“Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.”
–Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

(Click comic to view larger)

Most people are deathly afraid of speaking in front of a crowd (whether or not the crowd is in their underwear). Lisa Braithwaite is a cool coach and blogger who helps people get better at public speaking. She notes that the fear of looking foolish, the fear of trying new things, and the fear of standing out are all symptoms of Adultitis, which she works hard to alleviate in her clients, as she gives them tools to help their anxiety melt away.

She recently reviewed our new book, There’s An Adult In My Soup and gave away a signed copy on her blog. In the review, she pointed out some of her favorite themes from the book:

“Busy: The New Four-Letter Word,” is about how adults tend to compete over who’s busiest. The problem is, nobody wins in this competition. It’s all lose-lose. Kim officially makes the word “busy” a bad word. As she says, “The funny thing is that everyone has the same amount of time, so if you are ‘busy’ it’s your own fault. The flaw is in you.”

“FTERA. Do You Have It?” Failure To Enjoy Recent Accomplishments is a new malady discovered by Jason’s father where we do not take time “to delight in the little things and maintain perspective.” (See my blog Yay Life! for more on enjoying the little things.)

FTERA is about always wanting or needing the next thing to come along. We can’t be content to be satisfied with what’s already accomplished; we have to constantly be grasping for the next event/activity/project.

“Stress Begets Stress” Kim says, “I happened upon an article talking about the trend of commuters leaving earlier and earlier, while also leaving work later in the day to avoid traffic, only to find themselves pulling twelve- to thirteen-hour days. Adultitis, much?”

“The lesson here is simple. YOU are in charge of your life. If it’s a stressed-out mess, it’s time to stop blaming your circumstances and start moving towards change.”

When you write a book, it’s always neat to hear what aspects of it managed to grab someone. I found it pretty cool that a lot of the themes that struck Lisa were written by Kim, who often downplays her writing skills. I try my best to pooh-pooh that notion (and also try my best to use the term “pooh-pooh” as much as possible). But, as husbands out there know all too well, our opinions seem to weigh less with each passing year. I’ve always believed that Kim’s contribution added a TON of perspective to the book (and this blog), but I’m grateful to have Lisa back me up on that one.

Pick up your very own copy of “There’s An Adult In My Soup,” filled with short bursts of inspiration, witty and wise life balance advice, and over 50 fun illustrations.

Ever notice how when you’re rushed, it feels like everything is foggy and out of focus? In this episode, we discuss 5 ways to slow down so you can think more clearly. We also talk about our first Halloween at the new house, share one of our favorite YouTube videos, and reveal the date of our next live show.

Share Your Thoughts…
What do you think about this week’s show? What’s your favorite trick for thinking more clearly? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send ‘em to eashow@kimandjason.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Linkety Links

• YouTube Video: Charlie Bit Me!
• Add a little Jim Gaffigan to your day
• Miss the live Halloween special? Watch it now!

Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get regular reminders and tips for stressing less and having more fun. Consider it a well-deserved jolt of happiness for your inbox.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but the economy is bad. Like, really bad. It’s not a good time to go out and do anything outlandish, like start a business or invest in learning a new skill. You definitely want to keep risk taking to a minimum, that’s for sure. Oh, and the housing market is still pretty bad — and we’re now getting into the worst part of the year — so don’t even think about trying to sell your home, because no one will buy it. It’s always better to not try at all than to try and fail and be disappointed, right?

*Ahem.*

Dream stealers with Adultitis are everywhere. You can find them on TV, giving their opinions on the “news.” You can find them in universities, citing facts and figures for why the way things are now are as bad as they’ve ever been. You can find them in counseling offices, helpfully suggesting that maybe you should give up this because you’re really better suited for something safe like that. You might even find them on the street corner, in the conference room, at the barber shop, or in your own home.

True dreamers know times like these present a unique set of challenges, but not without a unique set of opportunities. True dreamers know that in order to become an overnight success, you have to work your face off. And true dreamers protect their dream, no matter what anybody says.

“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” — James Baldwin

Don’t ever let somebody tell you you can’t do something. Just because it’s hard or unlikely or never been done doesn’t mean it’s not possible.

[ Hat tip for the video to Fallible Blogma ]

Like this article? Cool. Make sure you’re subscribing to our RSS feed so you won’t miss out on any future installments of similarly inspiring prose. And stuff.

photo by pluca

People are freaking out about the swine flu! Talk of it is everywhere. Heck, it’s a national emergency. Vaccinations! Hospitalizations! Deaths! I am in agreement that this is serious stuff. I’m taking precautions, believe me. However…dare I say there is a silent epidemic sweeping the globe that is far deadlier than any flu?

