1. “Maybe he has a rare disease?”
2. “I’ll bet he finally had that nervous breakdown we’ve all been expecting.”
3. “Utah probably blocked the internet.”
4. “I CAN’T BELIEVE HE STOPPED BLOGGING!! Oh well, what are the Kardashian’s up to?” *click*

This post is going to play the role of a) letting you know I’m alive, and b) letting you know that I have no idea when I’ll be back.

The reason for my blog absence is honestly too boring to even mention, but for those of you who’d really like to know, here it is: I’ve been busy.

Told you it was boring.

I would have loved to report that I’ve been on the set of some Reality TV show without internet access where a father of three switches his own children to take care of three out-of-work child stars, but I’ve just been working a lot. And by working a lot I mean I’ve been buried in code, marketing stuff, and a bunch of other non-glamorous work. Any breaks I get from that are spent with my family at Costco or the Home Depot. I sleep sometimes too. Rarely.

If it were as simple as falling out of the routine of blogging, I’d probably jump right back in and go crazy. But this is the first time since I started blogging that I truly don’t have time to write.

“You’ll never have enough time! You have to MAKE time!” says the peanut gallery.

And the peanuts do have some wisdom. But I also know that I’ve made time for stuff that matters a lot more to me than blogging for the time being, and that by the time that’s scheduled, I don’t even have five minutes to scribble down my thoughts and hit publish.

My twitter and facebook usage has also suffered greatly. If you’ve appreciated the break from my ramblings, please don’t tell me. I have an ego to protect.

I love to write and I plan to write a lot. Currently it’s not in the cards, so I just take quick notes about things that happen or random thoughts I ponder, and when life starts giving me an extra 30 minutes in a day, I’ll start turning those notes into something worth reading.

This isn’t goodbye, or even farewell; it’s a quick message to let you know that I’m not dead. Not even close.

More later…

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink When a Blog Goes Silent…

What I didn’t know when I scheduled this post is that the CDC was going to release a new report showing that the number of autistic children has increased over 78% in the last 10 years.

I pretty much fell off my chair when I read that.

1 in 54 boys will be diagnosed with autism.

More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.

That pretty much means that if you’ve never met anyone with autism, then you will. Very soon.

The number of increased cases of autism over the last dedicated is definitely attributed to more awareness of the disease and better screening,  but there are also environmental factors in play that scientists haven’t been able to identify yet. That’s the tricky part about finding a cure, or even what causes autism. It’s not 100% genetic and it’s not 100% environmental. It’s a cocktail of both and we haven’t discovered the recipe yet.

But we will.

On Monday the world is going to “Light it Up Blue” for autism awareness. All sorts of awesome things are going to happen. Landmarks like the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House are going to be lit up with blue lights. Certain retailers will be giving people the opportunity to donate money for research at the cash register. It’s also likely that there’s going to be some intense press coverage about the day as well. Probably not anything quite as big as my blog (pfft. USA TODAY) but you get the point.

The point is that people are going to be talking about autism.

I love it when people talk about autism. It has to be talked about. People need to know that it’s ok to ask questions if they think their children aren’t meeting all of the milestones.

My personal opinion is that at the first signs of any type of delay, children should start receiving specialized treatment and therapies. Some may say that’s overkill, but what’s it going to hurt if it turns out the child was just a little bit behind in their development and not actually autistic?

*Steps off soapbox*

Blue is way better than green

I like to think of World Autism Awareness Day as St. Patrick’s Day with a purpose and less alcoholism. It’s our excuse to cover everything in blue. We wear blue. We buy blue lightbulbs from Home Depot. We even grub on blue eggs and ham.

