A month ago I wrote about the importance of taking a proactive approach to avoiding fear, a bad night of sleep, and ultimately Adultitis by staying clear of the evening news. Jason and I got a chance to be the gooey center of a death sandwich on Sunday, appearing on Madison’s CBS 5:30PM news. When we arrived on set and got our mics on, the anchor shared with us that they were all thrilled we were on the programming for the evening because they had so much bad news to report. Apparently, the hours before had been filled with body after body being found throughout the state of Wisconsin, leaving them with lots of deaths to report. Our three minute segment, talking about Adultitis and our upcoming Adultitis Clinic on Saturday, fell smack-dab in the middle of all of the bad news.
I feel honored that we could bring something light and uplifting to the dreary news of the weekend. The intern who walked us out told us he was in the middle of taking the Adultitis intake. It struck a chord.
I also feel regretful that I didn’t have a shirt on that said, “Yes, this is a baby bump and not a Wisconsin beer belly.” Oh well, it’ll go down as the baby’s first TV appearance. (Speaking of shirts, do you like Jason’s new Duck Duck, Goose shirt? It’s a Club K&J exclusive! We have less than 15 left.)
For all of the details on Saturday’s Adultitis Clinic, click here.
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Here’s an overview of the latest stuff available exclusively for Club K&J members. If you’re not a member, why not? Learn more here.
KIM & JASON TV
Dream Makers: This episode outlines a crucial strategy you need to be aware of if you want to see your dreams come true.
Silly Soap Operas: This episode features an awesome idea that’s great for groups of many sizes and will leave you laughing on the living room floor.
Times Square: If you’re stressed out and feel like you never have enough time to just…b r e a t h e…you’ll definitely want to watch this episode and implement the tip we share.
KIM & JASON RADIO
Escape Adulthood #32: 5 Totally Fun (and Cheap) Summer Things To Do
Interview with Aaron Sims: Baseball and hockey public address announcer.
MONSTERS
The new Kim & Jason adventure is being released one color-packed page at a time, exclusively for Club K&J members. Follow along:
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3
OTHER STUFF
Kim & Jason Magazine #5 – Music: This issue is jam-packed with stories, tips, and ideas on how music can soothe your soul, fire you up, energize your life and escape adulthood like nothing else!
Duck Duck Goose T-Shirt: We released a new Club K&J exclusive t-shirt, and Jason already had a chance to wear it on TV during a recent news interview. We have less than 15 shirts left, so if you want to snag one before they’re all sold out, go here.
SWELL PRIZE
Chris Lange won July’s S.W.E.L.L. Prize drawing, a classic, out-of-print Escape Adulthood t-shirt!
COMING SOON
The next podcast will feature 5 tricks to help you deal with the frenzy that invades everyone’s schedule as summer fades into fall. Plus, we’re working on nailing down an interview with someone who designs Happy Meal toys for a living. Cool, huh?
As always, all things Club K&J can be found in The Clubhouse.
Related Posts:This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #2 Instaparty: Find a reason to celebrate and do something to celebrate it.
This past weekend Jason and I attended the wake of one of my former kindergarten students. She was ten and had battled cancer for the last 3+ years. Wakes are hard no matter what, but this one was probably the hardest one I’ve been to. With older folks who pass away, you can look back and celebrate their life and all that they were able to experience. In this case, I’m pretty sure everyone in that long line heading into the funeral home felt a sense of injustice. She was just too young.
A few weeks ago one of our recent Kim & Jason Champions (from the Kim & Jason Magazine, page 6) lost her life, along with her husband and son, in a plane crash. Again, it’s impossible to understand the meaning behind such tragic events. It is interesting to note that she left this life doing what she loved- flying with her family.
So, why am I bringing up these sad stories at the start of a week in which we’re challenged to celebrate?
It’s all about the unknown. You HAVE to celebrate today. You simply cannot wait. As Jason mentioned in his recent post, “Putting off something to ‘next year’ can be a tricky gambit.” Human nature tricks us into believing that we’ll all die from old age, but it’s simply not true. Don’t wait until a tragedy happens to realize that your life is meant to be lived to the fullest today. Don’t wait until your anniversary to surprise your spouse with a night out on the town. Don’t wait until your birthday to allow yourself the permission to pick up that ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. (Yum!) Don’t wait until circumstances are perfect before you plan that spontaneous camping trip. Celebrate today!
