"Hippoposterous" by Jason Kotecki. 20" x 20". Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints available here. This is a tiny hippo in a bowl of Froot Loops. Or is it a normal-sized hippo in a giant bowl of Froot Loops? I don’t remember. Either way, it’s preposterous. Most serious people don’t have time for the preposterous. They have much more important things to concern themselves with. Of course, there’s a good chance that these people are also riddled with Adultitis, make terrible leaders, and will never change the world. Consider the smartphone. It is a device on which you can look …
We are constantly bombarded with rules that don’t exist. This collection of “rules” comes from everywhere: parents, grandparents, politicians, first grade teachers, old dead white guys, and young celebrity trendsetters. We follow them (often subconsciously) for reasons that range from irrelevant to superstitious to downright stupid. Sadly, they often limit us from living better stories. Below are some we’ve identified so far. Did we miss one?
The Best Policy is the One You Make Up After You Read This
If you’ve been following along for a while here, you know that I am a big proponent of breaking rules (particularly the ones that don’t exist.) What might surprise you is that I am equally cool with creating them, too, as long as you’re clear on the reason. I want to share with you one of the most liberating concepts I’ve come across, and believe it or not, it involves making and abiding by strict rules. It’s the idea of creating personal policies. You're well aware of how big companies devise all kinds of policies to protect their interests. You’ve heard it dozens of times: “I’m …
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Something New to Try in the Bedroom
"Fork & Spoon" by Jason Kotecki. Prints available here. I’ve been married for almost 18 years. Every single night that I’m at home, I sleep on the right side of the bed. Why? How did that come about? I don’t ever remember having a discussion about it with Kim, and yet, here we are; our assigned spots have not changed since the day we got hitched. Weird. Why do we do any of the things we do? The little habits that make up our days, where did they come from? Which way do you take to work? How do you typically run your meetings? On-board new employees? Welcome new customers? Deal …
Lessons in Adultitis Fighting from the Revolutionary War
"War Games" by Jason Kotecki. Digital. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I was thinking about the American Revolutionary War the other day (because I like keeping up on current events), and a few things struck me. I imagine it would have been easy for the American colonists to look at all the advantages held by the British and wallow in the land of “Must Be Nice”... They have the most powerful navy in the whole world...must be nice. They have way more professionally trained soldiers than we do...must be nice. They have a ton of money to buy food, supplies, and …
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Whoop There He Is
[ This is a guest post about some rules that don't exist from our good friend and professional speaker, Laurie Guest. ] Kim and Jason have coined a phrase that speaks directly to my heart. The phrase is #notarule, and it challenges adults to look for ways to fight Adultitis, a disease that causes stress and decreases fun. Jason wrote a book called Penguins Can’t Fly +39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist. He invited others to submit suggestions for #notarule, and I had been on the lookout for a good example. I wanted to be included in the book, but unfortunately, I never found a worthy …
Too Old? Think Again.
Keith Davison lost his wife Evy to cancer after a marriage of 66 years. He admitted that he cried a lot. And the peace and quiet eventually became too overbearing. So get this: The 94-year-old installed an in-ground pool in his backyard. With a diving board. And invited the neighborhood kids to jump in. Now his home is bustling with activity as his newly adopted “grandkids” bring life and laughter into it. He admits it didn’t make economic sense to install the pool. But who can put a price tag on joy? Ninety-four-year-olds shalt not install a pool in thy backyard. #notarule If you’re …
Thou Shalt Conceal Thy Wrinkles
This one’s for the ladies. Full disclosure: At last check, I am not a woman. So I cannot claim to be an expert in the things women go through. But one thing I am sympathetic to is all of the messages bombarding you about your appearance. I mean guys have the pressure to maintain six-pack abs (I’m one sixth of the way there!), but it’s nothing compared to the onslaught you face on a daily basis. Let’s take wrinkles, which are supposedly The Devil. Apparently they are something to be avoided at all costs. My wife has told me horror stories of going to parties at friends’ homes in …
Calling All Creative Warriors!
I recently had the great pleasure of being featured on Jeffrey Shaw's Creative Warriors podcast. It was one of the best interviews I've been a part of, mainly because Jeffrey was so well-prepared. Since he'd read my book, Penguins Can't Fly +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist, he came armed with some great questions and we were able to go much deeper, more quickly than usual. I think you'll find it to be a worthwhile listen. Among other things, we discussed... Where the rules that don't exist come from, The danger in being realistic, Why you might not want to wear clean …
5 Rules You Should Totally Break This Week
It's been almost two years since Penguins Can't Fly was published. It features forty of the most common rules that don't exist, but with each passing day, I am even more convinced that there are more like forty million, keeping us enslaved to Adultitis without us even noticing. A few weeks ago, I asked Escape Adulthood Insiders to share some of the so-called rules they most love breaking. I got so many good ones! This week, I wanted to play mild-mannered reporter and pass along a few of my favorites, because I they are great reminders for everyone. Thou shalt only observe morning once a …
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6 Rules That Don’t Exist That Will Surprise Most Parents
We are inundated with rules that don’t exist. Not speed limits and tax laws, but the seemingly invisible norms, assumptions, and superstitions that we follow (often subconsciously) and which drive our lives. The more I write and talk about them, the more I uncover. And there is no shortage in the realm of education. My wife Kim and I homeschool. In the grand scheme of things, we’re in the shallow end of the pool; the oldest of our three children is only seven. But these past several years may have been the most important of all, because we’ve had to un-learn pretty much everything we knew …
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