Lightitupblue.org is full of ideas for how to help on Autism Awareness Day. Here are a few of my favorites

1. Take your efforts online - some of you may have already noticed that my blog is throwing up blue and that I’m using the Light it up Blue logo for my Twitter and Facebook pictures. Now do I think that’s going to make a huge impact? Maybe? But it’s really simple to do so why not, right? You can get the artwork here.
2. Dress in blue - I want you guys thinking Smurfs on Monday. I plan on wearing a blue body suit to the office. It’s not going to be good for anyone, but no one is going to forget it’s Autism Awareness Day.
3. Swim in the Ocean - because it’s blue. This means if you have to take a vacation you have my permission. It’s for a good cause.
4. Hug someone with autism - NOTE: Make sure the don’t hate hugging first If they don’t, then give them a giant squeeze and let them know you care.
5. Send a donation request letter to the winner of the Mega Millions jackpot: If all of us do this, there’s no reason whoever wins can’t donate a cool million. If that doesn’t work we could always pitch in 10 bucks at the Autism Speaks donation page here.
6. Learn more about autism and talk about it - Taking the time to learn about autism or teach someone else about it is time extremely well spent.  It’s like G.I. Joe always said: “Knowing is half the battle.”

Collin has taught us so much as parents and as people. He has this unique ability to push us to our limit, and then ease off before we break.

There are days when raising Collin is freaking hard. However, despite any challenges we’ve ever had with him, we’ve always been extremely lucky that the situation isn’t much much worse. Others aren’t as fortunate.

Finding the cause of autism is more important than it’s ever been. At the rate things are going, something has to be done NOW. We don’t have time to wait any longer.

Our kids deserve our best effort.

Will you join me on Monday as we Light it up Blue?

P.S. The blue body suit was just a sick joke (I’m wearing a blue leotard).

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink Now is The Time to Raise Awareness: Light it Up Blue for Autism

The video clip above is from the new movie 21 Jump Street. In the clip, Jonah Hill shows Ice Cube a chart that looks like it was made by a first grader. Ice Cube says:

This chart looks like sh*t. Are you autistic?

A lot of people in the autism community are up in arms because of the slant. Many feel like it’s become a substitute for the nearly-taboo “R Word.” There’s a good chance that’s the case.

However, I’m upset for an entirely different reason.

You see, movies like Superbad and 21 Jump Street don’t exactly become box office hits for their political correctness. That’s part of what makes them funny. They have a certain shock value that, in the right context, is funny. Sure, sometimes it crosses a line, but in the moment, the jokes can be pretty hilarious.

My problem isn’t that they made fun of autism. People with autism can be super eccentric and some of their behaviors are funny. What bugs me is that they didn’t bother to educate themselves enough to make fun of autism “correctly”.

Anybody who has ever known a kid with autism knows that the chart in the video clip wouldn’t even pass as a rough draft. Maybe if Jonah Hill would have presented a computer generated 3D rendering of all of the possible suspects with full biographies, known aliases, tax histories, favorite action figures, and preferred brand of underwear, then the makers of the film would have been on to something.

Instead, they made themselves look like complete idiots by associating sloppiness and poor quality work with autism. Actually, that’s not fair. I’m making the same mistake they did. Because, you see, according to dictionary.com, an idiot is an utterly foolish or senseless person, and that seems to be giving the filmmakers a little too much credit for their lazy joke.

I’m not even asking for political correctness like a lot of people are (although that would be ideal). All that I’m asking is that they do one google search about the punchline of their joke. Here, I’ll help.

0.2 seconds could have saved those Hollywood execs from looking like morons. I mean dolts. I mean half-wits. I mean numskulls. I mean imbeciles.

I’m sorry. I can’t seem to find the right word. I’ll bet Collin can help me out…

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink Is Autistic The New “R-Word”?

It’s true. You see, up until this year I put so much focus on the inexperience of a rookie, that I was missing out on some of their most powerful traits.

Now before the non-sports fans start yawning or yelling things like “I HATE SPORTS BALL!”, hear me out for a minute. These lessons aren’t just good for sports fans. They’re good for all of us.

Many of you know that I’m a huge Utah Jazz fan. Like, if they were a breakfast cereal I’d use a motorized spoon to shovel it into my mouth for every meal. This year the Jazz are a very young team, and although there have been some serious growing pains, there have been some real shining moments too — especially from some of the young guns.

