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 …
You & Improved
Shining Light into the Darkness
As we navigate this journey through dark days, my heart wavers between heaviness and feelings of gratitude for all of our blessings. The sadness and despair can be very heavy. But it's been neat to see the internet exploding with people sharing their gifts in small but powerful ways to bring light – like the musicians singing and playing instruments on balconies and in courtyards, living room concerts, and even beloved Disney characters reading bedtime stories to kids.Here are a few small rebellions the kids and I did this week to bring light into our little neighborhood here in …
From March Madness to Cornovirus Craziness
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. …
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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 …
Time Machines Are Real (and How to Make Them)
Last November I took a retreat at a monastery. I brought a box of old journals, some almost twenty-five years old, and read through them. I jotted down things that struck me. I call it "reverse journaling," although I’m not sure that's the best name. It’s basically journaling about what I’ve journaled before. Pretty meta, I know.But surprisingly useful.People say there’s no such thing as time machines. I don’t know about that. Re-reading my old journals brought me back in time to events and feelings I’d long forgotten. And I uncovered a few instances where my past self had written insights …
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How to Change the World
Over the holiday break, my family bought a cow, two goats, and four chickens. No partridge, but we did also buy a fruit tree. In what has quickly become my new favorite tradition, after a turkey dinner on New Year’s Eve, my family sat around the table to discuss how we’d spend money we’d be donating to Compassion International. When we started our business twenty years ago, I knew I wanted it to have a charitable component. Most companies give from their profits. I didn’t know how long it would take us to be profitable (spoiler alert: seven years!), so I came up with a different plan. …
How Weird is Too Weird?
Many fruits have a similar vibe. You get some variations in color and texture, but "round" is pretty much the regular shape. Even the tomato, which I grew up being taught was a vegetable, wants to get in with the fruit group. And upon a quick glance, we say, “Sure, whatever, you seem to fit the description." And then there’s the pineapple. Compared to most fruits, pineapples are weird. Unfortunately, weird isn’t usually a compliment. Before I take the stage for a speech, at the very end of my introduction, there is a passage that talks about me "spending time with my beautiful …
Here Goes Something
“Here goes nothing.” It’s a phrase we often use when we’re not sure how something will turn out. In fact, since it tends to come from a sense of desperation, we use it to admit that there’s a pretty good chance of it not working. It’s our little way of softening the psychological blow of failing. It makes me think of the pass play in football referred to as a “Hail Mary.” The team with the ball is losing, and time has nearly expired. They need a touchdown but they’re so far from the goal line that their only hope is to launch a long pass into a sea of waiting defenders. It’s a …
Why You Need More Cowbell
This video is a collaboration I did with American Family Insurance about 3 rules you should totally break if you are serious about achieving your dreams. Inspired by my book, A Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything. In the early 2000s, a comedy skit turned the phrase “more cowbell” into a cultural phenomenon. And although it’s considered comedy gold, it’s also a good metaphor for looking at things from a different perspective. …
3 Rules You’ll Need to Break to Achieve Your Dreams
This video is a collaboration I did with American Family Insurance about 3 rules you should totally break if you are serious about achieving your dreams. Inspired by my book, Penguins Can't Fly +39 Other Rules That Don't Exist. Although a little bit of structure is good when it comes to planning out your future and working towards your goals, certain ‘rules’ can hold us back. Think about it, who says you have to go about your life a certain way? Who says following the rules is the recipe for success? Remember, everything is impossible…until it’s not. …
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