I love working on my life list. Do you have one? It's a compilation of the things you wish to experience, accomplish, and/or attain (a.k.a. your dreams). I wrote my first official LL about 4-5 years ago. It's been neat seeing how many things have been checked off since then. Here are a few of the highlights... 1- I've visited Boston in the fall. 2- I have seen the pandas in the San Diego Zoo. 3- I have toured Washington D.C. 4- I drink 8 glasses of water everyday. It's also exciting to see the ones that are about to happen very soon... …
Live Passionately
Looking For Some Fun
What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? See if you are in good company... THE 10 MOST POPULAR ICE CREAM FLAVORS 1. Vanilla, 29% 2. Chocolate, 8.9% 3. Butter pecan, 5.3% 4. Strawberry, 5.3% 5. Neapolitan, 4.2% 6. Chocolate chip, 3.9% 7. French vanilla, 3.8% …
Living Naturally
You ever see a four-year-old walk into a room and declare, "Man! I am soooooo stressed out!" Me neither. There are a multitude of reasons that little kids aren't stressed-out and inches away from little heart attacks, but one of them is because they tend to listen to their bodies. Mind you, this doesn't happen consciously. Rather, they have the tendency to go with the flow; letting their bodies dictate when to go and when to crash. Fiction author Robin Brande calls this "living naturally." In a recent blog post, she painted a wonderful picture of a friend's daughter as an atom: pure …
EA #20: Pursuing a Passion-Filled Career
In this episode, brought to you from studio 203 in Madison, Wisconsin, we interview Brett Farmiloe, founder of Pursue the Passion, about his experience interviewing influential professionals who are propelled by a love for their work. We also talk about how to find passion in your work, the price of passion, and how to get free ice cream. …
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39 Ways To Slow Down Summer
1. Start the day with an early morning energizing walk. 2. Sleep under the stars. 3. Turn your cell phone off on the evenings and weekends. 4. Find water and sit by it. (It’s that simple.) 5. Dine outside at the local eatery. 6. Walk barefoot in the grass. 7. Send a card or write a letter to a friend (not an email). 8. Go for ice cream after dinner. 9. Invite your colleagues to an impromptu lunch in the grass. 10. Go fishing. …
A Time and Place for Everything
Today I had a very ironic experience. Jason and I hosted my parents this weekend. The weather was just gorgeous, so we decided a lunch down at The Pier would be great. It's a restaurant connected to The Edgewater hotel in Madison. The tables are right on the pier of Lake Mendota, Madison's largest lake. It was one of those days when you just soak in everything- the sunshine, the breeze, the conversation, the jumping fish, the ducks, the kayakers and even the families nearby (more on that soon...). As we sat under the blue and white umbrella and decided what we wanted for lunch, my mom …
Pro Choice
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 …
Productive Stubbornness
Have you ever noticed that when you hear of a high school graduate proudly proclaiming that he is going to be a... (take your pick) artist, Holleywood movie director, musician, athlete, talk show host, actor etc., the young dreamer is often surrounded by a bunch of people with fake smiles. Having married one such dreamer and been transformed into a dreamer myself (it is contagious) I can tell you that there are only a select few that stick with you through the ups and downs. Jason and I have been extremely blessed be be surrounded by amazing family and friends that (even when they …
Playing Hooky With My Hubby
This morning I went for my morning walk and it was one of those perfect days. The temperature was in the 70's, the sky was clear, and the birds were chirping. I think it might have been the smell of fresh lilac bushes on my route that put me over the edge. I had this overwhelming urge to play hooky and enjoy the beautiful weather with my favorite guy. WI gets a bad rap for being cold in the winter, but there is no place I'd rather be in the spring. When we did the Escape Plan last year Jason and I especially enjoyed Challenge #40- Sick Of It Day. Being the last day of the 40-day journey, …
Be Fully Alive
"The glory of God is man fully alive." --Saint Ireneaus I was reminded of that quote the other day, and remembered how much I liked it. After a little reflection, I realized that the reason it resonates so deeply within me is because it completely underscores what Kim & Jason is really all about. As I travel the country speaking to various organizations, I see it in the faces of the people. It is a lost look, a dull, overwhelmed, and resigned look. It's peppered with a twinge of cynicism, and laced with traces of melancholy. A somehow loud but easily unnoticeable sadness lies behind …