Today is the youngest you will ever be. Act like it. - Mark Cuban

Whether you liked him in office or not, former President George H.W. Bush Sr. is a great example of what this quote it all about. This picture is from his sixth jump, at the age of 83, just less than a year after a hip replacement.

What kind of jump should you be making?

(Thanks, Phil, for sharing this quote!)

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This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is #9: Rebel With a Cause: Do one thing today to support a cause or issue you really care about.

Do you have a cause that tugs at your heart strings so much that it will bring you to tears (or close to it) in the matter of seconds? Whatever that cause or issue is, I hope you’re taking the time to share your gifts and talents in support of it. In the spirit of this week’s tip, I’m going to do the challenge, myself, by sharing with you about something cool happening this week, on a TV near you!

Many of you already know that Jason and I are VERY passionate about the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Serving as volunteers in the Wisconsin chapter, we’ve been able to experience the power of a child’s wish first-hand for the past six years of so. The organization does the work of angels, day in and day out.

This week ESPN is continuing it’s support of MAW for the third year in a row, highlighting sports related wishes in their My Wish series. Click here to watch yesterday’s segment featuring a fourteen-year-old boy named Akeem who is paralyzed from the neck down. His wish was to meet Ben Roethlisberger and to play video games with him. (You’ll never guess who won!) The new MY Wish segments are on each night this week at 6PM ET. They’re on again in the mornings, around 10AM ET. The special attention and care these athletes give is such a priceless gift to kids who’ve had to grow up way too fast.

Tell a friend (or two.. or three) about ESPN’s My Wish segments this week, and let the magic of MAW inspire you, as it has inspired us!

What’s your cause? How will you show support this week? Share with us in the comments of the Escape Plan blog!

For it is in giving that we receive. -St. Francis Of Assisi

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It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it.

Our friend Brett continues on his quest to interview people who are passionate about their jobs. He recently posted a video featuring Ray Karam who has one of the most demanding and difficult jobs for Coldstone Creamery.

He’s the Senior Tastemaster. His job is to taste, innovate, and create new flavors of ice cream. He gets paid to eat ice cream. Every. Single. Day.

The short video interview is worth watching, because he shares an important lesson. The people who have the coolest jobs didn’t get there by luck or by accident. The ingredient to success always includes heaping scoops of passion, persistence and old fashioned hard work.

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This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #11: You’re Not The Boss of Me: Do something your parents would never let you do as a child.

I was convinced my mom and dad were the strictest parental units on the block. They never let me do anything… or so I thought. Looking back I realize just how distorted my perspective was. Attempting to keep me alive in and one piece into adulthood, their rules were mainly about safety and respect. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) So, this challenge continues to stump me from time to time.

A few weeks ago a woman named Cheri left a comment on my blog about the Tip of the Week: Taste Bud Conspiracy. Her ideas were so much fun and they apply really well to this week’s tip. She shared…

Every once in a while I would make their (her kids) meals an adventure…the drinks served in bowls, their food in cups. Food color added to milk or pancakes…or, dinner served under the table. Backwards night was dessert first. Their friends wanted to eat at our house all the time.

How cool is this! I want to eat at her house. Why not eat your mashed potatoes out of your cup and drink your water from a bowl? Why not drink purple milk? The idea of eating under the table is just hilarious! What can you do to mix up your routine and turn things upside down a bit? Sure, maybe the thought of such madness would send your mom into a tizzy, but you’re a grown-up now… YOU are the boss of you.

Have a little fun breaking the rules that don’t matter.

Here’s an example of a guy who is obviously doing just that. Would your parents have let you do what he does? His blue hands alone would get some kids grounded.

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(This is an excerpt of an interview from the Kim & Jason magazine with Peggy Willenberg, who is one half of the duo known as “The Twister Sisters.” Peggy and her friend Melanie Metz started chasing twisters together in 2001. They’ve been involved with two documentaries for The National Geographic Channel, and enjoyed their own series on WE TV.)

Kim & Jason: How did you and Melanie meet and how did you become known as the Twister Sisters?

