You & Improved

- - - | written by Jason on 6/3/2018 | - - -

Do You See the Magic Sitting Right Next to You?

We finally made it to Victoria in British Columbia after hearing about it from so many travelers who spoke of it with stars in their eyes. Kim and I have always had a thing for the Pacific Northwest, but between the mountain views, the ocean air, and the old British charm, it didn't disappoint. When we were preparing to board the ferry to return to the States, the customs officer seemed genuinely shocked to hear from us that people referred to it as a magical place. "Huh," he shrugged. "I don't know about that." I was surprised by his response, and a little saddened. I suppose I …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/13/2018 | - - -

When Your Life Feels a Little Off, Try This

When I’m working on a painting, I have to step back from time to time. I have to literally stop the activity of painting and be still before the work. You might think it slows down the process. What it really does is help me make better paintings. Otherwise, I can’t see the painting through the brushstrokes. If I don’t step away every so often, I’m liable to get stuck overdoing part of the painting and end up ruining the whole thing. Giving myself some distance helps me notice things I can’t see when I’m up close. I can examine the overall composition, the balance of color, and if the …

- - - | written by Jason on 5/6/2018 | - - -

How to Change the World Even if You’re Not an Avenger

"I've Got Sunshine" by Jason Kotecki. Prints available here. I want to change the world. I want to make a dent in the universe. I want my legacy to last for generations after I die. Talk about an oversized ego. I believe that my motives are pure, but the trouble is, I often forget that the best way to change the world is in simple ways, starting today. After all, even if the sun is shining outside, we encounter people every day who are in the middle of a dark time. My wife is great at taking advantage of the small ways she can bring light into the lives of people around her. Her …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/29/2018 | - - -

Becoming a Professional Giver

"Glorious Purpose" by Jason Kotecki. Prints available here. A professional giver. I’m not sure it's something anyone aspires to when they are a little kid. A professional athlete or musician? Sure. But a professional giver? Is that even a thing? I first heard the term last year from my mentor, Noah, who was challenging Kim and me to take things to the next level. We've had a pretty good run of success with our business, and he invited us to to take a wider view. He encouraged us to begin looking at ourselves as professional givers. The premise is to start thinking of it as your job to …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/22/2018 | - - -

Something New to Try in the Bedroom

"Fork & Spoon" by Jason Kotecki. Prints available here. I’ve been married for almost 18 years. Every single night that I’m at home, I sleep on the right side of the bed. Why? How did that come about? I don’t ever remember having a discussion about it with Kim, and yet, here we are; our assigned spots have not changed since the day we got hitched. Weird. Why do we do any of the things we do? The little habits that make up our days, where did they come from? Which way do you take to work? How do you typically run your meetings? On-board new employees? Welcome new customers? Deal …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/15/2018 | - - -

A New Way of Looking at Life Balance

"Life Balance" by Jason Kotecki. Prints available here. I want to die at a ripe old age, completely close-minded, resistant to change, and stubbornly set in my ways. Said no one ever. And yet, that’s the path most of us find ourselves on. As we grow older, we tend to grow more rigid, both in body and mind. We’ve had plenty of time to institutionalize our preferences and weed out the things we don’t like. Meanwhile, we become a perfect host for Adultitis. One way to stay young and lively is to continue inviting new experiences, environments, and points of view into our …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/8/2018 | - - -

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Your Princess Dress Wet

"The Princess Dress" by Jason Kotecki. 30 x 30 Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. This painting was inspired by my daughter. Our family loves going on walks. A half mile from our house, there is a row of lakefront homes. A small sliver of land between two of them serves as a public access point to the lake. A few years ago, an hour before the sun tucked itself in for the night, we pushed our strollers through the skinny green passageway to enjoy the pint-sized plot of beach that was ours. It wasn’t long before my oldest began wading in …

- - - | written by Jason on 4/1/2018 | - - -

“Go Big or Go Home” is a Dumb Way of Doing Things

I was speaking in Reno about one of the most controversial "rules" I wrote about in Penguins Can’t Fly, which is “Thou shalt not swap sides of the bed.” Just the mention of it can give people who have been in long-term relationships the heebie-jeebies. Shortly thereafter, an attendee named Laura emailed me to tell me she had tried it with her husband. “He was hilarious,” she wrote, “and he did not like it at all. We were laughing so hard through the whole thing!” That same day, I got a note from Jeff, who heard me speak in New Orleans the week before. He reported that my talk really hit …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/25/2018 | - - -

What We Lose as We Grow Up (and How to Get it Back)

"The Captain" by Jason Kotecki. 20 x 20 Oil on canvas. Original is SOLD. Prints and canvas reproductions available here. I present to you a painting I made of a pirate ship sailing in an ocean of milk amidst floating Cap'n Crunch cereal. I thought long and hard about conjuring up some deep meaning on this one. Something that would make you shake your head in amazement and say, “Wow. He is a truly brilliant artist and thinker.” But you know what? There isn’t any deep meaning. The truth is, I was thinking about Cap'n Crunch cereal, which I love, and thought about a tiny pirate ship …

- - - | written by Jason on 3/18/2018 | - - -

Why You Shouldn’t Accept That Promotion

What idiot says no to a raise? Chip Gaines, co-star of the hit TV show Fixer Upper, writes this about his dad in the book Capital Gaines: "When I lived at home, he was willing to forego promotions and advancements at work just to have more time to throw a baseball with me in the evenings. He was teaching me the game, but on another level, he was showing me how to be a man and a father. He taught me the value of investing in one’s family above anything else.” We almost always consider promotions and advancements at work to be the best thing for ourselves and our families. And they …

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