Building a business from scratch isn’t easy. Neither is homeschooling one’s kids. Or traveling across the country with them in a small SUV and two suitcases. Which brings me to fireplaces. Our basement has had a gas fireplace, but it’s in a really weird spot in the lower level and we spend most of our family time upstairs, so we’ve only used it maybe twice in the 8 years that we’ve owned the home. After this summer’s basement renovation, Kim and I created a little sitting area in front of the fireplace in the hopes of making it more usable. We also decided to convert it to wood …
Lifestyle Design
Chasing the Next
"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. One.” This quote is from the movie City of Angels starring Meg Ryan and Nicolas Cage. It’s delivered by Cage, playing an angel named Seth, who has lost the love of his life. In the end, it is these fleeting moments -- the ones that seem so insignificant, so intangible -- that become the most valuable. How easily we forget this as we chase the tangible: The big screen TVs. The home improvement project. The latest techno-fad. They seem to be substantive, on the surface. We …
How to Do Life Balance Right
Welcome to the new year! I love a fresh start. A blank slate. A chance to get things right. (At least for a few days. ;) Here’s a question for you. If this were your last year on Earth, how would you spend it? In my speaking programs, I spend a lot of time talking about “life balance,” which is a term I despise more than wet socks, mostly because no one can agree on what it means. Does it exist? Is it attainable? And if it is, what does it look like? Ultimately, deep down, when it comes to the concept of "life balance” (whatever it is), most people fear they’re not doing it quite …
Talking About Tinkering on the Mere Mortals Unite Podcast
I recently had the privilege of appearing on the Mere Mortal Unite podcast, hosted by Julie Ann Sullivan, who is a tremendous Adultitis Fighter. The focus of the episode was to give you permission to tinker, and in fact remind you that you used to do it all the time — when you were kid. We talked about what tinkering is, why you should do it, and how you can use it to transform your life or get out of a place of "stuckness." I also shared the magical benefits of a Tinker Project and how you can start your own to achieve breakthrough levels of creativity and uncover hidden opportunities. I …
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Why We Went to Chicago to Party with 5 Million Friends
It was Kim’s fault. Thank God for Kim. The Cubs, after 108 years, had finally won the World Series, and they won it in spectacular fashion. (I can't believe I just wrote that!) THE CUBS HAVE WON THE WORLD SERIES. For reals. I am still filled with joy and brimming with happiness. But the thought of driving to Chicago for the victory parade never crossed my mind. Kim floated the idea after reminding me that I had a speaking engagement in Chicago a few days later. "Why not go down earlier and make it a long weekend?” she teased. Thoughts of snarling traffic and being trampled to death …
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Make Your Own Rules: a Lesson from the Best Vacation Responder Ever
"We'd like Jason to give the same 90-minute presentation three times in a row with a 29-second break between each. Oh, and can he do it wearing a chicken costume?" A veteran speaker friend taught Kim and I a great line to use whenever a client begins demanding things we are not able to or interested in accommodating. In these situations, he'd politely redirect the conversation by saying, "This is how I work..." and then outline the personal policies he'd established. It was his business, after all, and he had the right to run it as he saw fit. Of course, the client had the right to look …
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Having Fun Takes Courage
When you’re an adult, it takes courage to have fun in front of others. It might seem ridiculous to suggest that having fun takes courage. Not at Disney World, perhaps. But having fun in scenarios that invite people to question your maturity, intelligence and sophistication? That takes guts. Kids are always on the lookout for fun, but adults operate as if you can have fun in certain environments. Hogwash. A few weeks ago, I delivered the eulogy at the funeral of Kim’s grandmother. Location numero uno on the “Thou Shalt Not Have Fun Here” list, right? But my speech had lots of little …
Anyone Else Feel Like An Eight-Year-Old in An Adult Costume?
"I believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas I am merely in disguise.” —Margaret Atwood I am forty years old but I still feel like I’m eight, trying to figure out why adults act so weird. They appear to have it all together, but don’t seem very happy at all. I think I know the secret, but wonder if I’m the fool. If you can relate to any of that, hear this: you are not alone. If you think life is too short to be so serious all the time, you are not alone. If you believe that experiences are more valuable than stuff, you are not alone. If you suspect there is more to …
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A Little Bit Crazy
Our family just completed a 17-day road trip that spanned 11 states and 3,800 miles. We traveled with three kids, aged 7, 5, and 2. And we did it in a Ford Edge that was packed with just two suitcases, one cooler, a diaper bag, two computer backpacks, two strollers, one tote filled with food and another filled with swimming paraphernalia and sunscreen. We did this because we are insane. Actually, that’s just a lie I repeated multiple times so people wouldn’t feel bad. It makes it easier for folks to justify why they could never do such a thing, especially if a deep-down part of them …
How To Live a Comfortable Life
Pick one or more of the following: 10) Spend more time watching people on TV having adventures than you do experiencing your own. 9) Never travel anywhere new, especially outside your comfort zone. 8) Set up your life so that Friday is the day you’re most thankful for. 7) Accumulate so much stuff that you have to buy more space to store it. 6) Always order the same thing when you go out to eat. 5) Spend more money on things than experiences. 4) Surround yourself with people just like you. 3) Be more of a consumer than a creator. 2) Wait for permission. 1) Always …