Another giveaway! There's an Adult in My Soup!

One of my favorite blogs to read has been the Escape Adulthood blog by Kim and Jason Kotecki.

Even though it -- technically -- has nothing to do with public speaking, I have always found it relevant to what a lot of people go through in avoiding public speaking. The fear of looking foolish, the fear of trying new things, the fear of standing out: all symptoms of "adultitis," a term coined by Kim and Jason to explain a condition "marked by chronic dullness, mild depression, moderate to extremely high stress levels, a general fear of change, and, in some extreme cases, the inability to smile."

Here are some posts where I've referenced their concepts:

Overwhelmed and busy ... do we have a choice?

It's okay to be a beginner

The secret to productivity ... and public speaking?

Who cares if you mess up?

ANYWAY, they've got a new book out, called "There's an Adult in My Soup," a compilation of essays and blog posts -- "recipes for cooking up the life of your dreams." And I'm going to give one away (signed!) to celebrate my third anniversary of blogging, and also because I think everyone needs less adultitis in their lives.

Some of my favorite essays:

"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."

"Silly Ideas" How many of you have a "silly" idea that you're afraid to pursue because you're worried about how others will think of you? I thought so. A lot. Kim and Jason encourage "dreaming big and following through on 'silly' ideas."

This book focuses on all of my favorite ideas: taking charge of your life, making your own choices, facing the naysayers, embracing who you are and what you want out of life, and letting your childlike curious and fun-seeking self out of the closet.

If you don't win it in my giveaway, I highly encourage you to buy it. And even if you don't buy it, please take a look at Escape Adulthood. I promise it will inspire you and brighten your day. And who doesn't need some of that?

Tell me in the comments how you fight adultitis in your life! I will draw a random name from the commenters on Monday, October 19. What better day to fight adultitis, adults' most hated day of the week?

____________________________________________________
On The Everything Page you'll find everything you need to build visibility, credibility and influence through engaging presentations that move your participants into action: freebies, low-cost products and courses, and 1:1 coaching!