childhood Archives - Dan Griffin

Childhood Heroes and Personal Mythologies

Dan Griffin — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 15:13:27 +0000

All stories we relate to are based either on our wishes or on our fears. Sometimes–or maybe even often–both. That’s what makes this week’s episode with friend of the show Rick Belden such a powerful one. Rick leads Dan through a fascinating discussion about the ways in which we internalize our favorite childhood stories to develop personal mythologies and use them to guide the ways we show up in the world. Though it may seem a little silly to you at first, if you try the exercise Dan and Rick go through on the show, we think you’ll be surprised by how much personal insight you’ll gain by revisiting your childhood heroes.

If you feel like sharing, we’d love to hear who your mythological figure was as child, and what they meant to you. (Note: Real people can serve as mythological characters. Basketball legend Michael Jordan, for example, is a real person, but also a myth to the many kids who grew up admiring him.) Please let us know on Facebook or in the blog comments.

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Practical & Tactical Tips: The Games We Play & Escaping Adulthood (Episode 21)

Dan Griffin — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 18:55:35 +0000

“Adult.” No longer just a noun or an adjective, the word has recently even become a verb, encompassing all of those activities that make adult life so dreary. As in, “I can’t adult today. Please don’t make me adult.”

But what if – just like The Man Rules and The Woman Rules – The Adult Rules were made to be broken?

Jason Kotecki and his partner in crime, Kim, have made it their mission to make adulthood just as inspiring, joyous, and freewheeling as childhood for men and women around the world. Through art, books, their Escaping Adulthood retreat and more, they’re happily working to cure the epidemic of “adultitis.”

The couple joined host Dan Griffin this week on The Man Rules podcast to explain the crucial difference between being childlike and childish, and how to bring the creative spark of childhood into your life today.

Check out the full episode below, and if you’re inspired to shake your own “adultitis,” start with these three simple steps.

Practical & Tactical Tips

Tinker. (Don’t be afraid to try new things.)
Ask yourself, “What’s one thing I can do to make this a little bit better?” (“This” can be your marriage, your parenting, friendships, work, etc.)
Track your stats. What’s most important to you in terms of leading a fun and happy life? Rounds of golf per year? Number of dates with your partner per year? Number of bedtime stories you read to your kids per year?

SUBSCRIBE on iTunes, Stitcher, or your favorite podcasting app. And please leave us a review, if you haven’t already!

About Our Guest

Jason Kotecki is a professional reminder-er and permission granter who moonlights as an artist, author and professional speaker. Jason and his wife Kim have made it their mission in life to help people and organizations break free from Adultitis to build better lives, businesses, and teams. Jason’s colorful art has been collected and licensed all over the world, and his insights have been featured in publications like Inc. and Woman’s Day. He is the author of six books, including Penguins Can’t Fly + 39 Other Rules That Don’t Exist, which has been translated into languages he can’t even read. As a speaker, Jason works with organizations to beat burnout and become more innovative by breaking rules that don’t exist. Ultimately, Jason creates art, observations, and experiences that give people hope and the freedom to live joyfully. His greatest desire is to use his talents to share God’s love and impact lives by inspiring, entertaining and encouraging people to rekindle their childlike spirit and create the life they were made for. An avid eater of sugar-laden cereal, Jason enjoys Star Wars, soft t-shirts, and brand new tubes of paint. He and Kim homeschool their three weird kids and live in Madison, Wisconsin where they eat way too many cheese curds. You can find Jason at http://escapeadulthood.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/escapeadulthood and on Twitter and Instagram as @escapeadulthood

Let him know what you thought of the podcast and include us too!

About The Man Rules Podcast Host, Dan Griffin

Dan Griffin, M.A., is an internationally recognized author, thought leader, and expert on men’s relationships and masculinity. His work and life is dedicated to exploring and redefining what it means to be a man in the 21st century. Dan is dedicated to helping men be better men by understanding the impact of the Man Rules on their lives and finding the success in their personal lives they are striving for in the professional lives. His professional background includes over two decades in the mental health and addictions field. Dan earned a Master’s degree in Sociology from the University of Kansas where his graduate work was the first qualitative study centered on the social construction of masculinity in the culture of Alcoholics Anonymous. Dan grew up in the DC area and lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Nancy, and his daughter, Grace, and has been in long-term recovery from addiction since he graduated college in May of 1994.

Mentioned on this Episode

The Kid (movie)

Escape Adulthood Summit

Penguins Can’t Fly (book)

Family Systems Theory

The post Practical & Tactical Tips: The Games We Play & Escaping Adulthood (Episode 21) appeared first on Dan Griffin.

Episode 21: The Games We Play – Escaping Adulthood with Jason Kotecki

Dan Griffin — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 22:21:03 +0000

In 2016, the word “adulting” was officially introduced in our lexicon when it became a top contender for Oxford Dictionaries Word of The Year. “Adulting” is defined as “the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.” You typically see the word “adulting” used within the context of its tendency to suck.

Thankfully, Jason Kotecki and his partner in crime, Kim, are here to save us from getting too sucked in to the suckage of adulting. He suggests that instead of putting away all of our childhood things, we hang on the creativity, curiosity, and openness that makes childhood such a special and significant stage in our lives. He and Dan talk about how The Man (and Woman) Rules might impact a man’s ability to play and have fun, to take your responsibilities seriously without taking yourself too seriously, the important differences between being childlike and childish, and how being an adult can mean learning how to play your own game.