This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #21: Thanku Haiku: Write a haiku about the things you are thankful for and put it somewhere to serve as a reminder. A few years ago the concept of a "gratitude journal" became widespread, after Oprah shared about hers on her show. "If you start focusing on what you have and what you're grateful for, you will then begin to see more." —Oprah The action of being grateful is refreshing to the soul. Kids are naturally awesome at putting things in perspective, but sometimes us grown-ups need tools to help us along the way. This …
General
Follow the Yellow Brick Road
The journey of creating a magazine cover We really had a lot of fun with this cover, going with a full-blown Wizard of Oz theme. It required a lot more effort and Photoshop savvy than previous issues — and the Tin Man costume was really HOT — but I think it turned out pretty well. I’ve written up a little behind-the-scenes look at how the magazine cover was shot and digitally, um, enhanced. The first step, once we decided to do a Wizard of Oz-themed cover, was to track down the costumes. Originally, the idea was for me to be the Scarecrow, but Kim suggested that the Tin Man would be …
Ignore What Mom Said
Well, not all of it. Let me explain. Brett Farmiloe has neat post about the things our mothers told us and how they affect our adult lives. Some of the instructions, if they've stuck with you, serve as beacons of good behavior and great advice. "Remember to say your please and thank yous." "Wash your hands." "You could have called." "Stop picking your nose." Challenge #11 of the Escape Plan is You're Not The Boss of Me: Do something your parents would never let you as a child. Most parents want the best for their kids, and the rules they pass down to us reflect the culmination …
The Last Lecture
"Never underestimate the power of having fun." This said from a man with three little kids who is dying of pancreatic cancer and has months to live. If you haven't already seen this lecture, given by professor Randy Pausch, do yourself -- and your loved ones -- a favor by taking some time to watch it right now. It is as inspiring as it is heart-wrenching. Don't wait 'till it's too late to really start living life. …
What’s So Great About America
Is it just me, or is the election season getting longer and longer here in America? (I think I already saw a yard sign for someone running for President in 2012.) One thing that disgusts me is how each election season, every candidate makes a case of how terrible things are in this country. Everything is in the toilet: our economy, our schools, our foreign policy, our health care system, you name it. Add it all up, and we apparently live in the worst country on the face of the earth. (Kind of makes you wonder why we have such a problem with illegal immigration -- it seems to me that people …
Press Pause and Connect
(This is an excerpt of an article written for Kim & Jason magazine by motivational speaker, author, and triathlete Jason Womack. He is skilled at offering practical suggestions for dealing with the challenges of balancing work and other areas of life.) I was at a wedding last summer, at a winery atop the rolling hills of Oregon. At one point during the meal, the bride and her mom approached my table and said, “Hey, Jason, do you remember Billy Walsh?” It turns out she knew my best friend from 2nd grade! And in an instant, it all came back… Playing “Connect Four” for hours at …
Tip of the Week: Outside the Lines
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #24: Outside the Lines. Figure out a way to add some color to your day in a new, unusual, or wacky way. Color just makes things more fun. Whether it's a colorful necktie, hat, fun socks or shoe laces, it proves to be an easy way to add some fun to your day. I know Dr. Seuss would back me up on this one. If you never did, you should. These things are fun, and fun is good. -Dr. Seuss Speaking of Seuss, when Jason originally did this challenge for the Escape Plan, he took a page out of Seuss' book (Not literally- that would be …
Escaping Adulthood in Upstate NY
We had some speaking programs in Utica, NY last week. When asked what Utica is known for we were told that 50 years ago it was quite the hang out for some talented good looking guys, known as the Rat Pack. It's also a neighboring town to Rachel Ray's old stomping grounds and has a number of authentic Italian restaurants that serve the local favorite, chicken riggies (which I tried for the first time... Yum!). We've been doing a lot of two night events lately and we're starting to see a trend. The second night something interesting happens... the people come alive with childlike enthusiasm. …
Star Wars According to a 3-Year-Old
Grown-ups have a way of complicating things. We are addicted to subtlety. Nuance. Shades of grey. One of the things I admire most about children is their ability to cut to the chase. They're honest. They tell it like it is. And they don't mess around with unimportant details. This video gives the rundown of Star Wars Episode IV from the perspective of a 3-year-old. One important life lesson: don't be like the shiny guy. The shiny guy always worries. Even 3-year-olds know that worrying is a stupid waste of time. Proof yet again that kids are experts at spotting Adultitis. …
Tip of the Week: Mr. Smartypants
This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #26: Mr. Smartypants. Open to a random page in the dictionary and look at the first word on the upper left-hand side. Keep turning pages until you find a word you don’t know. See how many times you can use this new word in a sentence today. As kids we're natural inventors of words. Jason's mom loves to recall how as a three and four-year-old he would talk about things "misdappearing." I knew a lot of preschoolers in my day who loved to eat pasghetti. We are experimenting with words all of the time as kids. As grown-ups we limit …