Peggy: We actually met twice. The first time, Mel attended a Skywarn class I was instructing. It was my first time to present a class and I thought Melanie seemed really smart and knowledgeable. Then about a month later, I joined an Internet discussion group of chasers in our area. She was also in the group and was the only other woman; we naturally began talking on our own. We decided to meet up and go for a chase together. We had a great time and it went from there. The Twister Sister name started out as a joke and it just stuck.

K&J: We’re sure lots of people must think you’re crazy. But then again, anyone who chases his or her dream can be expected to be called crazy at some point or another. Why do you chase tornadoes?

Peggy: I have been fascinated with severe weather and especially tornadoes since I was about three years old. They seemed like such threatening monsters. I wanted to know how they worked and get close to such an awesome thing. Of course there was lots to learn, and life gets in the way, but when the time was right, I turned my full attention to learning meteorology and the art of forecasting. You have to be in the right place waiting for one to form or you will never see one.

K&J: When did your fascination with and passion for tornadoes begin?

Peggy: As a child growing up in Indiana, I experienced a lot of severe weather. I often dreamed about tornadoes (as did Melanie). When everyone else would run to the basement, I would run outside!

K&J: What’s the scariest or most dangerous moment you’ve ever experienced while chasing a tornado?

Peggy: Chasing the Hallam-Wilber, Nebraska tornado at night, we came upon an injured man walking down
a dirt road asking for help. His family was buried in a destroyed house and there was no one around to help other than us. We got everyone out OK, but with leaking propane and lightning all around, it was pretty scary.

K&J: What has been the most thrilling or rewarding moment?

Peggy: Seeing a tornado form 25 yards ahead of us on the road. The vortex went from a tiny thing to a huge tornado throwing trees in about three minutes. I guess you could say we saw the “birth” of a tornado…

Well you’re in luck, because you can read the whole thing starting on page 11 in this FREE digital version of Kim & Jason magazine.

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Pictures from your childhood are simply priceless. They often remind you of different parts of your life that you may have forgotten… like the specific toys you used to play with, your dad’s old station wagon with the wooden panels, or your favorite t-shirt or polyester plaid pants. The coolest thing about old pictures is the spirit of childhood that is captured on paper… that unapologetic, unfailing enthusiasm for life.

There is a very cool project online, YOUNGME - NOWME, put out by Ze Frank and Erik Kastner. They invited adults to try to recreate a pose and picture from childhood with their current adult self, making it into a contest.

A big hat tip to Lisa B. for pointing us to the site! Lisa brought up a good point about the pictures…

Isn’t it funny how reserved people are as adults. In the kid photos, they’re letting it all hang out. Their emotions are so raw. In the adult photos, they may be making a similar face, but you don’t see the same emotion in their eyes. . . like they don’t really want to GO for it. Because you know they could, but they’re just holding back.

Aren’t these photos an interesting metaphor for the rest of our lives…
Childhood is filled with raw emotions. Tears are quick and plentiful… and so are hugs and “I love you’s” (at least in comparison to adulthood). If you’re mad you might throw a fit, or scream, or hit something. (childish, sure… but definitely more honest about their emotions than many adults who suppress anger and frustration) If you’re happy you literally leap for joy and dance around the room.

It may be difficult, with all that we are responsible for as adults to just “go for it” like we did as kids… but if we’re not constantly trying, then what’s the point? I have to say that this girl is definitely “going for it.”

Have a blast checking out these photos. I sure did! You can find the other winners here and view the entire gallery here.

Here are the gold and silver winners. (Gold on top, silver on the bottom)

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One of my blog posts recently received a very intriguing comment. It was loaded with interesting observations and great questions and I wanted to address them here.

As much as I love reading your website, and others like yours, I have realized that reading about it, and actually doing something about it is 2 different matter. Believe me, I’ve been a long-term reader of sites such as yours and am always comforted by the fact that there are people out there like you. I also talk about your sites, and my thoughts with my friends.

But lately, my friends have come to the conclusion that, yes, many people out there ditch their jobs to chase their dreams (or something less dramatic), but there are also just as many out there who go to work like we all do, live a 9-6 life and enjoy the weekends.

They’ve actually concluded that I’m torturing myself here because I read all these encouraging articles, dream all my dreams, but still am miserably stuck.

