03Jan 2018 by CJ

Negative thoughts and feelings are not always so easy to control

Life & Living
“The goal isn’t to get rid of all your negative thoughts and feelings; that’s impossible. The goal is to change your response to them.”  - marcandangel.com For those who possess a natural tendency for optimism during adversity, for positivity during times of struggle, for courage when faced with unforeseen circumstances - I applaud you. If I’ve read one study I’ve read hundreds proclaiming that some people are simply chemically wired that way. In a sense, it’s part of their overall personality – an energy which effortlessly flows throughout their body and is almost as basic to them as breathing. I’m NOT one of those people. While I’m certainly not at the far end of the spectrum, I have a propensity to focus on what’s going wrong, rather than seeing everything…
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