There is, indeed! It’s sneaking into almost EVERY household without even the thought of a vaccination.

Adultitis.

Did you know that if you are one of the 95% of adults living with Adultitis that you are more susceptible to contracting H1N1 than the few folks who don’t have it? It weakens your immune system — big time! Adultitis can sneak up on you when you least expect it. In fact, if you have laughed less than 15 times today, you are probably struggling with a VERY serious case. Get tested NOW!

Us folks at the Cure Adultitis Institute are always on the lookout for ways to prevent and cure this deadly disease. When we find tips, we like to get them to you as soon as possible so you can fight the good fight against this silent monster.

There are countless easy prescriptions to prevent and treat Adultitis without having to get stuck with a needle. (Yay – I hate needles!) In fact, I am excitedly participating in one this Saturday. The Levity Project is coming to Chicago!! You may remember that Lance Ekum from Jungle of Life, along with Jason and I, hosted a Levity Project Laughter Flash back in August. It was a blast! Check out the video here.

Well, The Levity Project brainchild, Katie West (The Levity Coach™), is gathering together folks from all over the Midwest (and beyond!) to meet up on Chicago this Saturday, November 7th, from 11:00-1:00. We’ll be riding a double decker bus in downtown Chicago and participating in three different levity experiences as a group. Why? Well, as Katie shares on her blog:

A. because it is wicked fun, adventurous and cool thing to do. B. Because they believe the world needs greater lightness and joy! And this is a fun way to shake it up! Let’s create social change through laughter, play, and celebration together. Cheers to fostering a lighter society.

Amen, sister!

Lance and I are road-triping from Wisconsin together to be a part of this fabulous Adultitis-preventing event. Forget your antibacterial soaps or face masks this weekend, we’re going to have some good ‘ol fashion fun as a way to prevent flu, heart attacks, depression, and even simple old cases of the grumpies. I hope my face hurts from smiling so much. Hope to see you there!

How many business cards have you collected over the years? A handful? A hundred? Enough to wallpaper the bathrooms of every house on your block? Even if you’re not involved in “Business,” chances are you’ve received a number of business cards over the years, from the auto mechanic to your neighbor who sells Mary Kay.

Most business cards are, frankly, forgettable.

Why? Because they all look the same. They blend in.

You see, when business cards are born, the first thing their creators likely consider is, “What do business cards look like?” Of course, this question is asked and answered on a subconscious level. It doesn’t have be voiced or heavily belabored because everyone already knows what a business card looks like. It’s a 3.5″ x 2″ paper rectangle with somebody’s name, place of employment, and contact information printed on it. The designer’s job is to make it “stand out” by cleverly mixing up the paper stock, colors, graphics, and fonts.

But what is a business card, really? Isn’t it just a tangible object that you can give to a prospective customer so they (or their friend) can contact you if they need what you (or your company) sells? Obviously, the more memorable this object is, the better, as making a lasting impression is always better than being instantly forgotten.

You’ll notice that nowhere in the above definition is any mention of shape, size, or type of material. The common conventions listed above — it must be 3.5″ x 2″ — are rules that don’t exist.

If a child were tasked with the job of designing a business card, the results would be much different. (Paper is too flat — let’s make it out of LEGOs!) Kids aren’t tied down by what a business card is supposed to look like, so they have a greater chance of breaking the “rules” and coming up with something truly remarkable and — gasp! — more effective. The images accompanying this post are all business “cards” designed by people with a very childlike mindset. (See more here.)

If you don’t happen to be a graphic designer, you might be thinking to yourself, “This is all well and good, Jason, but what does this have to do with ME?”

Everything.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, a recent graduate looking for a job, a project manager, or a retired accountant, you are living by a set of rules that don’t exist. But don’t feel bad, because it’s normal. You operate much of your life on auto-pilot. Normally, this is a good thing, as it makes things more efficient. You don’t have to waste time every day wondering, “How do I get to work?”

But one disadvantage is that you lack a beginner’s mind. Like a business card designer, you are subconsciously operating with a stock answer to the question, “What is this supposed to look like?”

What is my daily routine supposed to look like?
What is my resumé supposed to look like?
What is our conference room supposed to look like?
What are my retirement years supposed to look like?

