You & Improved

- - - | written by Jason on 12/17/2023 | - - -

Two Questions to Help You Live a Wonder-Filled Life

A clear night sky is a thing of beauty, with millions of stars blinking silently overhead. It's a pity we rarely notice them. In an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is speaking with a receptionist at a law firm who has a spectacular view of the city behind her. "Beautiful view here! How long did it take you to take it for granted?" She replies, "Umm, not long I guess." He candidly admits, "It would take me about a day. Maybe less. Maybe half an hour. And I would never look out the window again." How quickly we take wonder for granted. This painting was …

- - - | written by Jason on 12/3/2023 | - - -

The Day I Accidentally Murdered My Bucket List

My Bucket List is dead, and I was the one who killed it. I didn't mean to do it...it just sort of happened. I was reviewing what went well this year and what didn't while on a personal retreat a few days before Thanksgiving. As usual, the inventory of highlights was way longer. It contained projects we completed, trips we took, improvements we made to the house, and accomplishments our kids achieved. Many were planned, but a significant number of the entries were unplanned opportunities and unexpected blessings. If you think about it, that's how much of life is. Many of our biggest …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/12/2023 | - - -

When to Be a Houseplant

Sometimes you just need to be a houseplant. This statement was shared by Shannon, a friend who had finally emerged from a hard season filled with challenging health issues. They often left her feeling depleted, without the energy to do much of anything. And so she gave herself permission to to be a houseplant. I laughed at the metaphor, calling to mind the times I've sunk deep into the couch and slipped into a vegetative stage. But she went on to note that although houseplants are stationary and require help from others to stay alive, they aren't doing nothing. They are very much …

- - - | written by Jason on 11/5/2023 | - - -

Pay Attention To What You Pay Attention To

This just in: The world is a dumpster fire. 🔥 When we left for a recent trip to Hawaii, I made the decision to unplug. I'd monitor my business email every other day or so, but detach completely from following the news and my social media feeds. It was awesome. I felt present. My heartbeat slowed and my anxiety melted. It was so glorious, that I maintained the distance even after returning home. Oh, I've snuck a peek, but it's like opening an unmarked door to reveal a gigantic infinity room filled with fires, explosions, kung fu fights, screaming chimps throwing poop at evil …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/29/2023 | - - -

All Masterpieces Begin with Chunky Crayons

Imagine a young child proudly showing you a drawing she made. Using a handful of stubby crayons, you can make out what appear to be some trees, although they look more like wobbly circles sitting on top of crooked brown rectangles. There are some figures in the scene, too, but it's hard to tell exactly who they are supposed to be. Now imagine yourself rolling your eyes as you criticize the drawing, pointing out the clichéd subject matter, the sloppy scribbles, and the unrealistic use of color. You matter-of-factly declare that it's just terrible—probably the worst drawing you've ever …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/8/2023 | - - -

Captured Memories, Lost Moments: The Art of Experiencing Life

I wanted to throw my phone into the raging river a thousand feet below. Its camera stubbornly refused to reflect the beauty I was seeing. It wasn't fitting everything in. The colors were off. I'd take a picture and it looked nothing like what unfolded before me. It was like a reporter only telling half the truth. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson. I experienced the same feeling when I visited the Grand Canyon. No camera on the face of the earth could sufficiently encapsulate the full grandeur of the feeling one has standing before it. I chuckled at the tourists with their tiny …

- - - | written by Jason on 10/1/2023 | - - -

Yellowstone Success Formula: How to Dominate Your Day and Life

It was a typical Saturday evening drive. Except for the show the sun was putting on, turning the distant hills pink and purple. Oh, and the massive two thousand pound bison sauntering past my driver-side window. We were in Lamar Valley, the so-called Serengeti of North America, marveling at herds of bison and delighting in the pronghorns pinging across the landscape. One of the highlights of our recent trip to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks was observing the diverse wildlife that freely roam the parks. Talk about a Wonderhunt! No bears were spotted, but we did see …

- - - | written by Jason on 9/3/2023 | - - -

What You and Norman Rockwell Have in Common

I used to think art was art, and even though everyone had a different style, artists were all on the same team. It took art school to re-educate me. I discovered there were two main groups. One was the fine artists. The other group consisted of illustrators and graphic designers, of which I was a part. We were seen as second-class citizens, sellouts willing to take money to create whatever someone else wanted us to make. Many of the fine artists saw themselves as more artistically pure because they were creating art for art's sake, achieving self-fulfillment, and bringing about social …

- - - | written by Jason on 8/27/2023 | - - -

5 Favorite Words of Adultitis

I recently did a presentation on innovation. In preparation, I asked attendees to rate themselves on a scale of 1 to 10 on how creative or innovative they considered themselves. Then, for those who didn't rate themselves a 10 (there was only one who did), I asked them what obstacle was in their way. A number of people judged themselves to be too practical or admitted to getting hung up analyzing the practicality of an idea. Ah, practicality: The enemy of awesome ideas. Many a brainstorming session has come to a screeching halt when someone suggests an idea deemed …

- - - | written by Jason on 8/20/2023 | - - -

How to Go Undefeated in Everything

I guess I need to get used to having wisdom bombs dropped on me by my son because they keep happening. Especially through the game of baseball. The first came a few years ago when I was putting the kids to bed. I always ask for their favorite part of the day. Ben's was watching the Cubs game with me. It blew me away because I would have listed it as my lowlight. They lost a game in excruciating fashion, effectively ruining my day. Interestingly, I no longer remember if they blew the lead or came up short in a comeback — or even who they played — but I remember the lesson he taught me. …

« Previous Page