Nonfiction4Life

Author Erica Wagner, a New York City native, celebrates the story of constructing the Brooklyn Bridge in her book, Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge. Nearly 150 years after being built, the Brooklyn Bridge remains a wonder. Notably, its iconic image is still displayed on tourist brochures, film posters, and even Italian chewing gum wrappers. In fact, many consider the Brooklyn Bridge one of the greatest symbols of 19th-century progress, and how it was made is a dramatic tale of vision, innovation, and endurance in the face of extraordinary odds.

Although she never knew Roebling personally, Wagner, at age sixteen, fell in love with the bridge’s engineer Washington Roebling, carrying his picture in her wallet for decades and even to this day! However, writing his biography, though a great pleasure, required her to understand not only literature but also to become steeped in engineering and history.

When David McCullough published The Great Bridge in the early 1970s, he was surprised no one had written a biography of the great Washington Roebling. Yet, at that time, even McCullough did not have access to the writings of Roebling. Those would not come to light until the early 2000s when they were discovered in the archives of Rutgers University in Trenton, New Jersey, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York. So, Wagner, being a lifelong aficionado of Roebling, seized the opportunity to study his memoir, which was very intertwined with the life of his tyrannical father John A. Roebling, the bridge’s designer. Finally, out of Wagner’s intensive research emerged the biography, Chief Engineer.

• Washington Roebling was frustrated all his life by the confusion between himself and his father John Roebling, a great and famous engineer who got the contract to build the Brooklyn Bridge.
• John A. Roebling’s invention of steel wire cables made the family’s fortune and allowed him to build suspension bridges.
• Early in the project, John Roebling had an accident and died 10 days later of tetanus, leaving the mammoth construction project to his son Washington.
• When he became sick with “caisson disease,” Washington and his wife Emily became close business partners by default with Emily acting as his intermediary at the engineering site.
• The original four cables, now over 135-years-old, are still holding up the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Washington Roebling’s great passion was not engineering but was, in fact, geology and mineralogy, and his mineral collection was donated to the Smithsonian Museum.

QUOTES FROM WAGNER

“All of his life, his father’s reputation got in the way of him, and people were always confusing him and his father to his great annoyance.”

“Washington Roebling didn’t have a choice; he was raised to be his father’s lieutenant.”

“Any structure is only as good as the maintenance devoted to it. Infrastructure has to be maintained…you don’t just pay for it once.”

BUY Chief Engineer: Washington Roebling, The Man Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge 

RECOMMENDATIONS

• A children's nonfiction book about bridges, complete with illustrations, photos, and historical material: BUY 13 Bridges Children Should Know by Brad Finger
• Our podcast with Brad Finger discussing several children's nonfiction books he has written for Prestel Publishing

Original movies made by Thomas Edison from the train crossing the Brooklyn Bridge

• https://bit.ly/2U1RYaV
• https://bit.ly/2tpMefe

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 Garth Callaghan, author of Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow, did not know how long he had to live. Although he began his writing career tucking simple notes to his daughter Emma’s lunchbox, the notes took on new meaning when he was diagnosed with cancer--four times! Seemingly out of nowhere, his school-day ritual went viral. News media inundated the Callaghans, and, just months later, the book Napkin Notes became a runaway bestseller. 

00:15   Nonfiction4Life celebrates Valentine’s Day sharing a book about love

00:30   Intro to Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow by Garth Callaghan

00:35   Janet shares surprising true story of contacting Garth Callaghan for the podcast

01:00   How Callaghan begins writing napkin notes to his daughter to affirm his love and teach her how to live

2:30     After he’s diagnosed with cancer, Callaghan puts more thought into notes

4:00     Emma, who saves all the notes, reads some favorites in the audiobook format

05:00   Notes evolve to include quotes “from the greats,” dad jokes, and inspirational and motivational thoughts

06:00   Discussing uncomfortable topics (e.g., prostate cancer, death)

09:30   Reads in-flight article about Alex Sheen, founder of nonprofit Because I Said I Would

10:30   Promises to write 826 notes, enough to carry Emma to high school graduation

12:00   Avoids duplicates by creating a spreadsheet

13:00   Intent on writing (vs. merely verbalizing) positive, encouraging, and affirming words

14:00   Tangible, written notes carry enduring power

14:45   “I don’t need to beat cancer; I just need to tie it.” ~ Callaghan

15:00   “A tie counts as a win.” ~ Emma

16:00   Advice for well-intentioned parents with multiple children: “Just copy me!”