If I asked you a similar question about an aspect of your life, you’d probably have a certain set of conditions — or rules — from which you’d automatically begin. From there, like a designer adjusting fonts and colors, you make certain adjustments based on your own preferences, priorities and passion. Perhaps you’d batch your errands, print your resume on fancier paper, paint the conference room walls, or spend a little more time volunteering in your down time.

The tweaks and adjustments are fine, but my challenge to you is: what if you took a step back and blew up your answer to the first question? What if you blew up the rules that don’t exist?

Where is it written that a mother’s job is to endlessly chauffeur her kids to practices, games, and recitals every day of the week?

Why do we assume that resumés need to be printed on paper and be formatted according to common conventions?

It it always necessary for conference rooms to look so similar? Do they even need to be on-site, or even inside?

Who ever said that retirement can’t be used to launch an even more ambitious, passion-filled project that makes a bigger difference than anything you ever did while you were “working?”

Here’s the deal. You have a lot more control of you life than you probably realize. Your life can be less stressful, more fulfilling, more productive and more fun…today. Believe me or not, but it’s true. The trick is to spend some time questioning your assumptions.

Right now, at this moment, ask yourself this question:

What is my life supposed to look like?

Now let me ask you:

Really? Says who?

Like this article? Cool. Make sure you’re subscribing to our RSS feed so you won’t miss out on any future installments of similarly inspiring prose. And stuff.

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”
–Oscar Wilde

(Click comic to view larger)

This episode was broadcast live, and because we were talking about all things Halloween, we decked out the set with pumpkins, cobwebs, skulls, and eyeballs floating in blood. Dressed in costume, we, and a bunch of Halloween-crazed viewers, discussed the best and worst Halloween candy ever, shared costume memories, and revealed 5 things you absolutely HAVE to do this Halloween. And if you’ve ever wondered how to tell if you have holiday-induced Adultitis, Kim & Jason Nation offered an array of pretty good warning signs.

Share Your Thoughts…
What do you think about this week’s show? What’s your favorite (and least favorite) Halloween candy? Do you have a favorite costume or scary movie? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send ‘em to eashow@kimandjason.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Linkety Links

• Check out Jason’s list of top 5 worst Halloween treats ever over at the Dadomatic blog.
• Watch this commercial for Doug’s “My Buddy” doll and tell us it doesn’t look like Chuckie from Child’s Play…
• Learn everything you ever wanted to know about wrestling’s classic tag team, the Road Warriors.
• Looking for pumpkin carving ideas? Check out this list of stellar efforts.

Become a fan of Kim & Jason on Facebook to be alerted about our next live show, which you obviously won’t want to miss. Kim & Jason Nation unite!

You can spend a lot of money stocking up on candy to distribute to all the little trick-or-treaters who will be ringing your doorbell. If funds are tight, don’t forget about the dollar stores that often have great deals on good candy. But whatever you do, don’t make the costly mistake discussed in the following video.

We’re here to serve.

iPod Version (12.5 MB)

The Escape Adulthood Show is Going Live in 23 days, 13 hours, 57 minutes

Join us for our next LIVE Escape Adulthood Show on Thursday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m. Central Time. We will be able to interact with you via the live chat, so come prepared to discuss all things Halloween. We’ve got our costumes all picked out and are ready for a fun time. We’ll have giveaways and some other surprises, plus it’s live, so who knows what will happen — don’t miss it! Click here to enter the viewing room.

Halloween is the time of year when kids and adults alike exercise their creativity and imagination, often in the form of being gross, creepy, and scary. If this isn’t a childlike holiday, we don’t know what is! It’s no surprise that Halloween has become the favorite holiday of many adults. Hey, no gifts to wrap, cards to send, or birds to cook. It’s simply about having fun. Now you may be a bit too tall for trick-or-treating, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat healthy (boring) grown-up food at your Halloween party. Have some fun getting creative with your menu. From Boogers on a Stick to Kitty Litter Cake, we’ll get you started with 9 gross and gruesome ideas that are guaranteed to get your guests having a good time!

––>Download (526 KB)

Chris Riddle, the official Halloween transponder for American Greetings, a major national manufacturer of Halloween party supplies and cards, has earned himself the nickname of “Mr. Halloween.” He has been a featured guest on HGTV, Fox News, and his Halloween Trend Observations, has been quoted in Time, USA Today, and The New York Times. We sat down with Chris to learn more about his cool job, his Halloween tattoos, and some of his favorite holiday memories. (You can also listen to this interview here.)

* * * * * *

Jason: Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, and how you got to be known as Mr. Halloween.

