I'm a sucker for movies that challenge me to be a better person, ones that help me remember to live each moment to the fullest. If you're going to spend two hours of your life doing something, you might as well walk away fired up about living a richer life. Here are my top 13 picks that will leave you inspired and excited about living life more abundantly. …
Archives for April 2010
Break The Rules – EA Show #54
We've been watching the History Channel series, "America, The Story of Us," and have learned a few lessons from our founding fathers, especially the rebels who fought for our independence. In this episode, we talk specifically about rules, and why your future depends on you breaking them. | Subscribe with iTunes | Download (120 MB) Share Your Thoughts... What do you think about this month's show? Do you have a review of "America, The Story of Us?" What rules do you often find yourself inadvertently abiding by? We'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send 'em to eashow@kimandjason.com Linkety Links Learn more about the History Channel's America The Story of Us. Become a fan of Kim & Jason on Facebook and get reminded about our next live show as well as other behind-the-scenes treats. Kim & Jason Nation unite! …
Busyness Is Killing Us (Or Why We Should All Take Up Fishing)
I was talking to a friend the other day who works as a youth minister for a church. I asked him what the biggest issues the teens in his community are dealing with. His answer came quickly. “Drugs,” he said. He detailed the overwhelming prevalence of prescription drugs, and went on to tell me stories about “Skittles parties," in which everyone comes with an assortment of pills pilfered from medicine cabinets. They are thrown into a bowl, and each partygoer swallows a handful and “sees what happens.” Of course this creates a conundrum for EMTs, because if a kid overdoses or has a severe reaction, they have no idea how to proceed with treatment, since there’s no way to know what they ingested. “We’ve had some close calls,” said my friend. …
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The Boring Road to Nowhere
Would you consider yourself to be a happy person? I know, I know, happiness is subjective, but if your BFF's were asked to use three words to describe you, would "happy" (or joyful, lighthearted, carefree) be one of them? I don't ask the question to make you feel guilty for not smiling more or because I think you need to be in a constant state of bliss to have a life of meaning. I ask the question because I feel like a lot of people are settling for a less-than-happy existence. Are you settling? …
Is It Time To Burn The TV?
Sometimes I envy the people who don't have televisions. I definitely respect them. Somedays I wish I could be just like them, especially when I listen to the song "Throw It All Away" by one of the best bands ever, Toad the Wet Sprocket: burn your tv in your yard and gather 'round it with your friends and warm your hands upon the fire and start again But alas, I do have a TV. A nice one. With cable. Maybe I really don't believe that TV is evil. Or maybe I'm just too weak to be television independent. Perhaps a little of both. I do know this: TV is easy. Not only as a way to unwind, but as a way to get lost. According to a 2009 analysis by Nielsen, the average American watches approximately 153 hours of TV every month at home. That's over 5 hours a day, or 35 hours a week. Again, that's the average. That means some people are watching even MORE than that. …
9 Ways to Celebrate the Child Within
This week is officially the "Week of the Young Child" and today is Celebrate Children Day in Wisconsin. Boy, this is right up our alley. In celebration of all of the fabulously inspiring shorties out there, I'd be remiss if I didn't say that you don't have to HAVE kids or WORK with kids in order to celebrate children. Raise your hand if you used to be a kid... Wow...you all raised your hand. Sweet. This should also be an opportunity to celebrate the child within -- that little spirit left behind in a world that grows foggier and farther away with each additional birthday candle. Here are a few ways to celebrate the child within this week... …
Life Balance Is A Beach
It’s early in the morning, but the day already promises to be a spectacular one. The sun beams its bright rays through the windows and the fluffy cloud-studded sky is already a perfect shade of blue. Spring break is definitely here, but there’s no break about it. Jenny is rushing around the kitchen trying to simultaneously pack her briefcase and the backpack the girls will take to daycare, trying not to mix items between the two. The last thing she needs is a set of finger paints for her client meeting today. Hannah and Sarah are buzzing around the kitchen table, playing a new game with two paper towel rolls. Four-year-old Hannah, with pigtails held together by twin butterfly clips, stops long enough to tug at Jenny’s black skirt and ask, “Mommy, can we go to the beach today?” …
Red Rover Approved Clothing
I collect t-shirts. I love 'em. Except for when I play dress-up at weddings and funerals, I pretty much wear one every single day. I even wear a t-shirt when I speak, which absolutely horrifies my more uptight, more "properly dressed" speaker friends. I have nothing against ties, I just don't want them strangling my neck on a regular basis. As a graphic artist, one of my favorite things to do is design t-shirts. It's one thing for an artist to have someone point out how much they appreciate a particular work, but it's another thing entirely to have them like it enough to actually wear it. Like, in public. …
The Danger of Cartwheels and Car Dancing
It wasn't long after she learned to walk that Lucy started dancing. It began with little head bobs and knee bends. Now, when a fast beat is bursting from our living room stereo, Lucy is the first one to come running. Spinning, twirling, and bouncing, she's a whirling dervish of dance moves. I hate it that we lose that free-spiritedness as we get older. Most of us, anyway. Me included. …
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Good Day Sunshine: 7 Ways to Make Your Living Space More Fun
If you've followed us for a while, then you know that like many entrepreneurs out there, Jason and I have had to work and sacrifice a lot to get where we are today - all the while being quite unsure if the investment was actually going to pay off. We spent the first seven years of our married life together living and working in a crowded apartment here in Madison. When we were selling greeting cards and prints wholesale to retail stores (one of our early business models), we often felt like we were living in a Hallmark store/warehouse filled with boxes, packing peanuts and the screeching sound of packing tape at 10:30 p.m. Yikes! It took an enormous amount of mental and physical energy to rise above our physical environment in order to keep our blue sky mentality. I realize that our situation was not unique. This is a challenge for many folks for a variety of reasons. A tight budget may be preventing you from upgrading that outdated decor. Your spouse's job loss may have brought you …
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