17:00   Takes pictures of napkin notes; posts them online and share with others

17:30   Website offers a free download of monthly notes

18:00   Writing a simple note takes five seconds

18:15   “It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done.”

18:45   “Napkin notes” idea goes viral

21:00   Family heads to NYC for interviews with NPR, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, etc.

21:30   Callaghan’s national exposure offers the opportunity to share an idea he believes in wholly

22:00   He quiets his mind and prays and before writing notes, recognizing his purpose is Emma

25:45   Going viral and taking the story public is a family decision

28:30   Writes the book for Harper Collins in 80 days; meets deadlines to ensure he sees the book before dying

31:00   Book is a wakeup call to people who procrastinate or feel uncomfortable sharing feelings

32:00   Most people die without wills and life insurance. (“Last time I checked, everyone is going to die.”)

33:00   If you die without sharing your thoughts and feelings with loved ones, “it all goes away.”

35:00   A seven-time cancer patient, Callaghan faces his uncertain future with purpose and positivity

36:00   Movie rights to Napkin Notes sold

36:30   Napkin Notes message aligns with Nonfiction4Life goals: finding insightful, inspiring, and uplifting ideas that attract people seeking goodness

37:25   “I’m the most boring man in the world!”

38:30   Callaghan’s promise to write many notes is one everyone can make and keep

39:15   “You can strengthen your relationship with anyone through the written note.”

39:30   Finds an old file full of notes from a manager who celebrated successes in writing

40:30   Callaghan keeps lots of pens and paper handy, writing notes often--even to strangers

41:45   Recommendations: two books about love (see below)

42:50   More recommendations: lunch box note packs for all ages (see links below)

BUY Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow

BUY Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned From a Little Golden Book

BUY Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project

Best Paper Greetings Pack of 60 Lunch Box Notes - Colorful Inspirational and Motivational Cards for Kids (Young & Old)

BUY Juvale Pack of 60 Lunch Box Notes - Colorful Inspirational and Motivational Cards for (Younger) Kids

BUY Love Note Card Deck - Cute Sentimental Quote Cards - Set of Thirty 2" x 3.5" Cards - Assorted Designs

For more information about Garth Callaghan and his mission, go to The Napkin Notes Dad website

Check out Alex Sheen's website, Alex Sheen's website Because I Said I Would.

Connect with us on social media!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

Special thanks…

• Music Credit
• Sound Editing Credit

 Garth Callaghan, author of Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow, did not know how long he had to live. Although he began his writing career tucking simple notes to his daughter Emma’s lunchbox, the notes took on new meaning when he was diagnosed with cancer--four times! Seemingly out of nowhere, his school-day ritual went viral. News media inundated the Callaghans, and, just months later, the book Napkin Notes became a runaway bestseller. 

00:15   Nonfiction4Life celebrates Valentine’s Day sharing a book about love

00:30   Intro to Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow by Garth Callaghan

00:35   Janet shares surprising true story of contacting Garth Callaghan for the podcast

01:00   How Callaghan begins writing napkin notes to his daughter to affirm his love and teach her how to live

2:30     After he’s diagnosed with cancer, Callaghan puts more thought into notes

4:00     Emma, who saves all the notes, reads some favorites in the audiobook format

05:00   Notes evolve to include quotes “from the greats,” dad jokes, and inspirational and motivational thoughts

06:00   Discussing uncomfortable topics (e.g., prostate cancer, death)

09:30   Reads in-flight article about Alex Sheen, founder of nonprofit Because I Said I Would

10:30   Promises to write 826 notes, enough to carry Emma to high school graduation

12:00   Avoids duplicates by creating a spreadsheet

13:00   Intent on writing (vs. merely verbalizing) positive, encouraging, and affirming words

14:00   Tangible, written notes carry enduring power

14:45   “I don’t need to beat cancer; I just need to tie it.” ~ Callaghan

15:00   “A tie counts as a win.” ~ Emma

16:00   Advice for well-intentioned parents with multiple children: “Just copy me!”

17:00   Takes pictures of napkin notes; posts them online and share with others

17:30   Website offers a free download of monthly notes

18:00   Writing a simple note takes five seconds

18:15   “It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done.”