Here are four life lessons I’ve picked up as I’ve watched the rookies develop this season.

Lesson 1: Smile

One of the traditions for the Jazz players is that they buy the pinkest, most tween backpacks they can find and make the rookies use them as their carry-on luggage for the entire season. Some popular choices include Hannah Montana, Hello Kitty, and iCarly. Few things are funnier than a seven foot tall pro athlete wearing a pink backup that could potentially double as a coin purse.

It would be really easy for guys who make millions of dollars a year to think they’re too cool or let their egos get in the way and refuse to wear the packs, but every rookie on the team carries his stuff in style with a smile.

It’s like my grandma always used to say:

“Smile, it will make people wonder what you’ve been up to.”

Lesson 2: Get Educated

Whether you study at Oxford or the School of Hard Knocks, it’s important to pick up some new information every single day. The movement I want to be involved in is Occupy My Brain, and I want to invite all sorts of cool information to the party.

Rookies spend an awful lot of time in the film room learning complex systems simply because at some point they might get a chance for some playing time. Every day they let pass without a study session, is another day that a competitor can gain an advantage.

More importantly than that, rookies understand that even if the knowledge they gain today doesn’t give them an edge right now, sometime down the line their time spent studying will pay off in a big way.

Lesson 3: Be Patient

Rookies know that there’s a waiting period before they get a chance to be on the ESPN Top 10. Even so, they work hard every day. A mature rookie doesn’t complain. He “Does Work” as Rob and Big would say, even though he knows in the back of his mind that his opportunity probably won’t arrive tomorrow, or even the next day.

Patience is a virtue. Patience brings good luck. It is often so found in humans, but, never in a duck. – The Well in Daffy Duck’s Fantastic Island

Rookies are the part of the human population that this quote talks about. I know it’s not talking about me. Maybe I’m part duck?

Few things are more frustrating than feeling like I’m doing everything in my power to succeed, and not getting the results that I want. I’ve felt that way with weight loss, business, and even raising a family. We’re an “On Demand” society and waiting for the payoff is harder than it ever has been (but oh so worth it). And let’s not forget that sometimes the journey itself is the reward.

A solid rookie is anxious to get into the game, but has enough confidence in his own ability to know that it’s only a matter of time before he get in the game.

Lesson 4: Make Your Minutes Count

Here’s your chance. You’ve been sitting on the bench for the last 30 games and one of the starters just went down with a nasty injury. How do you respond?

When a rookie finally does get to show what he’s made of, he has to take advantage of that opportunity. The young guys for the Jazz are doing just that this season.

Time is the one thing that we can’t get more of. Every day we have a chance to come off the bench and make an impact. We can influence people in more ways than we’ll ever know. If we do all the ground work, we’ll be blowing away the home crowd in no time.

Sometimes making our minutes count isn’t always about closing that business deal or fitting into those fancy jeggings. Sometimes making our minutes count means making the things we choose to do a priority, rather than the things we’re supposed to do.

Read this post from MizFitonline for some more insight on priorities.

Overtime

Because I can remember when I was 18, a group of 18 year old kids is the last place I’d think to look for inspiration to be my best self. Yet, we were able to find it. Apparently kids are growing up faster than they used to. Or college is so boring that kids are choosing to mature independently instead of going to classes? Whatever the case, we can find lessons about life literally anywhere if we’re looking hard enough. Except for maybe clowns. Although clowns do make me feel better about myself immediately when I see them. Hmmm…

Have a great weekend everybody! Enjoy it with the people you like most.

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink The Rookie’s Guide to Being Your Best

Click here to watch the video if you don’t see it below.

Are you just as baffled as I was am? 

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink Warning: Potentially the Most Anticlimactic Story You’ll Ever Hear

A dad on the other side of the aisle stood up to take his kid to the bathroom. He had an orange Skittle stuck to his crotch. Maybe it was an M&M? I’m not sure. I didn’t ask. The timing didn’t seem quite right.