If you need some help getting started I’ve found a fun site, Holidays for Everyday. You literally have your pick of things to celebrate each and every day. Share with us what you decide to celebrate this week by leaving us a comment on the Escape Plan blog. Remember, living in this mindset is a daily challenge. It’s also very contagious, so be prepared to have some followers and be proud to lead the way.
Don’t wait until tomorrow. Do it today!
Related Posts:Saturday, August 23, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Stop by Kim & Jason HQ to treat any symptoms of Adultitis and join us for a day of fun and frivolity! Revitalize your childlike spirit and help a good cause, too! Here’s some of the fun things we have planned:
• Face painting for kids and grown-ups!
• Meet Gary, our GIANT teddy bear!
• Sweet treats for only 25¢!
• Jelly bean taste testing!
• Meet the “Adultitis Guy!”
Our goal is to raise $1,000 for Care Net, a local organization that offers hope and help to young mothers. We’re donating 10% of every single sale to the cause. Also, the face painting is free and the sweet treats are only a quarter, but every single penny you donate above and beyond that goes straight to Care Net as well. Stop by and join in the fun!
315 S. Baldwin St. | Madison, WI 53703 | 608-278-1880 (Map)
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Like reading Kim & Jason? The duo is starring in a brand new project called Monsters. Go behind-the-scenes and follow the adventure as it unfolds as a Club K&J member! (Learn more.)
The street upon which our office/shop is located is getting torn up right now. There are gigantic trucks digging holes, dirt everywhere, lots of loud noises and large tubes lying around waiting to be put underground. It’s a little boy’s dreamland, and Jason and I saw this firsthand. While walking into the office we came upon a young mom and her two-year-old son in a stroller. They were parked on the sidewalk in front of our shop staring at the construction site. I immediately looked in the direction they were looking, to see if something cool was happening, but all I saw was a couple of guys carrying their lunch boxes, getting ready to take a break… not exactly gripping. Then I looked at the little boy. He was literally sitting at the edge of his stroller, watching with great intensity and interest.
It was one of the purest examples of “delighting in the little things” (one of Jason’s 8 secrets) I’ve ever witnessed. He was thoroughly enthralled by the entire site, never mind that the worker guys were on a break. He was into it. The coolest thing, though, is that the mom recognized this and took the time to sit there with him. I’m sure there were plenty of other places they needed to be. She didn’t appear rushed. She wasn’t over talking about what the workers were doing, she was simply standing there and allowing her son to delight. What a great mom!
There are lessons to be learned in this little situation. The cliche “stop and smell the roses” only makes sense if you love the smell of roses. So, what’s your “rose”? Is it a street full of dirt and trucks? (If so, you might want to visit this place.) Is it the taste of a home cooked meal prepared just for you? Maybe it’s reading an e-card at work from a friend who took the time to write from the heart? Whatever it is, delight in it.
At the National Speakers Association Convention last week we were able to hear a fabulous speaker, Marshall Goldsmith. He is a regular columnist in Fast Company Magazine. Marshall took everyone on a journey many years into the future. He asked us to imagine that you’re very old and on your deathbed. You’re about to take your last breath. Right before that breath you’re given an incredible gift- the chance to go back in time and visit yourself right here and now. You’re given the opportunity to help yourself be a better person and to have a better life. What advice would your wise elder self give?
The room was completely silenced. Marshall shared that overwhelmingly the answers are always the same- Be happy now! Too many people, he explained, suffer from “Western When” syndrome (i.e., I’ll just be happy when …)
You have to remember three words: Be happy now. Not next week. Not next month. Not next year. It’s a great Western disease: I’ll be happy when… When I get that car, status, money. But there is no when. That’s a person waiting to die. Be happy now. Life is short.
Don’t wait until this or that finally happens. Happiness if a choice and you need to find it in your present situation.
The boy in the stroller found it, and so did his mom.
How about you?
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Every Thursday, we pick out one of the cool things from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand and give it away. Yep, for free.
This week’s prize is a Building Block Frames Set. This awesome set of 3 picture frames are not only modeled after classic children building blocks, but they also serve as tiny boxes for storing little trinkets and keepsakes. The stackable plastic boxes are expandable, measuring 6 x 6 x 6.5 cm each, and can be customized with your favorite 4.8 x 4.8 cm photos.