Chris: Well, Mr. Halloween has followed me since my childhood. Being an artist I was always drawing, and it just so happened – this is a funny story – that way back, I want to say fourth, fifth, sixth grade, all the way through high school, they always had contests in Ohio where you would actually paint the outside of a business in any given city.

And so we’d start school and I was always sketching Halloween pumpkins and witches and all that. From fourth grade all the way through my senior year I won the contests for the school, and I was always out there painting Halloween stuff.

But I also have to thank my mom because she loved Halloween. Looking back on all the pictures that I have of the family, she was always the one that was most in-costume, with the biggest smile, encouraging us to carve pumpkins and make our own costumes at Halloween.

So, as you see all the time on TV with athletes, I’ve got to thank my mom. You know, it’s one of those things where it was real important. So that kind of followed me then when I started my career at American Greetings. Everyone found out that I was actually collecting Halloween antiques and that I had quite a history of that, and I have a couple tattoos that are Halloween tattoos.

It’s kind of weird. I like to play the scary one, so it’s been that way for a long time. In a sense, even though I started as an illustrator on the board at American Greetings and kind of worked myself up to an art director and all that, because I have such a love for the holiday and such an interest, they said, “Well, why don’t you help every year with trends? Think in terms of a year out, where we want to be in the way of color and subject matter. Work with as many of the staff as you need to to come up with new ideas based on a proven subject matter.”

So it was just the matter of then going out – it really starts about the end of August – and looking at a lot of different aspects. Mostly women’s fashion, because 95 percent of our products are bought by women. So you’re kind of looking at color.

We also have some color organizations in New York City that we are members of. We fly out to New York and look at the colors a couple years out at that point. But then you’re just projecting where you want to be the following year. I have a group of artists that do that, and it’s just wonderful to work with such creative people, but to also do something that is a part of your passion as well.

Jason: That’s cool. So what tattoos do you have?

Chris: Well it’s interesting. I also collect original turn of the century Wizard of Oz books, because I love The Wizard of Oz. In the actual second book, I think it was, Jack was a highly respected member of Oz, and so the tattoo I have on my leg actually has the pumpkin head of Jack and the symbol of Oz.

On my back I have a frowning and a smiling pumpkin.

And then I have the the pumpkin patch. The weeds and all the vines go down to other areas on my back. It’s something I’ve had for a while. But when you have a passion you don’t mind doing that kind of crazy stuff.

Well, my wife wasn’t happy, but hey, that’s just the way it is.

Kim: Oh, that’s so cool. Tell us a little bit about your antiques and memorabilia. How did that all begin and what’s your favorite item that you have?

Chris: Yes, it’s interesting. My parents passed away young and I inherited a lot of boxes. I found so much of my mom’s stuff that she had collected from the ‘40s and kept. I said, “Boy, now I know why she so loved Halloween as a family-oriented holiday.”

In my early 20s when my wife and I would travel around the United States, one of the first places I’d want to go visit would be the nearest antique store. Even though we might be at Mt. Rushmore or we might be in L.A., I was going through the Yellow Pages looking for antique stores. It just started clicking that way and it’s been probably well over close to 30 years that I’ve been collecting Halloween antiques, way before they got too expensive for people to do it.

So it’s just something I have up all year-round. I have display cases in all parts of the house, and I also have little sneaks of Halloween in the kitchen and the dining room and the bedrooms. When people visit, every part of the house is a little bit special about Halloween.

And from my standpoint, Halloween antiques especially are a little bit about the loving spirit of those people that actually kept that pristine Halloween antique over the decades. I end up getting something in my possession, and it brings me such joy because I know the love that that person had for the holiday has now entered my house and my collection. So it’s really special.

Jason: Do you have a favorite item in your collection?

Chris: Well, you know, I love my Halloween postcards and greeting cards, because that’s where it gets kind of personal. People are talking about the time of year and the harvest and missing the family, and “I can’t wait to see you during Christmas,” you know, things like that.

It’s interesting because the addresses are not like you have a long numeral address. It’s like 12 Central Street. I mean, that’s all it is, and even when they say “Give me a call,” the telephone number’s like three digits.

Kim: Wow.

Chris: Way back in the ‘20s and ‘30s, that’s all it was. So that kind of thing is very endearing to me because it was special enough that someone kept that close to their heart, and now I have it as part of my collection, so it’s wonderful.

Jason: So, as a trends person, how have you seen Halloween change over the years?

