I wrote a post last August that continues to get a lot of attention and reader feedback. It's all about the phenomenon of people settling for unrewarding careers and jobs. I listed a bunch of reasons -- I call them excuses -- that people give for this interesting but overwhelmingly common condition. I proposed the idea that no one has to settle for an unrewarding, passionless work life. Not surprisingly, I was accused of being unrealistic and -- gasp -- idealistic! I normally loathe being called idealistic. Depending on the source, I consider it an insult, because normally when someone …
Be Honest
Mr. Scaredypants on Change, Failure and Flowers
Change is freaking scary, no doubt about it. But you know what else is? Realizing that your time is almost up and thinking back on all the things you wish you would've done but didn't. (Because it would've required a big, freaking, scary change.) I recently reconnected with an old college friend. After exchanging pleasantries about how life has gone since we graduated, she asked me an interesting question. It went something like this: You mentioned that your career (and probably life in general) was scary at times. I would like to know what it is that scared you and how you dealt with …
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Muting my Inner 5-year-old
Last night we ended up at the Madison Symphony Orchestra. First time ever. Very cool. During the experience my mind was fluttering with thoughts and questions. I felt like I was five again, wondering all sorts of things. Here are a few of the highlights... 1. This is a very long song. Longer than November Rain and Stairway to Heaven combined. 2. The cymbals guy is similar to the kicker in football. You wait and wait and wait and wait, and you better not mess up when your turn finally comes. 3. This hall looks like something out of Star Wars. …
Eye to Eye
Today, while sitting in a cramped little hopper plane, I noticed something interesting about babies (and kids in general). They're unofficially allowed to smile at others while making eye contact, for more than 10 seconds. Adults are NOT. Let me explain. A few aisles up there was a baby about nine months old. He was busy giggling, clapping, and smiling. (Exactly what everyone wants from babies on airplanes.) This little boy was just plain happy. I noticed him trying to make eye contact with a babyboomer in the aisle in front of him. When the guy saw that he "had been picked" he immediately …
How Dare Oprah Winfrey!
I recently posed the question: Are you in your dream job? A few people responded that they were, but I imagine most people fall into the majority of people -- 80% according to a Careerbuilder.com survey -- are still looking for their dream job. People give many reasons why they are not in their dream job: lack of skills, lack of opportunity, too young, too old... the list goes on and on. Is it too idealistic to expect that everyone could have a job they love? A public speaking and presentation skills coach named Lisa added a comment to the previously mentioned post, saying: …
Escape Plan: Washington D.C.
A few weeks ago when Jason and I were in Denver we had the chance to do some of the Escape Plan challenges and Jason shared them in his blog. As you probably read in Jason’s recent blog, Adultitis: Ground Zero, we just spent a week in D.C. We managed a delicate balance of work and pleasure. Jason had five speaking programs and we had a few half-days in the city to sightsee and enjoy our nation’s capital. We had the chance to do a few Escape Plan challenges that I thought I’d share. Here are some ways to fight Adultitis in D.C. #3: Says You: Do something that is typically seen as …
Authentic Wonder
Lots and lots has already been said and written about the late great Crocodile Hunter. But I wanted to call your attention to one more article about Steve Irwin's death specifically because it really underscores what this blog is all about. Nick Coleman of the Star Tribune observes that Irwin's passing is "the rarest of tragedies: the death of a celebrity that affects children and adults at the same time." Here are some highlights: …
Keep Asking Why
How is it that kids are so young, with such little life experience, and yet they often blow us away when it comes to wisdom? I found a great list of advice from children on the Goal-Free Living blog (who originally got the list from Eolake Stobblehouse). Here are my top 10 favorites: Making your bed is a waste of time. Don’t ask your three-year-old brother to hold a tomato. Don’t drink anything when you’re upside down. …
The Urge to Discipline
You’ve been there. You’re in a public place, minding your own business, when you have the sudden urge to parent someone else’s youngster. Now, this urge doesn’t just come out of nowhere. It is always preceded by a heavy dose of non-parenting behavior on the part of that same youngster’s parent, or in some cases parents. This happened all too often in my kindergarten class, when it came to younger siblings who were coming along to ‘help’ pick up their big brother or sister from school. This also happened to me a couple of weeks ago when Jason and I were shopping for Father’s Day gifts. …
Set-Up for Failure
Jason and I got a chance to catch an episode of "Honey We're Killing the Kids" the other night on TLC. I was, like many people, intrigued by the concept. The premise deals with the important issue of childhood obesity. In true reality TV fashion, an expert (in this case, a nutrition expert) comes into an "extreme" household and shakes it all up, giving them challenges that are meant to improve their lifestyles. Some of the challenges have included: "Sack the sugar," "Family eats together," "Set a bedtime routine," "Limit television hours" and "Exercise together." It's so sad that these …