How's your job? A thrilling and exhilarating adventure, or little more than an increasingly boring way to bring home the bacon? Passion Catalyst Curt Rosengren is an awesome chap and a generous contributor to our latest issue of Kim & Jason magazine (on its way to Club K&J members as we speak...or as I write?) I have been reading his book, 101 Ways to Get Wild About Work, in small bites on airplanes as Kim and I have criss-crossed the country flying to speaking engagements. There are so many self-help books out there that it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between them, …
Live Passionately
Brett Favre: The Childlike Quarterback
I live in Wisconsin, which means we're still dealing with the fallout from the retirement of Brett Favre. Most of the Land o' Cheese is in an official state of mourning, which I doubt will end anytime soon. I said "most" on purpose, because I, my friends, am a Chicago Bears fan. Living as a Bears fan in Green and Gold country is no easy task. But the load got a little lighter when Number 4 announced his retirement last week. As a Bears fan, I hated Brett Favre. But as a football fan, I respected him. And as a human being, I downright admired him. A perplexing dichotomy, to be sure, …
Happy Belated Birthday, LEGO!
Monday was the 50th birthday of everybody's favorite building material. LEGO artist Sean Kenney -- is that a great job or what? -- whipped up this birthday cake as an homage. (Yep, it's entirely made of LEGO bricks!) Sean has an impressive portfolio of work -- gotta love this Homer Simpson sculpture -- and has nearly one million LEGO pieces in his workshop! Great job, Sean! And happy birthday, LEGO! …
Do You Suffer From Sunday Night Dread?
When I was a kid, there was nothing worse than a Sunday night during the school year. The foreboding end of weekend freedom was perilously near. As the sun set and the clock ticked older, the pit in my stomach grew and grew. I did well in school, but thinking ahead to a week of early mornings, boring lectures, bad lunches, stupid bullies, and unexciting homework was hardly a thing to look forward to. I was suffering from Sunday Night Dread. …
The Biggest Dreamer of All
Few people in history have exhibited the intense and authentic childlike qualities of Martin Luther King, Jr. Knowing the weight of his message and adversity he met on his journey of justice, he should've had a major case of Adultitis. I do not believe that he did, however. Here's why... He dreamed BIG. REALLY big! He was curious (and brave) enough ask some of the hardest questions ever asked. Why? Why not? What if? He was honest, speaking the truth that was in his heart, even when others weren't open to what he had to say. …
State of Mind
"While being young is an accident of time, youth is a permanent state of mind." This from a man who was still designing houses when he died at age 91, Frank Lloyd Wright. What's your state of mind? [tags] young at heart, Frank Lloyd Wright, childlike spirit[/tags] …
How You Live
Very few songs summarize our message as well as this one, "How You Live" by Point of Grace. I hope this song inspires you to drink milk from your wine glasses at dinner tonight. Lyrics... …
Grandpa Me and Wii
I've always wondered what kind of old person I'd be. Should I be starting my collection of itchy sweaters now? Will I wear Velcro shoes? Will I smell funny? When I was a kid, many old people seemed grumpy and depressed, uninterested in life. I kind of thought that such a fate was inevitable. Of course, as I've gotten older, I've encountered many senior citizens who are very vibrant and full of life. I've happily discovered that an ever-increasing case of Adultitis is NOT an automatic part of aging. In most cases, grumpy old folks with Adultitis were probably at one time grumpy middle-aged …
Are You On the Right Track?
Being on the road can be tough. The adventure is fun, but lots of little "stuff" can add up and wear you down. Stuff like lugging heavy suitcases and extra boxes filled with books through the airport...waiting an hour on the runway for some last-minute plane repair to be documented...taking your shoes off for the hundredth time while a uniformed official looks at you suspiciously...being in so many different hotels that you forget which numbered door your room key will open...and trying desperately to catch a few moments of sleep on a red eye flight in a seat that seems more like a sardine can …
Life As A Daring Adventure
Kim and I are in Arizona this week. It's hotter than the inside of an Easy Bake Oven. After a speaking engagement in Scottsdale on Sunday, as I signed books for busy moms and teased little kids, I noticed an elderly woman standing quietly in the background. She looked like she was waiting for the crowd to clear out. Once the activity level died down, she and her walker made their way over to the table where I was sitting. “I want to share a story with you,” she said eagerly. …