18:45   “Napkin notes” idea goes viral

21:00   Family heads to NYC for interviews with NPR, The Today Show, Fox & Friends, etc.

21:30   Callaghan’s national exposure offers the opportunity to share an idea he believes in wholly

22:00   He quiets his mind and prays and before writing notes, recognizing his purpose is Emma

25:45   Going viral and taking the story public is a family decision

28:30   Writes the book for Harper Collins in 80 days; meets deadlines to ensure he sees the book before dying

31:00   Book is a wakeup call to people who procrastinate or feel uncomfortable sharing feelings

32:00   Most people die without wills and life insurance. (“Last time I checked, everyone is going to die.”)

33:00   If you die without sharing your thoughts and feelings with loved ones, “it all goes away.”

35:00   A seven-time cancer patient, Callaghan faces his uncertain future with purpose and positivity

36:00   Movie rights to Napkin Notes sold

36:30   Napkin Notes message aligns with Nonfiction4Life goals: finding insightful, inspiring, and uplifting ideas that attract people seeking goodness

37:25   “I’m the most boring man in the world!”

38:30   Callaghan’s promise to write many notes is one everyone can make and keep

39:15   “You can strengthen your relationship with anyone through the written note.”

39:30   Finds an old file full of notes from a manager who celebrated successes in writing

40:30   Callaghan keeps lots of pens and paper handy, writing notes often--even to strangers

41:45   Recommendations: two books about love (see below)

42:50   More recommendations: lunch box note packs for all ages (see links below)

BUY Napkin Notes: Make Lunch Meaningful, Life Will Follow

BUY Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned From a Little Golden Book

BUY Listening Is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the StoryCorps Project

Best Paper Greetings Pack of 60 Lunch Box Notes - Colorful Inspirational and Motivational Cards for Kids (Young & Old)

BUY Juvale Pack of 60 Lunch Box Notes - Colorful Inspirational and Motivational Cards for (Younger) Kids

BUY Love Note Card Deck - Cute Sentimental Quote Cards - Set of Thirty 2" x 3.5" Cards - Assorted Designs

For more information about Garth Callaghan and his mission, go to The Napkin Notes Dad website

Check out Alex Sheen's website, Alex Sheen's website Because I Said I Would.

Connect with us on social media!

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube

Special thanks…

• Music Credit
• Sound Editing Credit

Months after the dreadful attacks of 9/11, Jim DeFede moved to Gander, Newfoundland. There, he discovered deeply kind Canadians had helped thousands of perfect strangers through that fateful day and several days following. Interestingly, less than one year later, DeFede first published this true story in his book "The Day the World Came to Town." Yet, perhaps now more than ever, we need to revisit 9/11 through the lens of the people in Gander, Newfoundland and consider the book's unavoidable probing question: How willing are we to help strangers in crisis? 

00:15   Intro to  Jim Defede, author of The Day the World Came to Town

02:10   Why 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11

04:00   “You can always add a little more water to the soup.”

05:00   Gander boasts the busiest airport during WWII; later, the town later grows up around it

06:30   Newfoundland today: poorest Canadian province with highest unemployment & poverty rate

07:30   When U.S. airspace closes on 9/11, pilots continue flying forward anyway

08:45   Knowing planes from Europe potentially hold more terrorists, Canada takes a risk

11:00   The rural Gander airport, with its long runways, suddenly finds a new purpose

11:30   38 planes land, dropping off 7K passengers in a town of 10K people

12:00   Schools, churches, clubs, and even homes absorb the strangers

12:30   Bus drivers walk off picket lines to help transport passengers

13:30   Authorities organize security to reduce chaos and calm nerves

15:30   Passengers protected from video images of burning towers until after debarking

17:00   Confluence of some 40 cultures, religions, and languages necessitates charades

18:00   Strong spirit of wanting to get through the crisis together

18:45   O’Rourkes, NYC Irish couple, wait for news about their NYC firefighter son

19:30   Locals go out of their way to visit, crack jokes, and console the couple

21:00   Darkest days of worry for O’Rourkes infused with light by townspeople

21:30   Before leaving Gander, two Beatles impersonators (“The Beatle Boys”) sing “Imagine”

23:30   “The plane people” continue to stay in touch with the people of Gander

24:15   Spontaneous charity and working together deeply embedded in Newfies

25:00   Is a similar strong community spirit replicable?