The more I tried to focus on what I’m sure was a great message, the more my mind started to wander. I started to think about 2 months earlier when we were sitting on that very same bench as a family. It was Christmas Day. Christmas Day is the one church day of the year where absolutely everything has to go perfectly, right? It’s like an unwritten rule or something.

As we sat there listening to the good word, I got the sense that Collin wasn’t feeling too hot. One of the exciting things about having a child that can’t talk, is that we frequently get to play a rousing game of “Guess That Diagnosis.”

On this particular day I lost that game in a bad way.

I should have seen the signs. He kept sprawling out on the bench. He’d take my hand and put it on his stomach. His complexion wasn’t quite right. But in my defense, it wasn’t terrible either. Jackie had just taken Brady to the bathroom and as they sat back down, I mentioned that I thought Collin was acting like he might throw up.

“Hurry and take him to the bathroom!” she said.

In hindsight that seemed like a really smart thing to do. Jackie usually has all the answers.

I grabbed him by the hand and just as we stood up he made the first gagging sound.

“There’s no way this is happening,” I thought. “Not on Christmas. This kind of stuff only happens on holidays like St. Patrick’s Day or the Super Bowl. Or National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. Don’t these people know the rules?”

We started walking quickly toward the back of the chapel but it was too late. Just as we turned toward the hall, it happened.

Pretty much everything he had eaten since his third birthday was right there on the floor of the church. On Christmas.

I was mortified.

I mean, what’s the next step? The probability that he tosses his cookies again are high. But, there’s puke… ON THE FLOOR OF THE CHURCH. ON CHRISTMAS!

Do I stay and clean it up or do I keep rushing him to the bathroom and ignore the giant pool of grossness that’s rapidly working its way into the fibers of the carpet?

In the moment, as far as I was concerned, one toddler with a tummyache had single-handedly ruined Christmas Day for everybody. This would go down as “The Great Grocery Tossing Incident of 2012.”

It would be our family’s Watergate.

What happened next blew me away.

People with whom I had rarely interacted stood up out of their seats to help. Some helped me take Collin to the bathroom so we could clean him up. Others ran to the custodial closet for cleaning supplies. By the time I had cleaned up his clothes and regained a semblance of my composure, everything had been cleaned up. There wasn’t even a hiccup in the meeting. In fact, because of the way it was handled, I’ll bet 90% of the people there didn’t even know something had gone awry. In a matter of moments everyone was back in their seats enjoying the message like nothing had happened.

No one batted an eye.

No one waited for acknowledgement.

It was charity in its purest form.

I couldn’t help but ask myself if I would have done the same. I’d like to think that I would have, but it was definitely a gut check (another truly awful pun. I’m so so sorry!).

Would I clean up vomit for a stranger without thinking twice?

Yesterday I discovered that I would help a stranger in need if the situation presented itself. I wasn’t fully tested with a pukestravaganza, but I feel like I responded in a way my mom would have been proud of given the circumstances.

Check out tomorrow’s post about the chance I had to share a little kindness with a stranger and how it ended in a seriously bizarre way.

When was the last time you were on the receiving end of a good deed? How did it impact you?

Protip: When searching for images for this post I used the phrase “sick kid.” Never ever do that! I’ve never had the internet give me the sads so quickly in all my life. And I’ve see the Friday video.

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink Would You Clean Up Vomit for a Stranger?

My brain is constantly racing, and once in every 150,000 or so thoughts, I have one that’s worth keeping. The problem is, that if I don’t record it RIGHT NOW, it’s gone for good. I don’t know if you’re like me, but letting the idea go stagnant for even 10 seconds without tracking it somehow, and it’s gone forever. No matter how hard I try to bring the idea back from whatever black hole it’s been sucked into, my efforts fall short.

I feel like this diagram illustrates the problem I face every day quite well:

Because I have the attention span of Dug (SQUIRREL!), I’ve had to put methods into place to ensure my ideas don’t ride off into the sunset and disappear forever. I’ve used variations of all these methods to some extent, but sometimes I don’t remember to use them at all (see what I did there?). Maybe I need to develop a method for remembering to use these methods to remember?

