Connections are hard to come by, but worth holding on to

Connections are hard to come by, but worth holding on to

Love & Relationships
“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” ― Brené Brown As an awkward, insecure teenager, it wasn’t uncommon for me to spend a Friday or Saturday night alone – driving around listening to music as a means to busy myself from the loneliness. Inevitably, my car always managed to find its way to my grandparent’s house. The draperies covering a large picture window in their living room seemed to almost glow – no doubt caused by the television set, which was obviously on. This was a clear sign they were home before pulling into the driveway and ringing the doorbell. The hour was irrelevant;…
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Winnie-the-Pooh is still teaching us lessons

Love & Relationships, Youth
On August 21, 1920, Christopher Robin Milne was born. For many of us, his name is immortalized in the stories of a lovable little boy and his favorite toy bear, more affectionately known as Winnie-the-Pooh. A.A. Milne was a prolific writer – books, plays, essays – but will forever be known for his creation of the beloved Winnie-the-Pooh series. History says that in 1925, Milne and his young family moved to a picturesque farm in Sussex – the 100-acre woods surrounding the property serving as the perfect magical setting for a series of children’s stories countless generations continue to admire. When young Christopher was around one, he received a present – a stuffed bear. That one stuffed animal would serve as the inspiration for a series of whimsical stories. Over…
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A scar is a reminder of healing

Life & Living
“Some people see scars, and it is wounding they remember. To me they are proof of the fact that there is healing.”  ― Linda Hogan The other day at work, I bumped into the open drawer of a metal filing cabinet, causing a three-inch cut on the middle of my thigh. My first thought? This is going to scar. I’m not sure why I care all that much about a scar on my leg. After all, I’m not a leg model for Vogue magazine. Not to mention my legs are littered with scars from the abuse I often put them through while performing any number of handyman projects. Eventually I shrugged it off and went about my day. Later on, while sitting in Colorado’s grueling rush hour traffic, the discomfort of…
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No one has ever become poor by giving

Generosity & Kindness
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” – Anne Frank The other day, my wife and I found a $5 bill while out shopping. For my millennial co-worker, she would have screamed, “YES!” with a greedy growl. But for us it seemed wrong to simply pocket the money, which admittedly now represented a loss to someone else. The two of us quickly agreed that we should donate this found money to someone who needs it much more than we do. My commute home from work is littered with people standing on street corners begging for donations. We both decided that one of these individuals would be the recipient of that $5. Ironically, as soon as we made that decision, I couldn’t get rid of the money. It seemed I…
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Karma encourages people to do good, what’s wrong with that?

Life & Living
“Karma has no problem getting back in touch with you when need be.” – Author Unknown What is karma? The internet is littered with definitions, which seemingly contradict each other, so it’s almost impossible to discern what the actual definition is. After going through page after page, I finally found one which supports the teachings I learned during previous yoga classes. “(In Hinduism and Buddhism) the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” Whether you agree or disagree with the concept of karma, its potential for the future ultimately inspires human beings from around the world to change their current behaviors. Suddenly kindness and compassion have become a daily practice in the hopes of securing better days…
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