Chris: You know, I think it changes, but it changes fashion-wise, it changes in color. But I have to believe that everyone goes back a little bit to their childhood when they think in terms of Halloween. Of course, it’s like that as Christmastime as well. I think when you talk about Halloween to people and they bring up their memories about Halloween, they smile.

I think it’s a little bit about the fact that they remember when they were children and running around the neighborhood and getting candy. And going to school in costume and having a great time, and also the memories with their family at that time.

So when I talk in terms of what’s happening in the way of product, it’s a little bit of looking back, but looking back with an eye towards where color is going to be a year from now, or where styled art is going to be.

But yet, the subject matter and the warmth in the copy is always going to be there, and maybe a little bit from where you’ve come from. And in terms of what decade you grew up in. And then how can we put that into our product? So it’s a little about looking forward and looking back at the same time.

Jason: And it seems like adults really are taking Halloween back.

Chris: Yes, they really have. I mean, next to New Year’s Eve parties and Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween is the third largest celebration that adults involve themselves in. It’s become a $5 billion industry. You can just go through suburbia and people are decking out the outside of their homes with the lights and spider webs and all kinds of wonderful things.

And I think it’s just a wonderful release for people at this time of year with the pressure they have at work and all of that. They just kind of go back and say, “You know what? I remember how this used to be. And as an adult, and maybe part of a wonderful family, I’m going to continue to celebrate this.” So I think it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Kim: What was Halloween like for you as a kid? Obviously you say it was really great and you have some awesome memories. What do you remember the most?

Chris: Well, you know, it always started probably a week before when my mom and dad would get one of the largest pumpkins there were. All of us kids would carve pumpkins that we knew were going to be put out on the front porch. And of course you would have to make the yearly scarecrow in the front yard.

My mom would bake apple pies and things like that, so you’d have that smell in the house. And of course, it’s all about the smell outside, because with the turning leaves and the way that the light and the sun changes outside as well, it creates warm shadows at this time of year.

You can tell I’m excited just to be talking about it, but it’s what you see visually and the smells and everything else I think that gets you going. Then all of a sudden it’s a couple days before Halloween, and of course time has changed, so there’s no light out at 6:00.

You know, it’s the anticipation of going out and just running yourself ragged trick-or-treating with your friends. It’s just wonderful memories.

Then as you get older, instead of watching, going to the movies of course. And I remember as a child going to horror movies – they were black and white at that time – and being scared to death. And now of course it’s all DVDs and cable television but it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Jason: So what about these days? What do you do for Halloween? What’s your favorite Halloween activity now?

Chris: Yes, I have to say I’m running around now as an adult. I mean, there are probably three or four different neighborhoods that I need to go to, and I only have two-and-a-half hours.

And I have my video camera, my normal camera. My wife is with me, we’re running around, I’m trying to photograph families. I’m photographing the way people have decorated the outside of their homes. I’m invited inside homes now because people know I’m coming every year, so they need me to come in and they take pictures with me and their family.

Kim: It’s Mr. Halloween!

Chris: Yes. It’s kind of fun. But for me it’s always about going out on trick-or-treat night and just hearing the laughter of the children and the wind blowing through the trees. And hopefully it’s going to be a night where it’s cloudless and there’s a moon out casting a wonderful shadow on everything. Oh my God, it’s wonderful. I can’t wait!

Kim: It’s coming soon!

Chris: Yes, it’s coming soon.

Kim: Well, we always end our interviews with a question that gets you thinking back to childhood.

Jason: Which is not too hard for you at this time of year.

Chris: No, it’s not.

Kim: This is a very easy one, but what was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

Chris: Well, there was a time in my life when I was a teenager where I’d get pretty decked out. And I think one time I was a werewolf, and I spent hours and hours and hours on it. This was before I really bought rubber masks and things like that.

I made myself up really, really good. I would actually be on all fours a lot and then come up to the door and I’d be on my haunches. But I was so good that I’d scare everybody away.

So I just had to go in the house at that point because my mom and dad were going, “You know, no one wants to come to our house this year.” And so I ended up having to go out because they didn’t want me around. But from my standpoint, I created such a buzz in the neighborhood and everybody wanted me to go up to their house.

Kim: It must have been pretty convincing if people were so scared of it, Chris.

Chris: Oh, I know, but it’s all about the trick and the treat. People don’t remember that, I would always tell kids when they used to come to the house, “So, what kind of trick do you know, because it’s trick-or-treat? Do you know why you’re saying trick-or-treat?” and all that. There’s a little bit of that history that a lot of kids don’t know.

Jason: So, tell us about that. What was the original concept behind Halloween?