Mind. Blown.

Anyway, if you try any of these and they work for you, I’d love to know!

Tips for remembering ideas

1. Use a digital voice recorder - Better yet, for those of you with smart phones, add the voice recording app to the home screen of your phone. I’m absolutely terrible about remembering (ha!) to carry a notebook around, but I always have my phone with me. Once I got in the habit of blurting out the idea to my phone whenever a great idea came to me, not only did I have a record of my ideas, but I feel like my memory actually started to improve. If you don’t have a smart phone you can get a digital recorder for pretty cheap at Amazon. It’s also a good idea to check your phone for a voice recording function even if you don’t have a smart phone. I had a super ghetto phone for a while and even it could record my voice. The biggest drawback was audio quality and storage space, but it did the trick.
2. Take longer showers - This is going to sound really strange, but my absolute best thinking happens while I’m taking a shower. I’ll figure out coding problems that have been stumping me for days while I’m lathering up with a bar of Dove. The only downside to good shower thinking is that you have to remember the idea until you’re completely clean. For some of us that could take hours. I wouldn’t recommend showering with your smartphone — electronics are so anti-water — but they do make erasable white boards that are waterproof. I haven’t purchased one myself but I will soon. If nothing else my kids can use it for art time!
3. Carry a notepad - Even though I have a hard time remembering to carry a notepad, they definitely have their advantages. If you really need to get an idea down in a hurry, like at a conference or in a meeting, it’s quicker for me to jot it down than it is to thumbtype it. Besides, in meetings it can seem rude if your head is buried in your phone while someone else is talking. The other HUGE advantage to a notepad is the ability to draw. Sometimes us creative types visualize things as opposed to generating a new idea and it’s definitely simple to draw a quick something on a notepad. Lots of people are big proponents of Moleskine notebooks, but I can’t really justify the cost for my needs. 79 cents at Staples usually does the trick.
4. Use Evernote – Evernote is an app that can be used with any browser, smartphone, etc. Essentially what you do is you “clip” things that you read or see and then Evernote catalogs everything for you. Somehow it can even read text from photos or graphics. It clearly a devil tool! I started using Evernote a few years ago and due to some bugs in the software or the fact that I may not have known what I was doing, I gave up on it. Just recently I started using it again and it is GOOD! You can catalog any type of file like text, a photo, audio clip, etc. and reference it later so you can turn your quick idea into something amazing. This video is a quick overview of how Evernote works if it seems like something you’d like to try out.

Get it all out of your head

David Allen of Getting Things Done has the following advice for us:

If you’re still trying to keep track of too many things in your mind, you won’t likely be motivated to use and empty your inboxes with integrity.  Most people are relatively careless about having seamless collection tools because they know they don’t represent discrete, whole systems anyway: there’s an incomplete set of things in their inboxes and an incomplete set in their mind, and they’re not getting any payoff from either one, so the thinking goes.  It’s like trying to play pinball on a machine that has big holes in the table, so the balls keep falling out: there’s little motivation to keep playing the game.

So what can you do to improve upon this? Make collection tools a part of your lifestyle. Keep them close by so no matter where you are you can collect a potentially valuable thought. Think of them as being indispensable as your toothbrush or your driver’s license or your glasses.

I guess what he’s saying is that the tool is a tool. Different tools and methods are going to work differently for all of us, but the important thing is that we find what works for us and we keep doing it. We need to make sure that our ideas have the opportunity to get out of our brains so they can be used for something cool. Otherwise our ideas will be gone for good — and as Mr. Allen puts it — our balls will keep falling out.

And none of us want that!

What your favor or most effective way to remember an idea? 

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink How to Remember Your Next Great Idea

Do you have a favorite quote that helps keep you moving forward?