Don’t get me wrong. I love this article. And your site is very inspiring. But HOW do you actually get people out there to ACT and DO it? How are we to ditch our salaries, health benefits, career prospects, etc, and go, say pursue our dream of volunteering in a third-world country?

I know it’s illogical, and I know all the arguments against staying at a job just for the money, perks, whatever. But still we are not taking action.

If we are, there will no longer be visitors to your site!

So how and where do people finally say and go, right, enough of reading….I’m gonna do it!? How do you get to that point?

First of all, it’s never a bad thing to read or listen to things that inspire you to make positive changes in your life. Encountering the stories of people — people just like us — can help us to see that impossible things are actually more possible than we realized. And they can help us build up the courage we need to launch off on our own epic journey. However, a good many people go out of their way to avoid — and even criticize — these sorts of stories. After all, it can be quite unsettling to have your own self-limiting beliefs challenged, forcing you to face the possibility that you’ve settled for less than your best.

One of the things I was fortunate to learn pretty early on in my career as a professional speaker and writer was that I can’t get anyone to DO anything. Not one person. Not one thing. It’s easy to forget that sometimes — because I really wish I could — but remembering that truth has saved me a lot of frustration. Conversely, if someone is waiting for some speaker or some book or some fairy godmother to wink twice, twitch her nose, and magically transform their life for them, well, that person will be waiting for a very long time indeed.

What I can do is try and live by example and use emotion and intellect to communicate a message that serves as a catalyst for someone to make a positive change in their life. Believe me, that’s the ultimate. But when it all comes down to it, nothing I do or say can make them do anything.

All that being said, one thing that seems to be very effective in getting people to take action is bad news from their doctor.

As enticing as a dream may be, the good ones always involve some sort of uncomfortability and a certain level of risk. Two things most human beings aren’t too fond of. Change and risk are scary things, and most people choose to stay in their current situation (which although admittedly not ideal, is at least a known quantity) than set off into the unknown. Bad news from a doctor, or a near death experience, or a sudden death of a loved one does a pretty good job of helping people realize that the things they worry about are not really worth worrying about after all.

I also think people get so caught up in the big picture that they forget that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. It’s understandably overwhelming to consider the concept of quitting your job, abandoning a career, taking a pay cut, giving up benefits, and moving to a third-world country (or whatever the dream requires.) But in most cases, dreams are accomplished in baby steps. Books are filled with examples of people who began chasing their dream while they were still in school, still had a family to support, still had kids at home, or were still working at a job they didn’t care much for but at least paid the bills.

Indiana Jones is a hero because he takes action when most of the people around him are too afraid (or cynical.) That’s not to say he isn’t afraid (snakes, anyone?), just that he moves forward in spite of the fear. He doesn’t always plan everything out to the last detail (that can become just another form of inaction) because he knows that unexpected things are going to come up anyway. We, too, can expect the unexpected on our journey. Just like Indiana, our quest for the holy grail — our “dream,” if you will — is wrought with peril, lonely paths, and bad guys. Undoubtedly, it’s an adventure of a lifetime and the journey is totally worth it.

But nobody can do it for us.

If you’re feeling stuck, maybe you just need a little bit more courage to take that first action step. A baby step. You’re closer than you think.

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I’ve got a new favorite word.

Unadulterated.

I used it in a post recently and it struck me that “adult” is smack dab in the middle of the word. (Call me slow to catch on.) Of course, I always knew that “adult” was in the word “unadulterated,” but I never took the time to consider the connection between that little fact and the actual definition of the word.

un·a·dul·ter·at·ed (ŭn’ə-dŭl’tə-rā’tĭd)
adj.

1. Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter; pure.
2. Out-and-out; utter: the unadulterated truth.

And the thesaurus included these synonyms: Free from extraneous elements: absolute, perfect, plain, pure, simple, undiluted, unmixed.

Hmm….children are certainly not “diluted with extraneous matter.” They are not weighed down by silly rules, unimportant to-do list tasks, or the mindless day-to-day minutia that bogs down so many “adults.” They are free to live life abundantly, with a reckless abandon that eschews the regrets of the past and the anxieties of the future in order to embrace the holy present.

Children are pure. They are innocent up until some adult (or the world we adults created) robs them of that innocence by introducing violence, dishonesty, or abuse.