25:30   Do we assume the government will handle crises?

26:30   How willing are we individually to contribute and to help perfect strangers?

27:50   President George W. Bush’s speech emphasizes America’s strength

28:00   DeFede trumpets the strength of western society and the basic goodness of man

28:50   Current refugee crisis challenges our moral goodness, generosity, and kindness

31:00   “I don’t doubt for a second the goodness of America…but we’re all constantly being tested.”

31:30   We’re still trying to create “a more perfect union”

33:00   Recommendation #1: Broadway musical Come From Away

33:45   Recommendation #2: TV special with Tom Brokaw featuring Gander (aired during 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada)

BUY The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

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Months after the dreadful attacks of 9/11, Jim DeFede moved to Gander, Newfoundland. There, he discovered deeply kind Canadians had helped thousands of perfect strangers through that fateful day and several days following. Interestingly, less than one year later, DeFede first published this true story in his book "The Day the World Came to Town." Yet, perhaps now more than ever, we need to revisit 9/11 through the lens of the people in Gander, Newfoundland and consider the book's unavoidable probing question: How willing are we to help strangers in crisis? 

00:15   Intro to  Jim Defede, author of The Day the World Came to Town

02:10   Why 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11

04:00   “You can always add a little more water to the soup.”

05:00   Gander boasts the busiest airport during WWII; later, the town later grows up around it

06:30   Newfoundland today: poorest Canadian province with highest unemployment & poverty rate

07:30   When U.S. airspace closes on 9/11, pilots continue flying forward anyway

08:45   Knowing planes from Europe potentially hold more terrorists, Canada takes a risk

11:00   The rural Gander airport, with its long runways, suddenly finds a new purpose

11:30   38 planes land, dropping off 7K passengers in a town of 10K people

12:00   Schools, churches, clubs, and even homes absorb the strangers

12:30   Bus drivers walk off picket lines to help transport passengers

13:30   Authorities organize security to reduce chaos and calm nerves

15:30   Passengers protected from video images of burning towers until after debarking

17:00   Confluence of some 40 cultures, religions, and languages necessitates charades

18:00   Strong spirit of wanting to get through the crisis together

18:45   O’Rourkes, NYC Irish couple, wait for news about their NYC firefighter son

19:30   Locals go out of their way to visit, crack jokes, and console the couple

21:00   Darkest days of worry for O’Rourkes infused with light by townspeople

21:30   Before leaving Gander, two Beatles impersonators (“The Beatle Boys”) sing “Imagine”

23:30   “The plane people” continue to stay in touch with the people of Gander

24:15   Spontaneous charity and working together deeply embedded in Newfies

25:00   Is a similar strong community spirit replicable?

25:30   Do we assume the government will handle crises?

26:30   How willing are we individually to contribute and to help perfect strangers?

27:50   President George W. Bush’s speech emphasizes America’s strength

28:00   DeFede trumpets the strength of western society and the basic goodness of man

28:50   Current refugee crisis challenges our moral goodness, generosity, and kindness

31:00   “I don’t doubt for a second the goodness of America…but we’re all constantly being tested.”

31:30   We’re still trying to create “a more perfect union”

33:00   Recommendation #1: Broadway musical Come From Away

33:45   Recommendation #2: TV special with Tom Brokaw featuring Gander (aired during 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada)

BUY The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

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Special thanks…

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Meet Catherine Price, recovering phone addict and author of "How to Break Up with Your Phone." She shares her own story of being too digitally connected and too out of touch with people and passions. What follows is her "30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life," steps all of us can follow to start living and loving our lives the way we should and tapping into our own creativity. 

00:15   Intro to Catherine Price, science writer and author of How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life

01:15   Price’s tongue-in-cheek “Open Letter” to her phone

02:35   Old enough to remember the world before smartphones but young enough to not imagine life without it

03:15   Pivotal moment: Price’s baby gazes up at her while she’s staring at her phone

04:15   Begins taking 24-hour breaks from her phone, but has no plan for an end game

05:20   A decade since smartphones hit the market, we feel a paralyzing tension

06:00   “Breaking up with your phone” doesn’t mean throwing technology under the bus

06:25   Smartphones designed to keep us tethered to them, to trigger dopamine

07:45   Just being near someone checking phone can trigger the need to check our own

08:15   Smartphones = “slot machines in our pockets” – the most addictive machine ever invented

