Craig Ruvere

29Jul 2015 by CJ

Tiny Buddha – my latest post

For the 3rd time, I'm honored to be featured on the inspirational site TinyBuddha.com. If you haven't already signed up for their daily posts, it's worth your time. There you'll find a wonderful community filled with hope, healing, motivation, love and support. Thank you Lori for the wonderful opportunity - I am truly blessed. Click Here to view my latest post on Tiny Buddha!

28Jul 2015 by CJ

Age is just a number – be grateful for the time you’ve been given

Generosity & Kindness, Life & Living

“Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul." Samuel Ullman It wasn’t until this year (when I turned 40) that I began to consider myself “old”. While I’m sure those in their 70’s and 80’s find great amusement in my admission, for me it’s been difficult to accept that four decades of my life are now behind me. Even writing that makes me cringe. Lately however, the subject of age has been continually on my mind – especially given the fact that my new co-worker is only 22-years-old. While I’ve been generally surprised at how well I’ve been able to interact with someone half my age, at times…

27Jul 2015 by CJ

Finding the positive in every situation

Life & Living

“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995 Though this probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, I’m a fairly negative person. I have this uncanny ability to take the smallest of problems or issues and completely blow them out of proportion. I believe the more commonly used term would be “drama queen”. Label me if you must. But today I said to myself, “even if the situation is frustrating and aggravating, is it really all that impossible to pull a positive from it?” Case in point. Today my main sprinkler valve decided to burst – spewing water like a geyser on the side of my…

22Jul 2015 by CJ

Propaganda is not fact – you need to read between the lines

Information & Education, Youth

“The news isn't there to tell you what happened. It's there to tell you what it wants you to hear or what it thinks you want to hear.” ― Joss Whedon, Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 2: Dangerous I have a great deal of respect for journalists who’ve made it their life’s work to conduct solid reporting based on facts rather than opinions. Who’ve allowed readers to gain unbiased information and inspiration in order to formulate their own conclusion on a particular subject or circumstance. However, I have a great deal of contempt for “so called” journalists who do nothing more than inaccurately shape the reader’s perception by stretching the truth and massaging reality in an effort to fit their own agenda. Case in point. MarketWatch, which is part of the Dow…

20Jul 2015 by CJ

Prejudices should not be something you teach your children

Information & Education, Life & Living, Youth

"Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list." Denis Leary The other day I was sitting in traffic, when a strange question sprung to mind: is it possible to fully love someone who supports societal and stereotypical prejudices? It was an odd question I admit, but there it was with no definitive answer on the horizon. Prejudice has often been defined as “a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience”. But I think Charles R. Swingoll summed it up best when he said, “Prejudice is a learned trait. You’re not born prejudiced; you’re taught it.” For some it’s those individuals whose socioeconomic conditions pale in comparison to our own. For others it’s a person’s…