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink 10 Quotes That Drive Me to Be My Best

We moved into a new house a couple of years ago which means we’ve been getting things settled and adding our own personal touches to the living space. We also have an unfinished basement that’s needed some tender loving care since we’re running out of space in our upper level. Kids just keep showing up out of nowhere and I have no idea how it’s happening. (If you understand the phenomenon of children appearing out of thin air, please explain to me how that works in the comments. Thank you in advance).

Some of our projects have been small and some have been pretty big, but none of them have taken 22 minutes or less, even with commercials. In fact, installing french doors took an entire day and I saw Ty Pennington perform that very task using only a TV camera in under 30 seconds. I need to get better tools.

The reason I bring all of this up is so I can give a shout out to the crew who does the real behind-the-scenes work to make awesome things come to fruition. And I’m not just talking about on TV.

There are people out there working tirelessly and often without credit. They spend their time designing the grand plan, puttying holes in walls, painting through the middle of the night, and fixing leaks in pipes. When it comes time for the big reveal, people are enamored by the end result, but rarely realize the amount of work that went into making it a success.

Maybe a quick example to help illustrate my point…

Finishing the basement

At a certain point while we were finishing our basement, we needed to drill holes in a series of floor joists so that we could run electrical wire through them. I’m still not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow a giant hole was drilled right through the center of our sewer main.

Now for those of you who aren’t aware, having a one inch hole in a sewer main is a bad thing. What’s worse, is that nobody realized it happened. Well, I should say that nobody realized it happened until somebody flushed upstairs. Then, we all knew it happened.

I won’t get too descriptive about the smell, but if a garbage dump and a gym bag full of never-washed socks had babies, a sewer leak would be their octuplets. It wasn’t long before we had a huge pool of SH-water on our basement floor. The good news is that the floor is concrete. The bad news is that I was the last one around and I wouldn’t exactly feel comfortable listing “master plumber” on a job resume. My plumbing expertise is mainly limited to plunging clogged toilets.

Nevertheless, we had an issue on our hands that had to be addressed right away so I went to work. I could clearly see the hole and clearly remembered what happened to Clark Griswold when he tried to repair the Hoover Dam leak with Dubble Bubble in Vegas Vacation. Since I knew bubble gum wasn’t going to be a viable fix, I set to cutting out the piece of damaged pipe.

Not to “toot my own horn” (worst pun I’ve ever been a part of. I’m truly sorry), but I was able to cut that piece of pipe out, replace it with a piece of good pipe, glue the joints, and after 3 hours, a series of YouTube videos, and 2 trips to Home Depot, water was flowing freely again at our house.

After a few days of open windows, and a month or so of more work, no one would have had a clue about the day I was baptized a plumber.

The true before didn't have sheetrock or walls either. My brain was too small to remember to take a photo earlier.

My experience is obviously a ridiculous one (very true, but ridiculous), but these types of things are happening all the time. I feel like we get used to seeing finished products and rarely take the time to appreciate all of the work that took place to create them. I know I’m guilty of it. I see a product and my initial reaction is almost always “how can it be better?” Sure, sometimes that drives improvement, but I believe there’s something to be said for appreciating the process and the amount of work that has been put in up to that point.

My experience in web design has always made me somewhat sensitive to people appreciating what it really takes to create a nice looking site, but I’ve really been feeling it as I’ve embarked on a new adventure. In all honesty, I’m stoked about what I have coming down the pipe.

I’m in the process of writing a mini-book!

It’s a baby step to writing a “real” book but it makes a lot of sense for the way I work and to get my feet wet in the whole process. As I’ve researched everything involved in getting a book to market, and the amount of work that writers are putting in these days, and the huge number of talented writers that exist, it blows my mind that any books are ever published. And yet, they’re being published faster now than ever.

The goal with this book is simple. I’m going to appreciate every single one of the 10,000 words that end up in the final draft. Take that, HGTV!

If you want more details about the book and what it’s going to entail, you can watch the video below.