Chris: Well, boy, Halloween goes back so far, but I would have to say it started way back in New England, way back in I want to say the 1860s. There were farms back then and people had a lot more parties in those days. You’d go to a barn party and you’d have to entertain in order to get anything, whether it be the food or it was part of the harvest festival. So people put on skits, and actually had to do things. They just couldn’t come. You had to come with something in the way of an entertainment.

So it’s a little bit about the “trick” in treat-or-treat and you’d get a treat. In New England, they kind of said to people, “Well, is it a joke? Do you have to come in and say something? Something to make them laugh? What kind of trick?” You’re doing something magical or something when you ask for a trick-or-treat, and you have to do something in order to get a treat. So it kind of goes back to that, and I don’t know if people even know that these days. But it’s so funny to hear kids going “trick or treat.” They usually don’t want to do it anymore.

Jason: It’s all about the magic words. I guess kids will do whatever they can do to get candy!

Chris: Absolutely, yes.

photo by Willie Lunchmeat

We have a theory here that Halloween is the one holiday that adults are given permission to have some serious fun. There’s no added stress due to gift buying, cookie making or travel. Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. On October 31st, it’s not uncommon to be driving down the freeway and look over to find a werewolf (or Napoleon Dynamite!) driving in the Subaru next to you. If you happen to work at a place that encourages costumes, you are a lucky duck! Heck, we weren’t even allowed to dress up towards the end of my Kindergarten teaching career because it might offend someone! Don’t even get me started on that!

So, here’s an idea to make this Halloween the best one since you were in third grade — guaranteed.

Raid your local candy shop!

How does this work? Well, it’s kind of like trick-or-treating except you bring your wallet and pay for what you take. Set a budget going into it and then go crazy filling your bucket with your sweet favorites! Jason and I did this a few years ago at a very fun candy shop in Monterey, CA. We had a blast picking out candies that we hadn’t eaten in years, along with the favorites that we can’t resist (3 Musketeers – Love ‘em!). There’s a certain childlike giddiness you get when you give yourself permission to pick out whatever you’d like. It’s kind of like cheating during trick-or-treating because you don’t have to be stuck with the popcorn ball or the orange circus peanuts. (Seriously, does ANYONE like those?)

Once you’ve spent your dough and are sufficiently salivating for sweets, exercise one of the best parts of being an adult – the freedom to eat as much candy as you want. Go nuts. Eat and eat. No one is telling you that you can’t. It’s all part of the fun.

Try it out this year and let us know how it goes!

photo by hayopsaganda

I feel like I need to take a shower. Kim and I just got done doing a business-themed radio interview with a couple of female hosts who were two of the most Adultitis-ridden people I’ve come across in some time. Arrogant and pessimistic, the duo was unprepared, unenthusiastic, and utterly unhappy.

I normally have a great time doing interviews, but not this one. It was an hour in hell.

I should have known from the start we were in trouble when one of the hosts started talking about how she was going to Chuck E. Cheese’s to help celebrate her grandchild’s birthday. I thought she was sharing this as an example of how she’d be escaping adulthood, but instead she proceeded to lament about how much she dreaded going.

Kim and I tried our best to keep a positive spin on things and attempt to offer the listeners helpful insights. I’d hoped that I could say something that would bring a little light into the lives of the hosts. But I knew I faced an uphill battle. I learned long ago, that despite my best efforts, it’s impossible to make a dent in someone with full-blown Adultitis. For one, they don’t ever admit they have it. And because of that, they aren’t open to any kind of change.

It became pretty clear that they were more interested in hearing themselves talk. They barely knew what we did, didn’t know our website, and didn’t even know if we were husband and wife or brother and sister. I think we held our own, and gave out some good information.

Sometimes I wish I could be more unabashed in my opinion giving. I wish I wasn’t averse to hurting people’s feelings or caring so much what people think of me. Since I was raised to be polite, I kept a lot of thoughts to myself. But if I were brave, and living in Bizarro World, here is what I would have said:

* * * * *

(Click play to listen to my rant or keep on reading.)

I’m sure it must have been hard being a woman in business twenty years ago. I am sure that lots of people were waiting for you to fail. I don’t doubt that you felt you had to do twice the work to gain the acceptance of your male coworkers. But you did it. You took the slings and arrows. You persisted. You prevailed. You’re at the top of your field. You make a good salary. You have a great deal of influence in the community.

So why are you still so damn unhappy?