08:40   Determining if you’re addicted to your phone using “The Smartphone Compulsion Test”

(David Greenfield, 1998)

10:00   Stress from being on phone releases cortisol, impeding rational thinking and increasing risky behavior (e.g., texting while driving)

11:05   Likening checking phone to other addictive behaviors (using heroin, smoking)

11:40   “FOMO” drives us to check phones incessantly without considering other options

12:20   Auto-response for texts still requires a third-party app

13:15   We fear our own minds, leading us to numb our thoughts with a phone without asking bigger questions about how to spend our time

14:00   Study finds people prefer getting electric shocks to being alone (with own thoughts)

15:15   Social apps show our willingness to give up lots of personal information/background

16:00   Our attention is the commodity taken from us

16:45   Others channels to keep in touch with family & friends without compromising info

18:00   Need to speak up against the attention economy, decide what’s meaningful to us

19:40   “Phubbing” = phone snubbing; seemingly acceptable rude social behavior

21:05   Price’s experiment concludes breaking up with a phone can change your life

21:40   The more attention you pay to how you use your phone, the more attention you pay to how you want to live your life

22:05   Trial separation – a “Digital Sabbath” – at first causes withdrawal

22:30   Creates time and space to help us remember what we really like to do

23:40   Take Price’s intake quiz: www.phonebreakup.com

24:15   With spare time, Price takes up the guitar and finds new joy and new community

25:00   Dave Crenshaw’s book, The Power of Having Fun, also emphasizes finding our passions

25:40   “I realized I was giving up my life in five-minute increments.”

25:55   Checking phone can be a knee-jerk reaction

26:10   We can’t have creative thoughts without boredom, stillness

26:40   Brain actually creates proteins to create long-term memories – a process easily disrupted by distractions

28:00   Serendipitously, Price meets neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel

28:45   Others may push back against our decision to disconnect

29:30   First, decide your own boundaries; use autoresponders

30:30   Price’s book provides a 30-day plan to take back your life

31:00   Recommendation: a short video about the book that will make you smile…and give you pause

BUY How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life

Connect with us!

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Special thanks…

• Music Credit
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Meet Catherine Price, recovering phone addict and author of "How to Break Up with Your Phone." She shares her own story of being too digitally connected and too out of touch with people and passions. What follows is her "30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life," steps all of us can follow to start living and loving our lives the way we should and tapping into our own creativity. 

00:15   Intro to Catherine Price, science writer and author of How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life

01:15   Price’s tongue-in-cheek “Open Letter” to her phone

02:35   Old enough to remember the world before smartphones but young enough to not imagine life without it

03:15   Pivotal moment: Price’s baby gazes up at her while she’s staring at her phone

04:15   Begins taking 24-hour breaks from her phone, but has no plan for an end game

05:20   A decade since smartphones hit the market, we feel a paralyzing tension

06:00   “Breaking up with your phone” doesn’t mean throwing technology under the bus

06:25   Smartphones designed to keep us tethered to them, to trigger dopamine

07:45   Just being near someone checking phone can trigger the need to check our own

08:15   Smartphones = “slot machines in our pockets” – the most addictive machine ever invented

08:40   Determining if you’re addicted to your phone using “The Smartphone Compulsion Test”

(David Greenfield, 1998)

10:00   Stress from being on phone releases cortisol, impeding rational thinking and increasing risky behavior (e.g., texting while driving)

11:05   Likening checking phone to other addictive behaviors (using heroin, smoking)

11:40   “FOMO” drives us to check phones incessantly without considering other options

12:20   Auto-response for texts still requires a third-party app

13:15   We fear our own minds, leading us to numb our thoughts with a phone without asking bigger questions about how to spend our time

14:00   Study finds people prefer getting electric shocks to being alone (with own thoughts)

15:15   Social apps show our willingness to give up lots of personal information/background

16:00   Our attention is the commodity taken from us

16:45   Others channels to keep in touch with family & friends without compromising info

18:00   Need to speak up against the attention economy, decide what’s meaningful to us

19:40   “Phubbing” = phone snubbing; seemingly acceptable rude social behavior

21:05   Price’s experiment concludes breaking up with a phone can change your life

21:40   The more attention you pay to how you use your phone, the more attention you pay to how you want to live your life

22:05   Trial separation – a “Digital Sabbath” – at first causes withdrawal

22:30   Creates time and space to help us remember what we really like to do

23:40   Take Price’s intake quiz: www.phonebreakup.com

24:15   With spare time, Price takes up the guitar and finds new joy and new community

25:00   Dave Crenshaw’s book, The Power of Having Fun, also emphasizes finding our passions

25:40   “I realized I was giving up my life in five-minute increments.”