Children are simple. The whiz-bang, wirelessly-operated toy du jour can’t hold a candle to a giant empty cardboard box. Not in a million years. And they’re not really impressed by Dad’s impressive job title and fat salary or Mom’s PhD and impressive credentials. Not in the least. What does it for them? Playing hide and seek, being pushed on the swings, tickle fights, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and bedtime stories starring heroes and princesses. Pretty simple stuff.

It seems to me that life’s problems pop up when you add an “adult” to the situation. The English prefix “un” has two meanings. The first is “not, or opposite of”, and the other is “reverse action, or release from.” I am led to believe that the key to a happy and full life is to become the opposite of all of the bad aspects of adulthood, or to “reverse” the “adult” side of ourselves. Young children don’t have any of that adult side in them, which is why they are unadulterated (simple, pure, and not diluted with extraneous matter).

So I have a new favorite word.

And a new goal as well: To become as unadulterated as possible.

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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, but Curt’s really stands out.

One of the great things about children is that they see things with new eyes. Little things delight and astound them, sometimes only because they’ve never seen them before. As grown-ups we become jaded by the “same old, same old” and miss out on wonderful treasures that are right under our noses. If you are a veteran of motivational and self-help books, you’ll definitely want to check this book out. Curt did a great job of putting a fresh twist on age-old advice that made it new again, which invites the reader to see things with new eyes.

And if you’re more of a rookie when it comes to books like these, but you’re feeling stuck in a rut and yearn for a more exciting career and adventurous life, you’ll also want to give it a read. Impressively, Curt has been able to create something that is bite-sized but filling. Each chapter is only two or three pages long, but is packed with practical, real-world advice — and peppered with fun, too.

One of my favorite tips is #21: Jettison “Should” and Do What Feels Right. Here’s an excerpt:

Of the hundreds of thousands of words in the English language, the one that does the most to keep people from their dreams is “should.” In six short letters it convinces them to let their own needs and desires take a backseat to an external picture of what the world is supposed to look like. “I should be ‘successful’ (as defined by the dominant culture).” Or, “I should be responsible, or realistic, or focused on other people’s needs before my own, or…”

Often, those shoulds are so deeply ingrained that we aren’t even aware that we’re seeing the world through a should-created lens. We end up trapped in a false reality without ever realizing that alternative views exist.

The first step to getting beyond the shoulds is noticing that they exist to begin with. Here’s an idea to help you discover yours. Take a piece of paper and at the top of it put, “I should…” Then look at your ideas about your career. What “should” you do? Run a little mind-movie through your head about pursuing your passion. Does that kick up any shoulds? Does it run counter to the way you’re “supposed” to be? How about as it relates to family, or your role in society?

How about life in general? What “should” you do? How “should” you be?

The first step to overcoming shoulds is simply being aware of them. After you make the initial list, keep the piece of paper somewhere handy and keep adding to it as more shoulds occur to you over the coming week.

Once you have your list of shoulds, start exploring them. For each one, ask yourself, “Is this valid? Is this accurate? Where did this come from?” Some of them will be perfectly valid, and many will not. Some of them will be in alignment with what feels good and sustaining for you. Others may be completely out of whack.

In order to make decisions that are based on what is right for you, and not what you “should” do, you have to recognize where what is right for you and what you “should” do are at odds.

How often do you let the “shoulds” dictate how you spend your time?

With the inquisitiveness of a four-year-old, start questioning everything.

Start questioning the shoulds.

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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, but as one who espouses the merits of childlike — not childish — behavior, I’m not sure I will ever see another athlete in my lifetime who played his (or her) game with more childlike enthusiasm than Brett Favre.

At the time of his retirement, he was a very old man by NFL standards. But to see him on the field on Sunday was like watching an 8-year-old kid on the neighborhood sandlot draw up plays in the huddle with sticks and bottle caps. (You go long — run as fast as you can and I’ll chuck it to ya!)

The kid-in-the-candy-store look when a game was about to start. The improbable improvisations that made his coaches batty and fans cheer. The exuberant jubilation that came with every touchdown pass (which he somehow always made seem like his first). His enthusiasm made him look like an overgrown kid playing a man’s game. His dominance made him look like a man playing a boy’s game.

