If you had a chance to sit down at a Starbucks with your 99-year-old self, how would the conversation go? If you had a chance to unload all of your dreams and worries, successes and struggles, what advice would your 99-year-old self have to offer? It’s a fascinating activity I encourage you to try. You might be surprised at how wise you are (the 99-year-old version of you, at least). Sometimes I have audience members spend time thinking about this during my speaking programs. After a few minutes of silence, I ask for insights anyone would like to share. The other day, an accountant in Milwaukee surprised me with a comment I’d never heard before. …
Archives for November 2010
7 Fun & Creative Christmas Gift Exchange Ideas
One of the best parts of Christmas is opening up an unexpectedly awesome gift from a thoughtful giver. Even better is watching someone else open up the perfect gift you found for them. Unfortunately, the gift-giving part of the holidays often contributes a big part of the stress most people feel during the season. It's not easy trying to find something nice for everyone on the list while fighting the bustling, crazy crowds and keeping the budget from ballooning like Santa on post-Christmas cookie eating binge. A lot of families save money by doing gift exchanges in which every person buys a gift for just one person, rather than everyone in the whole family. Names are drawn, a budget is set, and gifts are purchased. It's budget friendly, but can become a bit stale. …
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Ode to Spontaneity
It was 5:00 on a Thursday night. I had to leave for Zumba at 6:40. Two chicken breasts were on the counter 95% thawed. Like most normal nights in our household, Jason was in charge of dinner. On this particular evening, he was two doors down at our neighbors helping them with some computer challenges. (Jason is my fav tech guru!) The phone rang. It was the very neighbor Jason was assisting. In an "Ode to Spontaneity," he invited the three of us to join him and his wife for some pizza. Why not? I've been wanting to be more spontaneous, and this sure qualified. …
Family Man Turns Down Dylan Tickets
Welcome to the first in a new regular series highlighting the examples of regular people engaging in what we call small rebellions. They rally against the rules that don’t exist, engaging in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine the slavery of Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. These rebels and their actions are small but mighty. I noticed this one while reviewing Facebook statuses recently: …
Small Rebellions
Adultitis is a big problem. Epic. Seemingly insurmountable. It can't be taken down by government legislation, well-financed corporations, or an army of powerful tanks. However. Adultitis can be toppled by ordinary people participating in small rebellions* every single day. Simple decisions to zig instead of zag. …
The Hidden Secret Ingredient to a Great Marriage
I love going to concerts. Always have. However, maybe it’s my age, or maybe it’s that I have enough “noise” in my life, but I’ve been gravitating to quieter, more acoustic-driven shows these days. Kim and I had the chance to see The Weepies when they came to Madison recently. The singing songwriting duo consists of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan, who also happen to be married with two children. …
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There’s An Adult in My iPad
Since a number of you have asked (a number bigger than one), we are thrilled to announce that our latest book, There's An Adult In My Soup, is now available for the iPad and can be found on Apple's iBookstore. Yippee! (Now we just need an iPad.) …
5 Tips for Managing Details Before They Eat You Alive
I love this quote by Amelia Earhart... "When a great adventure is offered, don't refuse it." I think great adventures are offered to us all the time. And YET, if you're like me most days, it's too easy to miss them because you're bogged down in the details of the day-to-day. I truly believe the saying, "The devil's in the details." …
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Is School Teaching Bad Life Balance?
Life balance is something just about everyone struggles with. Even when things are going good, it’s easy to feel guilty about not giving enough attention to something else. Of course, there are many reasons to explain our current dilemma. The always-on, constantly connected aspect of our culture certainly creates more noise and more opportunities to “do” instead of “be.” But I can’t help but wonder if a lot of our problems come down to what we were taught in school. …
Meet Carmen Boan
Kim & Jason Nation is a playful group of fun folks who share a joyful, indomitable childlike spirit and are not afraid to let that spirit come out to play! They’re united by a common goal of fighting Adultitis and the doo-doo heads who embrace its ideals. Quite frankly, they’re pretty much the coolest people on the planet. Here's one right now... …