Tonight, tonight!

We made it! Let’s all give each other a big round of applause for making it to the most important day of the week, Friday. So, how will you be spending your reward for making it through the week in one piece? Worry not, it just so happens NYWC is throwing its Spring Fling! Here’s five reasons why the Spring Fling is the place you want to be.

Let’s be honest, it’s Friday who doesn’t need to unwind a little? Come kick back with the NYWC team and it’s supporters and have a drink.  Sponsored by Iceberg Vodka and LiBella Pinot Grigio, the specialty cocktails will help you start your weekend right.
Somewhere in between strong cocktails and good company, NYWC will give guests a glance at their new promotional video. Featuring some of our amazing workshop leaders and participants, it’s an inside look you don’t want to miss. For an exclusive first viewing be sure to join us tonight. (more…)

Friday 5 – What Your Hands Say

Hands, like their owners, come in all shapes and sizes. With their past and present written all over them, details like age, degree of hygiene, bad habits, and even fashion sense to the most important testaments of experiences like scars, and the work of a lifetime.  When you think about it, your hands do a lot of talking even before you open your mouth.  These days, we mostly hear about the work of hands of hate, violence, and greed.  Whether it be due to bombardment by media or apathy, it makes it difficult to realize just how many hands of help are all around.  If you’ve forgotten too, take a look around.  Here are some amazing, powerful hands right in New York to get you started!

          1.  The Samaritans of New York – Let’s talk about suicide.

Beginning with what you might call a depressing topic that deters most people from conversation, and perhaps readers of this Friday 5 article, some of you might be wondering what I was thinking.  Well, bringing this topic up is exactly what the Samaritans of New York is all about. Founded in 1983 as a part of the world’s oldest and largest suicide prevention network, this organization is free from a social, political, cultural, or religious affiliation and agenda, seeking only to provide emotional support and awareness about suicide and its prevention.  For starters, it is the only organization that provides a 24/7 anonymous and confidential suicide-prevention hotline in New York City.  Volunteers from all walks of life sustain this hotline by giving over 20 hours of their time each month, answering over 60,000 calls per year! In addition, this organization provides other services including free monthly support meetings for those who have lost a loved-one to suicide; consultations for educators, health professionals, social workers, corporations, law enforcement, and several government agencies; and a thorough Public Education Program, dispelling some serious Myths & Misconceptions. Check out their information booklet to learn more. Ready to be there when someone really may need you most? (more…)

Is cupid… online?

This week has been rough.  A pretty hard week for Americans.  Just check the news, people are pretty fed up with this week.  So I thought I would give us some rest and go on a fun rant of my own, railing for and against… Internet Dating.

DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!

As a seasoned internet dater, I have 5 pros and 5 cons to keep in mind when pursuing this ultra ‘in’ activity.  For 5 minutes, let yourself be pissed off, or, equally, delighted by a relatively unimportant idea.  Keep in mind this is completely biased, but I will respect my former dates by keeping their information private.  Internet security is an issue these days, and I wouldn’t want to betray these lovely women by putting their real names or information online.  You can understand that.  Without further ado…

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Friday 5: Reasons to be Happy Today!

Each day is a possibility to re-discover the beauty that rests within life and within yourself. Although life is full of difficulties, it is also overflowing with deep and unbounded joy; joy which you can tap into no matter what your circumstance is. Here are five reasons why you should let that beautiful smile of yours shine today:

Your life is full of possibility and it could be brimming with excitement if you allowed it to be. Although sometimes our options in life are limited due to whatever circumstance we find ourselves in, no matter where you are in life, there is still a vast realm of possibility and opportunity that can be tapped into, if you are willing to venture there. Many of us prefer to dwell in our comfort zones (which is sometimes a good thing) and we fear to even ponder the untapped potential within ourselves. That is because recognizing and acting on our potential would mean A.) permitting change and new experiences to come into our life, which can be scary B.) actually taking responsibility for our life and to  living a life committed to actively fulfilling our potential and C.) This may mean letting go of people or circumstances that no longer serve us, which is also difficult. Yet, when we put aside the scary stuff, we can remember that the spirit of mankind soars when it encounters new challenges, experiences and the evolution of one’s self. We can see this clearly when we watch a young child who is shakily pedaling down the street for the first time on his new bike, yet wearing the biggest, most heartwarming smile. We can observe how absolutely exhilarated this child seems to be. This incredible feeling of exhilaration has not been lost on us, because it is intrinsic to our nature, which is drawn toward adventure and the progression of one’s self– how else do you think we evolved from simple cells into the complex mystery of human beings that we are today? Each day, work to embrace possibility and meditate on the fact that nothing in life is so binding that there is not another way, and a happier path in which you can pursue.

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Friday 5: Why young people in the USA are increasingly indifferent to the Catholic Church

Being in the midst of Easter week, it feels like an appropriate time to address the Church’s decreasing appeal to young people in the US. Whether or not this is a bad thing I will leave to you, but the trend of youth disaffection with the Church is undeniable.  The recent election of Pope Francis, formerly Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, shows that the Church is all too aware of its waning influence over traditional Catholic demographics (i.e. Caucasians in the West). (more…)