I often refer to myself as a professional reminder-er. Sometimes I need to be reminded of things, too. Here is a letter I wrote to myself after being in the audience for an inspiring talk by the amazing Hall of Fame speaker, Glenna Salsbury. Perhaps it will serve as a useful reminder to you, too. Dear Jason, When you started this business, anything was possible. You had big dreams and high hopes. Sure, some things took much longer to materialize than you thought, and other things crashed and burned. Don't let those things define you, or blind you to the fact that anything still is …
Maintain Perspective
Pardon the Mess
I'll admit it: I prefer a tidy house. I feel good when the dishes are done and the counter is cleared. I'm easily disturbed when piles stay piles for too long. I like the structure of a good plan. Is it an Adultitis-fueled trait? Perhaps. But I do find that I am more present, relaxed and creative when clutter and chaos is minimized. In general, I don't think it's a terrible trait to have. And I don't believe that an Adultitis-free life is one that disregards any sense of order. However. I do find it helpful to regularly remind myself of some simple truths: …
The Dreamy Old Quiet Days Are Over. (Again.)
Sometimes I chuckle at the thought of parents wringing their hands over Elvis's gyrating hips. Especially in contrast to the stuff I have to keep my kids from seeing on network TV these days! I have also decried the negative side of modern technology, where it seems that most people spend more time staring at smartphones rather than starting real conversations. Don't even get me started on things like sexting. I often wish I could trade the problems of today for the problems of yesteryear. In retrospect, the old days always seem simpler and more idyllic. It's easy to blame technology …
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Your Life in Jelly Beans
Ze Frank made a cool video that shows your life in jelly beans. Using one jelly bean to represent each day of your life, he provides a visually stunning look at how much time we spend eating, sleeping, working, etc. Even more stunning is the small pile of jelly beans that remains when we factor all the "stuff" of living. Borrowed time, indeed. …
On Borrowed Time
We went to the funeral of friend's mom recently. She died suddenly of a heart attack while at home with her husband, who was only into his second week of retirement. When my father-in-law Gary heard the news and learned that they were both in the same age range, he reflected, "Wow. I guess I'm really on borrowed time." He's right. But not just because he was diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis in his twenties and probably hasn't had a pain-free day since then. And not just because he continues to amaze his doctors with how long he's been able to keep on going. He's right because we …
How We Spent Our 13th Anniversary
Kim and I always do something childlike on our anniversary. One year we went to the circus. Another time we visited Toys "R" Us on Times Square. This year, we took the kids to Medieval Times. Actually, that happened the day AFTER our anniversary. On our real anniversary, our sister-in-law watched the kids so we could play hooky and have lunch on a beautiful day. (Pretty childlike in its own right, I guess.) At lunch overlooking Lake Monona, we had a chance to chat about many things, gloriously uninterrupted. We reminisced about our anniversary adventures. We talked about the logistics …
When Plates Tell Stories
Yep, plates tell stories. Especially fancy plates. A few months ago, a woman came up to me after one of my speaking programs to talk about her experience cleaning out her mother's home after her passing. The woman and her siblings found a box of fine china, each piece carefully wrapped just as it was when it was gifted to their parents on their wedding day. The mother was married for over fifty years. She had four kids. Thirteen grandkids. And the china was still in the box, unused. Although muffled by cardboard and packing paper, these plates told a clear story: There is no occasion …
What Success Really Looks Like
Everyone has their own definition of success. Mine is not to own a jet, hobnob with CEOs, or work a mere four hours a week. My definition of success is to be a force for good in the world and to make a decent living doing what I love while spending lots of time with people I care about. So far, so good. The middle part -- the "making a decent living doing what I love" part -- THAT took the longest. Way longer than I'd imagined or hoped. Success is not that hard. But it is rare because not many people are willing to do the work. The biggest requirement for success is just sticking to …
Small Talk in 140 Characters
Sometimes I long for the days when an Etch-a-Sketch was the most technologically advanced gadget I owned. Yes, I love my shiny iPhone and all the wonderful things it lets me do. But I hate when a family is out to eat and I see them all face down in their smartphones. I hate it because it reminds me of how the pull to check email or send a tweet or scan status updates on Facebook pulls ME away from actually being present in my real life. It often distracts me on my dates with my daughter. And it sucks up the mental space that could have been used to pray or think or -- gasp! -- just …
Grammys, Mushrooms, and the Practice of Patience
You know what there isn’t enough of these days? No, not Twinkies. Patience. Here in Wisconsin, it appears that Spring didn’t get the memo about showing up. The weather suggests that Old Man Winter is holding on for dear life. I can’t help but wonder if the slight sense of panic that is bubbling up among citizens of the North is partially caused by our lack of patience. With smartphones keeping us constantly connected, our DVRs editing out commercials, and information on Twitter speeding by at warp speed, patience is more scarce (and valuable) than ever. Marketers promise and the …
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