Escape Adulthood

Live with Less Stress & More Fun

Archives for April 2017

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What to Remember When Launching Something New

We’ve been launching ourselves into space for decades now, and there’s still an element of risk every time we do it. Although very smart people do their best to minimize it, there is always the prospect of danger, disaster, and the possibility that it might not work. With all that humankind has gained from these amazing missions, I’m thankful we’ve had so many brave people willing to go for the ride. It’s good to remember that every worthwhile endeavor comes with an element of risk and requires at least some small measure of bravery. It comes with the territory and is a necessary consideration as we make our plans. However, I made this painting to also remind us not to focus too much on the danger. I know I can get sucked into spending too much time thinking about the risk, what I might lose, and what people will think of me if I fail (especially if in some spectacular fashion.) Determining that an endeavor carries some risk shouldn't automatically keep us from moving …

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Cheri Neal, April 2017 Adultitis Fighter of the Month

How does one begin to create a more fun, adventurous, and happy life? The first, and by far most important step, is to just decide. Really. It's easy to get caught living a life that's expected. We do the things that people like us are "supposed" to do, and avoid the things that people aren't "supposed" to do. Making a decision to ignore those "supposed to's" and "shoulds" is a ginormous one. An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Cheri Neal is an inspiring example of someone who has decided to not worry so much about what people like her are "supposed" to do. For example, a lot of elected officials take themselves way too seriously. You wouldn't …

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Improving Workplace Culture: 3 Ideas Adultitis Doesn’t Want You To Know About

Perhaps a fog of negativity has settled in at work. Maybe everyone’s on a hair trigger and trust in each other is at an all-time low. No matter what the details look like, when Adultitis has infiltrated the culture of a workplace, it may seem like the only viable option is to initiate a scorched Earth firing campaign and start from scratch with a new team of fresh, happy faces. Maybe it is. Or maybe you could experiment with one of these three ideas first. Mr. Potato Head Goes on Tour. Get a Mr. (or Mrs.) Potato Head. Write a simple but heartfelt note to an employee or co-worker, put the note in the little butt compartment of your toy spud, and sneak it onto that person’s desk while they’re away. It could be a note of congratulations for a big sale, or a few sentences complimenting something you admire about the way they do their job. Include instructions to pass it on and do something similar for a fellow colleague. Space Hacking. Facebook has been known to give their …

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The Practical Side of Playing Make Believe

Sometimes playing "make believe" is the most practical thing you can do. Remember The Land of Make Believe, made famous by Mr. Rogers? Let’s go there for a quick trip: Pretend you just won the lottery. Power Ball. After paying taxes, you now have $150 million in the bank. Sweet. Now what? What would you do next? What's your ideal life? How would you spend your days? Where would you spend them? And with whom? Go ahead, don’t be shy or limited by what’s “practical.” Shoot for the moon. We're in the Land of Make Believe, remember? Would your life look any different than it does right now? For most people the answer is probably yes, at least a little bit. Now, as much as I'd like to wave a magic wand and make all that fantasy a reality, there is some practicality in all this daydreaming. You just put a pin in the map. By identifying a destination, you can now see what direction you want to go. Yes, it might seem a million miles away. That's ok. The important …

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A Tale of Two Blue Shoes

At three years old going on twenty-two with pink hair and arms wrapped in tattoos, my daughter Virginia keeps us on our toes. A few weeks ago, she decided she wanted to wear two different shoes. To church. To her credit, they were both blue. The logic was sound. She dug one shoe out of the closet, but failed to find the match, so she grabbed another nearby shoe and put that on. Problem solved. Kim and I appraised the situation and looked at each other. Ginny appeared determined. A fight to conform to a more standard footwear choice would likely ensue. Not that we're pushovers, but we both paused to consider whether this was a fight worth picking. Then it occurred to me that literally the ONLY reason we'd push the envelope is because of concern about what other people would think of our parenting. After all, what kind of incompetence is required to allow your child to show up in church wearing two different shoes? Are we clueless? Careless? Mentally ill? Lacking …

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How To Find Your Passion in Two Easy Steps

How can I be happier? What am I supposed to do with my life? How do I follow my passion if I don't know what it is? Big questions. Common questions. And the answers might be hidden in our childhood. Seeds are often planted in our childhood that serve as clues to what we’re supposed to spend our time doing as grown-ups. Sometimes we just need to engage in a little detective work to figure out what they mean. I got an email recently from someone who was reading my first book and wrote to tell me her favorite part: So far my favorite part is in Chapter 4, Live Passionately. You tell us to think back to what we wanted to be when we grew up. I stopped there and shook my head since I wanted to be a hotel maid in Florida. HAHA You went on and said to think about the reason for having that passion. That was an eyeopener! A cleaned hotel room after playing all day in the hot sun gave me a peace and I wanted to share that feeling with others. So simple. Our desires as …

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