25:55   Checking phone can be a knee-jerk reaction

26:10   We can’t have creative thoughts without boredom, stillness

26:40   Brain actually creates proteins to create long-term memories – a process easily disrupted by distractions

28:00   Serendipitously, Price meets neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel

28:45   Others may push back against our decision to disconnect

29:30   First, decide your own boundaries; use autoresponders

30:30   Price’s book provides a 30-day plan to take back your life

31:00   Recommendation: a short video about the book that will make you smile…and give you pause

BUY How to Break Up with Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life

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• Twitter
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• Music Credit
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 In his latest book, The Power of Having Fun, productivity expert Dave Crenshaw gives us permission to have fun. Seriously! According to Crenshaw, we all need to take breaks—lots of them—every day, week, month, and year. In fact, the best way to be productive is to have fun every day all year long. So, Crenshaw teaches us how to incorporate having fun into every aspect of our lives. After you listen to him, you’ll be back in the sandbox taking back your recess time!

00:15  Intro to Dave Crenshaw, author of The Power of Having Fun

01:10 Having fun helps us be more productive

02:10 Crenshaw uses “desert” and “oasis” metaphors

02:25 “Desert” = an extended period of deprivation and/or chaos (as defined by you)

03:45 Most common deserts: career and retirement

05:40 59% of people unhappy at work but push hard to retirement anyway

06:20 Taking time for an “oasis” actually helps us get to the other side

06:50 Oasis = a planned, scheduled break (as defined by you)

07:20 Taking a vacation can perpetuate the “desert” mentality

08:00 More than 600 million vacation days go unused annually

08:30 Hard work necessary for success

08:40 10% of our awake time should be “oasis” time

09:25 Prescheduled times to step away from work refreshes us

09:45 “W.I.S.H.”  - worth it someday, hopefully

10:25 Permission – the first stage of having fun (not feeling guilty)

10:45 Research shows those deprived of dopamine get worse at task

12:10 Short breaks (not a vacation) help us perform better

13:30 Clearly defined fun time (not one activity coupled with another)

14:00 If you’re traveling through the desert, is water something you earn for good behavior?

14:15 Fun is a requirement!

15:05 Playing is almost a human right

15:45 “W.I.N.” – worth it now

16:05 Discovery – tough step for adults who’ve forgotten how they like having fun

17:00 “Recess” has been stolen from us

17:10 World Health Organization (WHO) determined playing is a basic right of children

17:30 Children with recess time pay attention and have fewer behavioral problems

18:40 Children always find a way to play, have fun, and entertain themselves

20:10 Lean away from costly breaks; save those for yearly play

20:30 Oasis intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) determine time and money spent

21:25 Most of our fun should be free to very inexpensive

22:10 It’s not time management; its focus management

22:30 Massive difference between being distracted and having fun

23:10 Trap: waiting to finish everything before having fun

23:35 Oasis should be one of the first things on the schedule

24:25 How to create and honor a family oasis

25:15 Relationship deserts let them dry up and fall apart while driving toward success

26:25 Spending time in loving relationships enhances our business endeavors

26:30 If you want children to succeed in school, have fun with them

27:00 “Me” time vs. “them” time: planning family oasis time that suits the needs of others

30:00 We have far more control over our own time than we think

31:10 Discover your “ultradian rhythm” – work/activity cycle within a day (90-120 min.)

33:20 Trust that fun and play truly makes you more productive

34:10 Staying at home with children can be its own desert

34:40 Find a moment – a gap in the day – then reserve it, guard it

35:30 Anticipating the fun can help get us through the desert (a “pre-ward,” not a reward)

37:10 Recommendation: “How to Have Fun Like Children: 15 Joyful Tips” by Nan Nanton

BUY The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done

Check out Dave's website!

Get 15 ideas for how to have fun like children, a blog post on the “Tiny Buddha” website

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Special thanks…

• Music Credit
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BUY The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done

Get 15 ideas for how to have fun like children on the “Tiny Buddha” website.