On the field, he was a champion. He was one off the field as well. He overcame addictions and the childish behavior of youth to develop into a solid role model for all ages. Kim and I do a lot of volunteer work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and I can speak to his level of commitment and generosity in that area as well. He went out of his way to help kids in need, freely giving time and money.

Well done, Brett. Thanks for all the highlights. Thanks for showing us that a person can be childlike AND a champion. Thanks for giving us a great example of what it means to take your job seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

Enjoy life. Enjoy your retirement. You, your family, (and Bears fans everywhere) so richly deserve it.

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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!

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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.

On Friday afternoon, the future unfolded before me with endless possibility. The freedom was intoxicating and the sky was the limit. On Saturday, I knew the clock was ticking, but took comfort in the fact that I still had a whole day left in the bank. But there was no escaping Sunday Night Dread, with its whispers of Monday growing ever louder as the day wore on.

The most treacherous Sunday Night Dread of all came on the last day of summer vacation. Then Sunday Night Dread spilled into an entire week!

I used to believe that Sunday Night Dread was a condition that only affected school children. A graduation from formal education taught me otherwise. I discovered that a vast majority of adults also suffered from Sunday Night Dread, complete with the anxiety of another week of early mornings, boring meetings, bad lunches, stupid bosses, and unexciting work. It is so widespread that a restaurant chain has achieved great success by embracing a theme - Thank God It’s Friday - which is the antithesis of Sunday Night Dread.

Once I got married and started full force into my career as a freelance illustrator and designer (which evolved into what I do today), I have never really suffered from Sunday Night Dread. I was finally doing what I loved and actually looked forward to Mondays.

Sunday Night Dread is still a major factor for most people. But it doesn’t need to be.

On his show, The Big Idea, Donny Deutsch interviews people who are doing what they love and in many cases, have made millions doing it. During one episode, he made this statement: “If Sunday night feels different than Friday night, you’re doing something wrong.”

Re-read that sentence again, and let it sink in.

If you’re on the right path, Friday should feel no different than Sunday or Tuesday or any other day of the week. You should have a passion for your work that doesn’t shut off when it’s time to go home. It should keep you up at night (in a good, excited-to-get-going-the-next-day sort of way.)

If you aren’t thrilled with your job and are experiencing Sunday Night Dread, you probably fall into one of two camps. Either you know exactly what you’d rather be doing (and, for a variety of reasons, stay put), or you have no idea what you’d rather be doing. Whole books have been written about what to do if you’re in either camp, but let me offer a few simple steps to get you started.

Scenario #1: I know what I’d rather be doing, but I can’t do that!
If you’re sticking in a career that fosters Sunday Night Dread even though you have a bigger dream deep inside, you have at least one obstacle in your path, and that obstacle is called fear. You may say, “That’s not true; I just can’t afford to lose the great benefits that come with this job.”

Really? The truth is that you’re afraid that you might get sick and go bankrupt if you give up those almighty benefits. I can’t get into every potential roadblock you’re dealing with, but if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll notice that it usually boils down to fear.

Combat this fear by spending time thinking about what you might lose if you don’t make the leap. Imagine life down the road a decade or two - what will those regrets feel like tomorrow if you don’t go for it today? And what could you gain if you do? A little perspective like that is a great catalyst to remind you that even though it might be painful or scary to act now, it can never match the pain of regret if you don’t even try.

Scenario #2: I’m not crazy about my job, but I’m not sure what else to do.
If you suffer from Sunday Night Dread, but have no idea what you’d rather be doing, you’re a rare individual. I bet you really DO know what you want to do, but have given fear such an upper hand that you won’t allow yourself to consider alternative possibilities.

Awareness if the first step. The sheer act of acknowledging Sunday Night Dread will eliminate a blockage and open your mind to new opportunities. Pay attention to the things about your job you actually like. Or the passions and pastimes you can’t wait to work on when you get home. These clues can help lead you to a life lacking Sunday Night Dread.

No matter what camp you’re in, it’s important to know that if your Friday night feels different than your Sunday night, you’re doing something wrong. You were not designed to toil away with your talents and passions rotting away on the sideline. Take that first step in eliminating Sunday Night Dread from your life today!

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