You can also complain all you want about the younger generation coming into the workforce with high expectations and an entitlement mentality. You say they don’t appreciate the value of hard work and what it really takes to make it in business because they’ve been used to winning more times than not and for getting trophies when they finished last.

But let me ask you this? Who raised this generation? Wasn’t that…you?

Perhaps you felt guilty because you worked so many hours and your kids spent so much time in day care that you gave toys and trophies at every turn to boost their shaky self-esteem and assure them that you did indeed love them. Perhaps you are now reaping what you sowed.

I also wanted to congratulate you for being so important that you have so many emails flooding your inbox. (It is after all, a competition, and you are clearly the winners.) Because you are so in demand, it’s impossible to keep up to it all, what with so many people expecting you to get back to them within minutes. And that stinks that the economy-inspired budget cuts have done away with your personal assistants that used to do your grunt work.

According to you, this overload is unavoidable. Your line of work insists upon this crazy pace, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Unless you want to get fired or something. Because as you seem to indicate, the only way to avoid losing your job in this terrible, terrible economy is to take your job (and yourself) as seriously as humanly possible and relinquish any hope of having time with the people you care the most about (unless those people are your co-workers.)

Guess what? Sorry to disappoint you, but you’re not the victim here. Someone gets the final say, and that person would be…you. I know it may be hard to believe, but you actually have control over your life. Shocking, isn’t it?!

But you’re probably right. Setting up limits for people on how to contact you and when they can expect a response is completely unrealistic and undoable. It’ll probably get you fired. And then you’ll end up homeless and starving on the street with absolutely no means to find another job (or create your own!)

Because after all, as you mentioned (about fifteen times), the economy is really, really bad. Funny I hadn’t heard about that before. Thanks for giving me a clue.

But here’s a thought: contrary to popular belief, just because the economy is in a recession doesn’t mean we all have to go around with furrowed brows and serious demeanors. Doom and gloom will get us nowhere, girls. Should we pretend that everything is all daisies and lollipops? Of course not. Clearly, we are living in uncertain times.

But are we ever living in certain times?

Pessimism is not the answer (oh, and I know you’d call it realism.) It’s terribly difficult to come up with creative solutions to our current problems when we’re choked with fear and worried about getting hit by pieces of the falling sky. In fact, a great way to sink your company even deeper in the hole is to stop smiling at customers, engage in pressure selling, and spend most of your time looking over your shoulder hoping to not be fired.

I know, I know, I’m just one of those unrealistic Generation Xers without a clue. Allow me to ask you just one final question:

What have you done today to add a little joy to your soul?

Nothing?

I thought so. Might want to start there, ladies.

Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get regular reminders and tips for stressing less and having more fun. Consider it a well-deserved jolt of happiness for your inbox.

“But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.”
–Carl Sagan

(Click comic to view larger)

One of the keys to being happy with your work is having passion for what you do. Featured again Scrubs magazine, Jason shares 4 tips to help nurses reignite their passion for nursing and continue to treat the Adultitis in their lives.

He’s getting positive feedback and you can read a couple comments below:

The last one is my favorite because everyone can get through today and with a little faith, tomorrow will bring a brighter day. Also, I think in nursing the concept of smiling more is truly contagious and can make anyone’s day a little brighter, including your own.
–By Ladonna M., LPN on September 29, 2009 at 1:03 pm

Oh dear. Just took the Adultitis Intake Quiz. I’ve developed Stage 1!! Time to find a pile of leaves and jump in! STAT!
–By Paris Lia on October 1, 2009 at 12:12 pm

Check out the entire article for all four tips and see how they can help YOU ignite your passion!

Some people love Twitter. Others don’t get it. Believe me, I don’t have much interest in knowing what people had for breakfast or what sort of fungus is growing on their foot. It took me a while to “get” Twitter, and I’ve become a big fan. I’ve realized that if you don’t like being inundated with boring, stupid tweets, you need to follow more interesting people.

I’ve decided to use Twitter as a way to add value to the members of Kim & Jason Nation. I tend to include links to stuff that doesn’t make it into a full blog post. If I don’t think something is 1) useful, 2) inspiring, or 3) funny, I don’t tweet it. Simple as that. We have enough noise already, so I don’t want my Twitter feed cluttered with a bunch of irrelevant chatter.

I’ve included a sample list of tweets below. If you love Twitter and are into escaping adulthood but aren’t yet following us, hop to it. If you’re still on the fence about whether Twitter is cool or a sign of the upcoming apocalypse, maybe you should follow us @kimandjason before you make up your mind.

