25Jul 2016 by CJ

Material possessions will never define WHO you are

Life & Living
“How good something is should never be determined by its cost, designer, origin, or its perceived value by others.” – Ashly Lorenzana The other day while perusing Motortrend’s website as I do on a daily basis, I came across a startling statistic. First of all, for those who don’t know, Motortrend is a popular automotive magazine, which first appeared in September 1949 and has been a favorite of mine for decades. But I digress. The post was about material possessions – more accurately the average transaction price of a new car or truck sold in American in April 2016. Are you sitting down? It was $33,560 – 2.6% higher than just a month earlier according to automotive researcher Kelly Blue Book. What is a car really? While fully aware of new…
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20Jul 2016 by CJ

Genuine character is lost in a sea of sameness

Youth
“The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.” ― Abigail Van Buren A person possessing genuine character is hard to come by in society. Often ego, competitiveness and insecurities make it nearly impossible to encounter individuals on our daily journey who retain either of the unique qualities I reference above. Sameness is easily achieved You begin to realize the reality of this when you find yourself in new surroundings and begin to understand how society is inundated with carbon copies. Everyone is trying to be what’s fashionable and popularly accepted in society, leaving those searching for originality wandering through a sea of clones. Perhaps what’s most troubling about all of this is if you’ve been…
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18Jul 2016 by CJ

Don’t let life pass you by without seeing what’s in front of you

Youth
Many of you might be unfamiliar with the name Mitch Albom, regardless of the fact that he’s a celebrity all around the world.  Perhaps he’s better known for his craft than his name. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the book Tuesdays With Morrie, which spent 4 years on the New York Time’s Bestsellers List. And with good reason. Albom’s storytelling ability in Tuesdays With Morrie is truly immeasurable and inspirational – impacting the lives of his readers with, “An elegantly simple story about a writer getting a second chance to discover life through the death of a friend.” (Tampa Tribune) Don't let life pass you by In my mind, the most poignant lesson from this writing comes near its conclusion. “None of us can undo what we’ve done, or…
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14Jul 2016 by CJ

Going home can be rewarding for the soul

Life & Living
“Coming back is the thing that enables you to see how all the dots in your life are connected, how one decision leads you to another, how one twist of fate, good or bad, brings you to a door that later takes you to another door, which aided by several detours--long hallways and unforeseen stairwells--eventually puts you in the place you are now.” – Ann Patchett In life there are no do-overs. Each day we must live with the consequences of our decisions – good or bad – and finds ways to accept that they’ve led us to where we are today. And while there are no do-overs in life, you can go back – home that is. Going Home... I spent the last week doing just that. I used to…
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27Jun 2016 by CJ

Gender stereotypes do not equal parenting

Youth
“There is a time in a boy’s life when the sweetness is pounded out of him; and tenderness, and the ability to show what he feels, is gone.” ― Norah Vincent Working in an office environment can be very enlightening. I’m often amazed at how much people are willing to reveal about themselves – especially regarding stereotypes, which continue to proliferate throughout society. I present the following example. While searching through a library of stock images, I came across a photo of a father and son (who was around 8 years old) walking on a golf course – see photo below. What I perhaps found most compelling about the image was how the father held on to his young son’s hand as they made their way to the next hole.…
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