Here’s how to enter:
- Just leave a comment on this post, answering this week’s question: “What was your favorite thing to build as a kid?”
- Deadline for entries is 11:59 pm CST on the day of the post. We’ll pick a winner from the list of comments on the following Friday.
- We’ll contact the winner by e-mail to find out where to send the prize.
Good luck! And don’t miss any of the other cool stuff for the young at heart at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand!
**UPDATE: This week’s winner was Brooke F.:
My favorite thing to build as a kid was my homemade doll bed/room/house. I’d use leftover shoe boxes, scraps of fabric anything I could get my grubby hands on and claim as my own!
Even though this week’s contest is over, you can still buy your very own Building Block Frames Set at the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. And stay tuned next week for the next chance to win!
Related Posts:We filmed this episode smack dab in the middle of Times Square in New York City. The topic is time. If you’re stressed out and feel like you never have enough time to just…b r e a t h e…you’ll definitely want to watch this episode (available in the Clubhouse) and implement the tip we share. Enjoy!
Club K&J members get exclusive access to Kim & Jason TV, featuring all sorts of exciting video content, including every Adultitis Relief Brief episode. (Learn more.)
The third page of Monsters, the new adventure starring Kim & Jason, has been posted in the Clubhouse. Go check it out here. You can also start from the beginning by clicking here.
If you’re not a Club K&J member, you might want to consider joining today to follow the story line as it develops. It’s only $4.95 a month and features a lot of other cool things, too. Learn more.
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Popular comedian Bernie Mac died last Saturday. He was only 50 years old.
I was always impressed by his energy, enthusiasm and passion. I read an article about his passing and was struck by a particular passage:
In 2007, Mac told David Letterman on CBS’ “Late Show” that he planned to retire soon.
“I’m going to still do my producing, my films, but I want to enjoy my life a little bit,” Mac told Letterman. “I missed a lot of things, you know. I was a street performer for two years. I went into clubs in 1977.”
Now I don’t know what Bernie meant by “soon” in regards to his retirement, but he made the statement in 2007 and we’re already in the second half of 2008.
Putting off something to “next year” can be a tricky gambit. It lulls you into a false sense of security, giving you the feeling that you’ve got plenty of time to get around to it but not so much time that it’ll never happen. The problem with “next year” is that it’s always 365 days away. Near, but not yet.
Of course, “soon” is just as dangerous. “Soon” implies a sense of urgent priority, but leaves the door open for procrastination. After all, if you don’t get to it today, there’s always tomorrow, which is still pretty soon.
Photo by Jan Tik
If something is important enough to do next year, there’s a good chance it’s important enough to begin right now. And if a year really is an appropriate timetable, then attach a date to it. The date serves as an anchor in time that brings the goal closer to you every single day. Without a date, “next year” is a dinghy thats aimlessly drifts along, endlessly out of reach.
Remember friends, tomorrow, soon, and next year may seem just around the corner, but sometimes they’re not.
Related Posts:This week’s Escape Plan challenge (aka our Tip of the Week) is: #3: Says You: Do something that is typically seen as inappropriate for someone of your age.
You’ve seen the movie, “Big” with Tom Hanks? (If you haven’t, you need to do that before 
attempting this challenge.) Tom definitely sells his role as a 12-year-old stuck in an adult’s body/life. The classic scene, of course, is when Tom and Robert Loggia play the big piano at the toy store. Jason got a chance to try out that same type of piano at FAO Schwarz this past week while visiting the big apple. He took off his shoes and placed them in an available cubby, as he waited in line amidst an assemblage of 5-10 year-olds. Yes, he was the only “grown-up,” (how sad!). And you could see the look of envy on the other grown-up’s faces nearby.
Sometimes all you have to do is give yourself permission.
Leave us a comment on the Escape Plan Blog to let us know what you gave yourself permission to do this week. Get some inspiration from the childlike glee found on Tom and Robert’s faces at the end of this scene…
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Like reading Kim & Jason? The duo is starring in a brand new project called Monsters. Go behind-the-scenes and follow the adventure as it unfolds as a Club K&J member! (Learn more.)
