We are told that money won't buy lots of things. For instance, money can't buy you happiness. Or love. Or a second chance at your secret crush in high school. Somewhere along the line, however, we fall into the trap of believing that money WILL buy you security. Sure, that job you have may not be a dream job, or even something that makes you spring out of bed in the morning, but it pays the bills. It covers the mortgage, helps you pay off your loans, inflates your retirement fund, and provides the all-important holy grail known as Benefits. So what happens if the stock -- and your 401k …
General
I Saw a Robin
Today as I went on a morning walk I was overcome by spring. It was a feast of the senses. The crisp morning air found it's way deep into my lungs. It was like an internal spring cleaning. The sky was a bright blue canvas with white feathers scattered randomly. …
Full-blown Adultitis
Last week we were flying to Denver. We ended up missing our connecting flight in Chicago because our first flight of the day in Madison was delayed. We literally sprinted through O'Hare Airport to get to our gate (which was super far away) only to find the doors to the jet bridge being closed right before our eyes. One of the American Airlines workers saw us run up, huffing and puffing, and after finding out our names began typing in the computer. She didn't say a word. We asked if we could still get on and she told us that our seats were already given away, as it was an overbooked …
Teach Yourself a Magic Trick
Looking for something fun to do this weekend, or something just to kill time before the proverbial prehistoric bird's tail is pulled, signaling the merciful end of another workday (a la The Flintstones)? Why not try your hand at learning a magic trick or two? Check out this collection of 10 tutorial videos (is there a better application of online video than using it to reveal magic tricks?) assembled by the Everything Interesting (And More) blog, including this one which shows you how to throw a card into a deck and have it instantly change into a different card: …
Live Free or Die
Several weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a New Hampshire woman named Kim. She had a special vanity license plate that she no longer needed. As you can see from the photo, it was a plate of particular interest to me and Kim. Well, New Hampshire Kim said she was just going to throw it out, but first wanted to offer it to us as a souvenir. Of course we gladly accepted the wonderful gift. Just yesterday, it arrived in the mail. Kim and I are both totally excited about it. We were both taken by the amazing power of the Internet as well as the generous gesture of kindness from New …
Are You a Home Run Champ Or a Strikeout King?
I finally had a chance to meet blogging buddy and Make It Great! guy Phil Gerbyshak and his wife on Saturday. Kim and I met Phil and his wife (also named Kim) halfway between Madison and Milwaukee. How shall I sum up the experience of meeting Phil? It's like meeting Rain Man, a Baptist preacher, and your best friend all in one. It was remarkable that Phil knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that in 1980, Rickey Henderson batted .303 and stole 100 bases with 9 home runs. It was just as remarkable that Phil seemed to be friends with pretty much every person currently alive. …
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Tsunamis and Turning 31
When British physician Thomas Wedgwood was 31, he produced the first photograph. At the age of 31, French Egyptologist Jean Francois Champollion deciphered the Rosetta stone. And Eli Terry introduced the free-trial, no-money-down sales method. A few weeks ago, I also turned 31. I wonder if something I'll do this year will be important enough for historians to make note of. (You too can find out what great things people accomplished when they were your age.) I'm pretty happy with how my life has turned out so far, although it's almost nothing like I imagined when I was growing up. When …
What To Do When You’re Snowed In
It's snowing in Madison. Lots. We have a chance to break the all-time snowfall record this weekend. We could get close to two feet of snow, and even got some thunder and lightning last night! It seems as if everything is closed and canceled, and today's speaking engagement in Cambridge, WI has been postponed for a few weeks. So, what does one do when one is snowed in for a weekend? Maybe that's the wrong question. …
School of Fish
Jason and I talk a lot about looking to children as teachers; miniature sherpas to show us how we should live a stress-free life filled with a childlike heart. Jason talked about this in his blog last fall. We saw a sherpa the other day while walking into the Georgia Aquarium (the world's largest aquarium). She was about three-years-old and couldn't contain her excitement as she ran alongside her parents towards the entrance. She had bright pink tights, a colorful skirt and black and pink cowboy boots. So cute! She was excited to be there. I can always learn a thing or two by observing the …
How Dare Oprah Winfrey!
I recently posed the question: Are you in your dream job? A few people responded that they were, but I imagine most people fall into the majority of people -- 80% according to a Careerbuilder.com survey -- are still looking for their dream job. People give many reasons why they are not in their dream job: lack of skills, lack of opportunity, too young, too old... the list goes on and on. Is it too idealistic to expect that everyone could have a job they love? A public speaking and presentation skills coach named Lisa added a comment to the previously mentioned post, saying: …