All of our technological advancements are supposed to give us more time. Instead, we fall for the temptation of trying to pack more tasks into the time we’ve saved. Last month I was booked to speak in Hawaii. I was able to take Kim and the kids along, and the week before the engagement, we played in the sun and surf of Lanikai Beach. I made a special point – a very concerted effort, indeed – to refrain from checking email, surf the internet, or scan my social media feeds. Somehow, the world continued to rotate on its 23-degree axis. The sun rose and set on a regular basis, and my …
Insight Springs Forth From Ugliness
Things got pretty ugly at one of my recent speaking programs. I was invited to help the staff at one of Madison's most treasured landmarks adopt a mindset of creativity and innovation. As part of the workshop, the attendees got an opportunity to decorate cookies together. But the goal wasn’t to make Martha Stewart jealous. The goal was to make them as ugly as possible, as a callback to a story I often tell. Mission accomplished. Underneath this seemingly innocuous activity, a number of powerful elements were at play. Chief among them was, well, play. It’s not every day that …
Studio Sneak Peek #89: Varnish Break and Wondernite Preview
A candid look behind the scenes of Jason’s studio... …
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The Easiest Way Leave a Powerful Legacy
Mr. Olsen had written a series of math problems across several chalkboards. The avalanche of white scribbles was overwhelming, but not impossible. “Anyone who gets them all correct,” he told his fifth grade class, “will get a sucker.” Sheryl was one of five students who were up to the task. Unfortunately, the teacher said he only had four suckers, and was forced to ask if anyone would be willing to give up theirs. Sheryl said she would. Mr. Olsen thanked her, and proceeded with the rest of the school day.Before the students were dismissed that afternoon, Mr. Olsen asked Sheryl to stay after …
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Shine On: Looking for Light During Dark Times
Kim and I were invited by American Family Insurance's DreamBank to share our story about when we returned home from vacation with our three kids to find something we were not expecting. It led to an emotional roller coaster of fear, anger, and grief, but eventually evolved into an inspiring story of hope and the power of community. In this vulnerable but uplifting program, we share our journey from darkness into light. We also touch on themes from Jason’s newly released book, "A Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything," giving tips and insight for finding the …
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Terry McMillan, October 2019 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. Terry is a leader in the Escape Adulthood movement. We have been blessed to get to know Terry over the years through the EA Summit, Wondernite, and various other local events and every time we walk away from a Terry …
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No Joke: The Life-Changing Lesson I Learned From Joker
So I saw Joker. Normally, I avoid sad movies that I know will have sad endings. (I still haven’t seen Schindler’s List or any 9-11 movies for this reason.) I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think it’s fairly obvious that the titular character doesn’t opt for a career spreading joy and goodwill entertaining children at birthday parties. Still, I do love a good backstory and was drawn in by the superhero movie vibe. Of course, Joker is no superhero movie and is not suitable for children. It is disturbing and intense. I have also come to see it as beautifully-crafted documentary on …
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Paula Wick Wins Framed Canvas!
To celebrate and promote the release of A Chance of Awesome, we invited fans to share a fun photo of themselves with the book and tag us with the hashtag #AChanceOfAwesome. One lucky winner would be able to choose a 20" x 20" framed canvas reproduction of their choice. That lucky winner is...Paula Wick! Congrats, Paula; we'll be in touch to confirm the details! Meanwhile, thank you to everyone who has helped spread the word about this book! We have mostly received a wonderful reception (although we have had some people hate it, as you can see from the reviews). If you've read the book, …
The Magic of Making Deposits
Try this: Starting today, stop making deposits into your checking account. But continue writing checks to pay your bills. What happens when you write a check the day after your money runs out? It's pretty easy to see the financial lesson here. What’s interesting is that we can apply the same lesson to relationships. So many parents tell me what a struggle it is to get their kids to do anything. They always have to get after them to get up and ready for school, do their homework, eat their vegetables, pick up after themselves, look presentable for church, etc. It’s …
Did You Notice the Rainbow Today?
I had the good fortune of getting invited to speak at a big conference in Hawaii, and the even better fortune of being able to bring along my family. The event was in Honolulu, and we were booked in a hotel on Waikiki Beach. Three minutes after checking in, we walked out onto our balcony and were treated to THIS view. (This is not a postcard, and I did not airbrush the rainbow in!) Trust me, in a speaking career that has spanned fifteen years, and after many, many views of ugly, rusty air conditioning units, this is NOT the norm. We had spent a week in Oahu at this point, and …