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This post brought to you by RYAN D. SULLIVAN

Post permalink What Bob Vila Never Told You About Home Improvement

As country musicians we tell stories. I already know that both y’all are great singers. I found myself really trying to figure out which of these two has the ability to make me believe what they’re singing. The winner of this battle, for me, is RaeLynn

On the surface it seems simple enough, but he chose RaeLynn as the winner after two of the other three judges had recommended he pick her competitor, Adley. The general consensus was that that Adley was a better vocalist, and Blake still chose RaeLynn. Why? He chose her because she was a better storyteller. The words that were coming out of her mouth may not have been right on pitch or even articulated in just the right way, but they were real.

What does this have to do with blogging?

This has everything to do with blogging, and business, and creating great art.

Great storytelling drives action.

My family’s experience with Pixar is a perfect example of this. My writing gets a little bit better every day, but there’s still some serious room for improvement. That said, when I told the story of the impact Pixar has had on my son Collin’s life, people took action. It was my most shared post by far since I started this blog in January. Not because of the way it was written but because of the story and the truth behind it.

For the most part blog metrics are highly overrated, but my site traffic on the day I published the Pixar story tells a story of it’s own. Those days that look like they’re almost touching the baseline are days when I had 200-250 unique visitors come to the blog. On the Pixar post day, it was 40 times that. People wanted to “pay it forward” or “spread the wealth.” They didn’t even think twice about it. It was pretty much instinctual.

Storytelling is great for business

It’s a lot easier for me to spend my money when I know the story behind the place where I’m doing business. When a company goes out of their way to tell me about the road they’ve traveled to end up where they are, it really helps me be more patient when things don’t go perfectly, and my wallet is a little less stubborn too. I know I’m using Pixar as an example for pretty much everything lately, but they’ve executed this perfectly. Even if every single product I bought from them for the rest of eternity included a free punch to the face, I’d keep on buying it because they’ve invited me to be a part of what they are. They’ve actually made me part of their story.

Note: I’d prefer my face didn’t get punched. It’s my moneymaker.

The best songs are stories converted

The best songs in the world are the ones that tell a great story. I’m sorry, but “Whip My Hair” just doesn’t give me enough background to truly appreciate the hair whipping. However, when Jack Black and Kyle Glass tell the story of meeting a demon in the middle of the road that tells them to sing the best song in the world, not only does hilarity ensue, but some seriously awesome music is made. It’s the kind of music that makes me want to create something super myself.

(Watch the Tenacious D Tribute video on YouTube by clicking here!)

Your story is unique

As far as I know I’m the only person that’s ever lived my life. Even the bizarro version of me who looks just like me hasn’t lived the same experiences that I have. There’s only one me anywhere. The same goes for you. There’s only one of you and in order to connect with you we need to hear your story. Even if it’s not the most eloquent rendition of your story, there’s something to be gained from us hearing it. It will drives us to take action.

Maybe your story will inspire us to work a little harder.

Maybe your story will help us be more empathetic.

Maybe your story will make us want to learn how to Dougie.

Whatever the case, any story you share has the ability to create an attitude of action in someone else.

Won’t you be my neighbor?

Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood) used to always carry a note around in his pocket with a quote from a social worker he knew. This is what it said:

Frankly there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.

I realize that sounds like unicorns and rainbows but it’s hard to deny that it’s true. So much confusion and hatred comes from a lack of understanding and communication.

This world craves storytellers in a very big way. There are plenty of blogs that talk about the “next big thing in social media,” but we have a shortage of people giving us their real, true-life story. The story that we can all connect with and learn from. The story that teaches us things that matter. Maybe a blog isn’t the best medium for everybody, but please, I beg of you, tell your story.

The world depends on it.

P.S. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take the time to watch this TED talk from Pixar Director, Andrew Stanton. I’m sure you didn’t block out 20 extra minutes to be on my blog today, but it’ll be totally worth your time to bookmark it and come back later. He talks about what makes up a great story and does it using movie clips and some heavy-hitting wisdom. (He does use the F word once. In my opinion he uses it hilariously, but if you don’t want to hear it then skip to 1:15).

P.P.S. The first comment below gets to the heart of the point fast. It’s a must read. Thank you Miz!

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