On Making An Effort To Be Childlike – With A Little Help From Pokey: http://tinyurl.com/ykad6fn (via @dinnertogether)

RT @stevobaggins: http://twitpic.com/m985u – Lunch. By my creative 3 year old. (from @aaronshust)

The all-time greatest children’s books, then and now: http://bit.ly/45YfJ1

Speaking this weekend to nice folks in NJ. My most important message for them: say no to the good so you can say yes to the GREAT.

Some parents are verbs; others are nouns. We need more to be verbs.

Trick or Tweet! Cute Hostess Tote Bag–was $41.95 – now just $20.00! Only THREE left: http://bit.ly/20DJlu

“I like your new shampoo, Mom. What’s that scent — vinaigrette?” More fun stuff kids say: http://bit.ly/Le7mb (via @janniefunster)

RT @zappos: Whenever people say “Bah!” I like to reply with “That’s what sheep said.”

If you finally find the time for something important, tell me where you found it. I thought 24 hours a day is all we got.

How to Build a Haunted Garage with Stuff You Already Own http://bit.ly/kiRYS

RT @jimgaffigan: I don’t know if the cold weather makes me tired or the fact that I’m lazy makes me tired.

Adulthood has its perks. Feeling Good About Feeling Old: http://bit.ly/QWcz4

RT @JensBookPage: Ten Ways to Involve the Whole Family in Reading Aloud from @BookChook http://tinyurl.com/ykmwo6v

May the force be with you. Here’s some rare Star Wars photos: http://bit.ly/38bzAF

Why do our buildings have to be boring (and rectangular)? Hint: they don’t. Check out these FUN designs: http://bit.ly/14arAx

Follow @kimandjason on Twitter and you’ll get funny and inspiring tidbits to help you stress less and have more fun as well as sweet deals and behind-the-scenes news.

Kim and Lucy and I recently visited an awesome local pumpkin patch. We enjoyed a hayride pulled by two strong horses and scouted for the perfect pumpkin. After spotting “the one,” I managed to pull it free from the vine, allowing myself to feel like the manly man I am normally not.

It’s been sitting by our front door and will soon undergo the knife in order to transform from humble pumpkin into awe-inspiring jack-o-lantern. The awe-inspiring part has been the challenge, as I’ve been thinking a lot about what direction the carving should take. I turned to the interwebs for some ideas and found some totally awesome works of art, including the piratey fellow above. They simultaneously inspire and intimidate me.

I figured I might as well share them here; they’ll probably do the same for you.

Ah, good old Mario. Reminds me of the best video game theme song of all time.

This one is crazy ridiculous. And scary. It fills me with the sudden urge to “run to the choppah!!!”

I love the personality of this one. I can’t decide if he’s happy or getting a colonoscopy.

I’m not sure what this means, but I have always been a sucker for cannibal jack-o-lanterns. These next few are some of the best…

Everything is always more fun with a few muppets thrown in…

A classic black cat…

…to go along with a famous white one.

The force is with these pumpkins…

This is your run-of-the-mill pumpkin posing as a hamburger. (Note the pumpkin seeds posing as sesame seeds, too!)

A few Disney and Pixar inspired gems…

The little boy in me is always fascinated by the puking pumpkins…

And the next few are just plain neat…

Fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas will surely appreciate this Jack Skellington.

And finally, a pretty cool representation of one of the only truly Adultitis-free people I’ve ever seen, the incomparable Steve Irwin.

Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get regular reminders and tips for stressing less and having more fun. Consider it a well-deserved jolt of happiness for your inbox.

Here’s a sneak peek at our upcoming live show. Set your calendar for Thursday, October 29, 2009. We’re set to go live at 8:00 pm central time and we’ve got all sorts of tricks and treats up our sleeves. Be sure to tune in to participate in the festivities!

Share Your Thoughts…
What do you think we should discuss in the live show? Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send ‘em to eashow@kimandjason.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

Linkety Links

• Watch our first live show here.
• Sign up for a free ustream account so you can participate in the live chat.

Become a fan of Kim & Jason on Facebook and get the first scoop on the crazy things we’re up to as well as other behind-the-scenes treats. Kim & Jason Nation unite!

Life is filled with countless rules that need to be broken. No, I’m not talking about running red lights or robbing banks. I’m talking about simple assumptions that we live by in order to fit in and stay comfortable. Kids like to break the mold and a great way to stay childlike, leaving Adultitis in the dust, is to follow their lead. Here are a few thoughts about the rules that don’t exist.