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Giving Up Is Easy. Staying Focused is Hard

“Angry Owl” by Jason Kotecki. 16″ x 20″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. I’ve always thought owls looked angry. That perception inspired this painting, as I decided to give him something to be angry about. But now I wonder if maybe they’re just focused. After all, perpetually being on the lookout for your next meal kind of requires your undivided attention. Likewise, in order to achieve a dream or accomplish anything worthwhile, you have to be incredibly focused. You can’t let distractions knock you off your game. One of the biggest reasons people are not as successful as they’d like to be – regardless of their definition of success – is due to a lack of focus. They keep chasing shiny objects and fail to follow through on any one initiative. As Steven Pressfield writes brilliantly in his book The War of Art, “The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.” Understanding …

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How an Improv Rule Can Improve Your Life

My brother used to be in an improv group, participating in a series of unscripted games for the entertainment of an audience. He was pretty good. The ones who weren’t seem to have the same thing in common. It wasn’t a lack of talent or that they were missing a funny bone. It was their refusal to adhere to the “yes, and…" rule. It’s the difference between success and failure in an improv skit. If a fellow performer suggests that your shoes are made of marshmallows, and you say, “No they aren't. What are you talking about? These are normal shoes,” the skit dies a hard, painful, and unfunny death. Instead, you need to accept the premise, and add to it. "YES, my shoes are made of marshmallows, AND they enable me to jump over cars!” What is vital to the success of an improv skit is also the key to a successful business or a happier, more fulfilling life. It’s possible to become more resilient while positively responding to challenges with grace and effectiveness, and we …

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Does Your Life Have a Recombobulation Area?

There is a sign at the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee that I love very much.  It’s visible right after you go through security and are collecting your shoes, belt, wallet, phone, keys, rubber duckie, ping pong paddle, and other essentials. It simply says, “Recombobulation Area.” The fact that it’s printed in a plain, bold, official-looking font makes me love it all the more. (Comic sans would just ruin it.) Now, “recombobulation” is not technically a word, but what else do you call it when you’re trying to regroup yourself after feeling discombobulated thanks to the TSA screening process? Barry Bateman is the former airport director who coined the word and suggested the signage, understanding that traveling can be stressful and hoped to put a smile on people’s faces. I love this for two reasons. First, it’s a great example of how just about everything can benefit from a little whimsy, even one as serious – and important! – as a security checkpoint. …

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Brad Montgomery, August 2019 Adultitis Fighter of the Month

An Adultitis Fighter is someone who rallies against rules that don't exist and engages in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. Once a month, we shine a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against a formidable enemy. Brad Montgomery is a master at not taking himself too seriously! He’s funny (hilarious!), incredibly engaging, and he knows the power of being the real deal. As a professional speaker who encourages people to “embrace their awesomeness,” Brad is a refreshing voice in the business world! He is a shining example that you can make a real difference in the world and be successful in your career, all while intentionally maintaining a soft chewy center. One thing we have noticed over the years is that people LOVE Brad!! His playful smile and spirit attracts people (and clients) to him continuously. He is living …

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The Life-Changing Wisdom a Cheetah Knows That You Don’t

“Speed Racer” by Jason Kotecki. 30″ x 40″. Oil on canvas.Original is SOLD. Prints available here. The cheetah is known for being fast.Really fast.It's the fastest land mammal, achieving running speeds of up to 70 miles per hour. But what most people don't know is that the cheetah can’t maintain those speeds for long. In fact, a cheetah spends very little of its time running. It needs to recuperate and build up energy for the next hunt.Obviously, if a cheetah doesn’t run, it cannot eat. But if the cheetah doesn’t rest, it cannot run. If the cheetah spent all its time doing what it does best, it would die. The rest is just as important as the chase. How much there is to learn from the cheetah! Oh, we have the running part down. We’re good at racing from one commitment to the next. Meetings, grocery shopping, clarinet practice, yoga, daycare drop-offs and pick-ups, baseball tournaments, birthday parties...the list goes on. But the resting part, that’s where we …

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Are You Near-Sighted or Far-Sighted?

I got my first pair of glasses in eighth grade. “Oh great,” I remember thinking, “Now I’m going to be one of those people.” I figured the least I could do was select a style that would be cool. For some reason, I thought big, brown frames with lenses the size of dinnerplates fit the bill. Since then, I’ve gone through quite a few frames, including the horrible clear plastic cheapos that were the best I could find in an emergency late-night mall trip. I busted lots of frames early on. At the time, I blamed my aggressive, living- on-the-edge lifestyle, but it probably had more to do with the awkwardness of puberty (good times). In a cruel twist of fate, the nasty clear plastic ones lasted the longest (good riddance, sophomore year). I even went through a contact lens phase before ultimately deciding that glasses were easier and I got comfortable with the idea of being “one of those people.” One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’m still near-sighted. …

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