"The Night Light" by Jason Kotecki This is an adapted excerpt from A Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything, which is currently available as a free download. I made a few tweaks here to fit our current situation, and it goes quite nicely with the recent Coffee with Kim & Jason episode on faith. When you were a child, were you ever afraid of the dark? I sure was. From horns and hair to scabs and skeletons, thinking about what lurked among the shadows was an all-you-can-eat buffet for my imagination.I might not have made it through childhood without that humble but powerful life-saving device known as the night light. Although small in size and wattage, it did a remarkable job of keeping the creepy-crawlies at bay. Without it, I’m sure I’d have been digested in the belly of a slimy beast from the netherworld known as Underthebed.Many lives have been saved by the simple night light. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been needed if we’d only …
Scott Ginsberg, March 2020 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
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. One thing that makes Scott Ginsberg stand out as a remarkable Adultitis Fighter is his proclivity for tinkering. The mark of an expert tinkerer is to try things and let go of the outcome. Easier said than done, because too often we are nervous about what people will think of us if our attempts result in failure. The problem with that approach is that it doesn't factor in the good things that might bubble up from our efforts, the ones we didn't plan for. One of Scott's most famous – and wildly successful – forays into tinkering happened one day after attending an event in college. He made the fateful …
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Enjoy the Woo?
"Enjoy the Woo" by Jason Kotecki. Made with Photoshop. This is an adapted excerpt from A Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything, which is currently available as a free download. I made a few tweaks here, and although it can feel weird to think about enjoying much of anything right now, this is a reminder I know I need to hear more than ever. I hope it encourages you. I think it’s safe to say that most of us are regularly experiencing a roller coaster of emotions on a daily basis as we make our way through this crisis. It probably feels like there are more “downs” than “ups,” as my son Ben would describe them. In fact, maybe you don’t see any ups at all, only a runaway train hurtling at breakneck speed off a cliff. And that’s the question, isn’t it? Is this a roller coaster or a runaway train? Both are experiences that will cause us to scream like that thief in Home Alone who had the tarantula walk on his face. But the outcomes are completely …
Shine On Coloring Sheet
I just made a brand new coloring sheet to help bring light into this dark time! Feel free to share your finished creations, on your Facebook wall, on your fridge, in your window for passersby to see...I can't wait to see your version! :) 👉 Download it here. Get even more free coloring sheets here. …
From March Madness to Cornovirus Craziness
"Fred" by Jason Kotecki. Acrylic on 5x7 wood panel. Do you see them?I’m not talking about the side effects of the havoc wrought by COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus. Of course you’re seeing them; they're easy to spot: the cancellations, the economic upheaval, the scarcity of toilet paper. Adultitis is at an all-time high, spurred on by fear and uncertainty the likes of which I haven’t experienced since 9/11, almost two decades ago. I’m asking you to look a little more closely. Do you see the helpers? Fred Rogers is famous for saying, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”Do you see them? The healthcare professionals who are tirelessly working overtime to tend to the sick and keep our communities as healthy as possible. The scientists laboring to bring tests to market and develop a vaccine. The private companies that are stepping up to pool their resources and …
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How to Bigify Your Life
We didn’t see them at first, because they were the same size and color as the stones. But then some of those stones started moving. First one, then seven, then hundreds.We were vacationing in the Pacific Northwest, renting a home on Discovery Bay, and the rocky shoreline was covered with a thousand small tiny crabs.The kids were fascinated, by the crabs, and by the fact that the shoreline itself seemed to grow and shrink throughout the day. And it was, because even though it looked like one of the lakes we are accustomed to here in Wisconsin, the bay was connected to the nearby ocean, and the tide was making itself known.That led to questions of where the water went when the tide was out, which led to talk of the moon's gravitational pull, which led to discussions about the phases of the moon and finally, which moon each of us were born under and what – if anything – that said about us.My wife and I were able to answer exactly NONE of these questions on our own. Either we'd never been …
You Aren’t Living a Net-Zero Life, Are You?
"Shade Tree" by Jason Kotecki. Acrylic on watercolor paper Can something be good for the environment, but really bad for people?Yep.In discussions about how to best care for our planet, you’ll often hear about the importance of carbon neutrality, which refers to having net-zero carbon dioxide emissions. Net-zero is the result when there’s neither a surplus nor a deficit of something specified when gains and losses are added together. It is often used to describe buildings that produce enough energy (as through solar panels or passive heating) to offset any energy consumed.It occurred to me the other day that although "net-zero" may be an ideal objective for our environment, it’s a terrible goal for people.Quite simply, a net-zero life is a life that didn’t matter. It’s a heavy question, but is the world better or worse off because you were here? Granted, the world would have been better off if Jack the Ripper had lived a net-zero life. Special cases aside, it’s my hope that …
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Paula Wick, February 2020 Adultitis Fighter of the Month
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. Paula Wick lives with passion whether investing in herself through the Escape Adulthood Summit and Wonderhunt or caring for her clients. Her curiosity and compassion impact the way she approaches life, especially with her work as a Nurtured Heart Approach® enthusiast! Paula embraces a playful mindset fostered by a fun-filled childhood, leading her into everyday adventures. You can even find her love of puzzles embedded in her answers below! In recognition of their efforts, Adultitis Fighters of the Month receive a special mini-canvas hand-painted by Jason, along with a certificate of …
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The Only Hard Choice
"Ice Cream of Liberty" by Jason Kotecki.Watercolor and colored pencil on paper. My family loves teasing me about how, when I was a wee lad, I’d cry over the simplest decisions. Being forced to choose between a vanilla or chocolate ice cream cone caused a full-on existential crisis.I like to think I’ve made progress in this area over the past forty years, but some decisions are still hard.Although the choice of ice cream flavor doesn’t have as much gravity for me as it once did, the fact remains: The only hard choice is the choice between two good things. That observation comes from Roy H. Williams, and I just love it.Unless you’re a monk living in a yurt in Tibet, I think we’d all agree that our plates are too full. Not our dinner plates, but the plates piled high with all of the tasks, obligations, and errands that keep us busy.Long gone are the days of sitting on a rocking chair on your front porch shelling peas for supper. Who has time for that? Nowadays we run around like …
Regret Prevention 101
For better or for worse, my to-do list does a bang-up job of keeping me busy. I add to it, celebrate when tasks get crossed off, and stress over the ones that linger too long. It can often feel like I am the servant of my to-do list.Adding a layer of regret prevention has helped it to serve me.Recently we were explaining the concept of “decades” to our kids and how we were starting a whole new one. It occurred to me and Kim that when this one is over, we’ll have two teenagers and Lucy will likely be moved out. Yikes. Meanwhile, I'm still over here clinging to the 1980s and 90s.I was reminded of a list I made a few years ago, one that’s more important to me than my to-do list: 10 Things I’ll Miss When My Kids Grow Up. Before I had children, I dreamed of all the fun things we’d do together. But when you’re in the harried, exhausting thick of it, it’s not hard to let those aspirations slide as you slip into survival mode. And as a fairly ambitious entrepreneur and business owner, it’s …