So I just signed up for a cool-looking online photography course being put on by the awesome Andrea Scher of Superhero Designs. I've never done anything like this before. It's six weeks long and I don't know what to expect and I'm afraid I might have just plunked down seventy-four dollars on something I might not follow though on or get much out of and will I be the only guy (I'm pretty sure I'll be the only guy) and do I even have the time for this anyway? Stupid inner voices. Even though it looked really cool, I almost didn't sign up. …
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Pry Your Life Out of the Jaws of Average
Every once in a while someone pops into my life that just knocks me on my butt for one reason or another. In the midst of this cold and dreary "spring" (aka extended winter), I have been painfully craving the fresh perspective that spring inevitably brings me. From the tulips to the chirping birds, spring is just good for my soul. Since it's been so delayed here in Wisconsin, I have struggled to keep my positive playful perspective, as I tend to rely on the change in seasons for a boost that didn't come through when I thought it would this year. …
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Someday is a Code Word
Someday I’ll quit this job and do what I really want to do. Someday we’re going to take that trip to Alaska. Someday I’m going to write that book. Someday I’ll go back and finish that degree. …
What I Learned from Getting My Hair Chopped
I sat in the chair watching 5 inches of my hair hit the ground, and thankfully, I instantly knew I was making the right decision. I wasn't sure earlier that day as we drove there. Was I going to cry? (Yes, that HAS happened to me before -- not a good day.) Change can be exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. Those two emotions can manifest tears or joyful feelings of freedom. Sometimes you just don't know until you do it. …
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Avoid The “I Wish I Wouldas” With The 10-Year Rule
When I was a kid, I was afraid of everything. Especially new situations. I was the only kid in my class to cry on the first day of kindergarten. I quit t-ball in about 5.7 seconds after I walked into the dugout and realized that I didn’t know any of the kids sitting on the bench. …
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Ruts Suck: Using Jars of Joy to Add More Adventure
I always find the start of a new year to be very freeing. I love letting go of old habits and routines that resemble moldy bread and replacing them with fresh ones. Have you taken full advantage of the opportunity to start new in 2011? Or, to steal a line from Jason, "Are you going through the motions in a vanilla-flavored rut-filled life?" …
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Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal. It’s…
The Second City is a comedy troupe in Chicago where people like Chris Farley, Steve Carell, and Bill Murray got their start. That’s where I started 2011. As the new year got underway, Kim and I met up with some speaker friends at Second City’s training facility for a mastermind session. In the afternoon, we all took an improv class together. …
Beyond the Limits of Carefulness
If you had a chance to sit down at a Starbucks with your 99-year-old self, how would the conversation go? If you had a chance to unload all of your dreams and worries, successes and struggles, what advice would your 99-year-old self have to offer? It’s a fascinating activity I encourage you to try. You might be surprised at how wise you are (the 99-year-old version of you, at least). Sometimes I have audience members spend time thinking about this during my speaking programs. After a few minutes of silence, I ask for insights anyone would like to share. The other day, an accountant in …
Ode to Spontaneity
It was 5:00 on a Thursday night. I had to leave for Zumba at 6:40. Two chicken breasts were on the counter 95% thawed. Like most normal nights in our household, Jason was in charge of dinner. On this particular evening, he was two doors down at our neighbors helping them with some computer challenges. (Jason is my fav tech guru!) The phone rang. It was the very neighbor Jason was assisting. In an "Ode to Spontaneity," he invited the three of us to join him and his wife for some pizza. Why not? I've been wanting to be more spontaneous, and this sure qualified. …
Give Your Stalkers Something to Think About
After 10 years of being online, a fear of mine has been realized. I have a stalker. She's unpredictable. She's crazy. And she's managed to obsess over me and Jason for the last two years, mimicking our day-to-day habits and traits. It's starting to pick up in intensity. I feel like I am under constant surveillance. Some days, it feels suffocating. …
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