05Jan 2016 by CJ

Perseverance is not just for kids

Life & Living, Youth
"What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it." - Antoine De Saint-Exupery I remember when my nephew was just learning to walk, he had his share of tumbles. It seemed every time he got to his feet and took a few steps, it wasn't long before he'd fall on his behind frustrated. What I remember most about that time is not how frequently my young nephew fell, but how many times he continually picked himself back up - almost unaffected by his recurring tumbles and his inability to master the art of walking. If there's one thing you can say about children it's how resilient they are. Regardless of their growing pains (learning to…
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04Jan 2016 by CJ

Change your mind – change your life

Life & Living, Youth
“Progress is impossible without change; and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” – George Bernard Shaw One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned thus far in life is that as long as you’re living and breathing, you always have an opportunity to make changes in life or circumstances. But change is difficult and challenging – forcing one to step outside the comfort of one’s reality in order to adopt a new perspective and alter enduring behaviors. It requires a conscious decision to almost reprogram your mind into a new means of understanding and compassion, not only for others, but for yourself. You see a person of “progress” isn’t necessarily someone who stays on top of the latest trends (personal and professional). A person of progress is someone…
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03Jan 2016 by CJ

Plans often change – you must be ready for them

Life & Living
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” – Joseph Campbell I’m acquainted with two individuals who’ve planned occasions in their life down to their age. One is determined to achieve a certain career level by the time he’s 40, and the other has it set in stone to move back home and build a house of her own by the time she’s 27. Goals are an important part of life. They help to keep our journey on track and moving in the right direction, further enabling those aspirations to become a reality. But planning too far in advance, in such great detail, can also lead to a feeling of utter failure when plans go…
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30Dec 2015 by CJ

True progress leads to lasting fulfillment

Life & Living
“True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice.”  St. Francis De Sales Years ago, not long after being promoted to designer at an upscale magazine in New Jersey, my colleague announced he’d be going away on a pre-planned vacation in a week and a half. Normally this wouldn’t be cause for alarm, except for the fact that the magazine was scheduled to go to press on the very week I’d find myself all alone in my new position. While the design wasn’t necessarily an issue, the logistics and processes (not to mention the workload) was much more intense than my previous position. And while my colleague did an excellent job of teaching me the ropes before he left, it’s not always so easy to remember when you’re thrown into…
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29Dec 2015 by CJ

The sick and aging deserve to be remembered

Life & Living, Love & Relationships
The other day I was flipping through a photo album – a window into a world when my grandparents were young and vibrant. Their smiles for the camera were true ​and honest​ - something I can still remember with such clarity, though I haven’t seen their faces for many years now. A thought popped into my head while thumbing through one page, one photograph after another. While age is a sign that you’ve had a long life, it also means that once you’ve become a pale representation of your former self, many will inevitably forget you. Humanity has a difficult time dealing with those we love when they’re nearing the end of their life – when age has made them withered, frail and feeble. I suppose it’s a defense mechanism…
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