The Challenging (and changing) Landscape of the College Application Process

The Challenging (and changing) Landscape of the College Application Process Colleges and Universities saw an unprecedented number of college applications in 2023. Some institutions report up to 20-30% more applicants than in previous years, making the selection process much more difficult for a graduating high school senior. The increase in applications is due to several […]

Thank You Great Grandpa

old family photos trigger memories

When I take a walk to my apartment mailbox each morning, I’m never expecting anything grandiose. But my Aunt Marie added a change to all of that the other day. To my surprise, I saw a giant orange envelope and her name and address on the top left corner. She knows I’m researching my family […]

Smiling can change someone’s day – and Life

smiling can change your day

Smiling at someone, whether they be the starkest stranger or the closest friend, is a gift unlike any other. I think of the security guards at my apartment complex when I was living in Mexico for the last 6 months of 2023. Juan-Manuel (Johnny). Augustine. Francisco. Flavio. Among many other incredible guards. Every time I […]

After You Fall…. Think About It… Then Get Up

  Last year, I went disco roller skating for the first time in my life.  I was like a small baby learning how to walk for the first time. The roller skates and my coordination were in a bout for total control. I only fell once. But when I fell…. oh man… the floor was […]

Not Taking Things Personally

“We make the assumption that everyone sees life the way we do.”  — The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, p. 69 After 25 years of life, I couldn’t be more set in my claim I’m about to make. Most Americans take things too personally – and that includes me. Taking things personally can be a rat […]

A Story About my Friend Gabbie

“Gabbie, what if you just wrote about it?” It’s the summer months of 2021. I posed this question to my childhood best friend, Gabbie, after an hour-long walk around Packanack lake – a picturesque lake in our hometown of Wayne, NJ, where it feels like everyone knows everyone. Gabbie was one of my first friends […]

Speak Truth Wisely (Part II – Not All at Once)

image of a pool with water

 (by Visualize Value, communication – with my own twist) Say the thing…. August 23rd, 2023. 8am est. New Jersey Spinal Care Clinic. In my hometown of Wayne, NJ. It’s not a true trip home unless I see my family and one of my best friends, Tom. Our plan was to meet at our favorite chiropractic clinic for a […]

Speed – Go Slower… to Go Faster (Part I – Not All at Once)

cityscape timelapse photos showing speed

(I want to explain to you how special this series is to me. I will give you a direct example of its positive impact in order to magnify why: In writing this first essay “Go Slower… to Go Faster”, I started with about 400 words. Then, I got to 750 words. Then, I got to […]

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