Connect with us!

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• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Website

Special thanks…

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 In his latest book, The Power of Having Fun, productivity expert Dave Crenshaw gives us permission to have fun. Seriously! According to Crenshaw, we all need to take breaks—lots of them—every day, week, month, and year. In fact, the best way to be productive is to have fun every day all year long. So, Crenshaw teaches us how to incorporate having fun into every aspect of our lives. After you listen to him, you’ll be back in the sandbox taking back your recess time!

00:15  Intro to Dave Crenshaw, author of The Power of Having Fun

01:10 Having fun helps us be more productive

02:10 Crenshaw uses “desert” and “oasis” metaphors

02:25 “Desert” = an extended period of deprivation and/or chaos (as defined by you)

03:45 Most common deserts: career and retirement

05:40 59% of people unhappy at work but push hard to retirement anyway

06:20 Taking time for an “oasis” actually helps us get to the other side

06:50 Oasis = a planned, scheduled break (as defined by you)

07:20 Taking a vacation can perpetuate the “desert” mentality

08:00 More than 600 million vacation days go unused annually

08:30 Hard work necessary for success

08:40 10% of our awake time should be “oasis” time

09:25 Prescheduled times to step away from work refreshes us

09:45 “W.I.S.H.”  - worth it someday, hopefully

10:25 Permission – the first stage of having fun (not feeling guilty)

10:45 Research shows those deprived of dopamine get worse at task

12:10 Short breaks (not a vacation) help us perform better

13:30 Clearly defined fun time (not one activity coupled with another)

14:00 If you’re traveling through the desert, is water something you earn for good behavior?

14:15 Fun is a requirement!

15:05 Playing is almost a human right

15:45 “W.I.N.” – worth it now

16:05 Discovery – tough step for adults who’ve forgotten how they like having fun

17:00 “Recess” has been stolen from us

17:10 World Health Organization (WHO) determined playing is a basic right of children

17:30 Children with recess time pay attention and have fewer behavioral problems

18:40 Children always find a way to play, have fun, and entertain themselves

20:10 Lean away from costly breaks; save those for yearly play

20:30 Oasis intervals (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) determine time and money spent

21:25 Most of our fun should be free to very inexpensive

22:10 It’s not time management; its focus management

22:30 Massive difference between being distracted and having fun

23:10 Trap: waiting to finish everything before having fun

23:35 Oasis should be one of the first things on the schedule

24:25 How to create and honor a family oasis

25:15 Relationship deserts let them dry up and fall apart while driving toward success

26:25 Spending time in loving relationships enhances our business endeavors

26:30 If you want children to succeed in school, have fun with them

27:00 “Me” time vs. “them” time: planning family oasis time that suits the needs of others

30:00 We have far more control over our own time than we think

31:10 Discover your “ultradian rhythm” – work/activity cycle within a day (90-120 min.)

33:20 Trust that fun and play truly makes you more productive

34:10 Staying at home with children can be its own desert

34:40 Find a moment – a gap in the day – then reserve it, guard it

35:30 Anticipating the fun can help get us through the desert (a “pre-ward,” not a reward)

37:10 Recommendation: “How to Have Fun Like Children: 15 Joyful Tips” by Nan Nanton

BUY The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done

Check out Dave's website!

Get 15 ideas for how to have fun like children, a blog post on the “Tiny Buddha” website

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BUY The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done

Get 15 ideas for how to have fun like children on the “Tiny Buddha” website.

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From Mary Pipher, bestselling author of Reviving Ophelia, we now get Women Rowing North, a guide to wisdom and authenticity for women as they age. Cultural therapist Pipher, age 71, understands how women growing older contend with ageism, misogyny, grief, and loss. Yet her message is clear and hopeful: most older women are deeply happy and filled with gratitude for the gifts of life. Their very struggles help them let go of stereotypes and grow into authentic, wise, and empathetic women.

Pipher's own life and her many roles have schooled her in ways women can cultivate resilient responses to their challenges. "If we can keep our wits about us," she writes, "we will experience a joyous time of our lives. If we have planned carefully and properly, if we have good maps and guides, the journey can be transcendent."

00:15 Intro to Mary Pipher, author of Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing as We Age

00:50 Other books by Pipher: Reviving Ophelia, The Shelter of Each Other, and Another Country

01:45 Chooses the metaphor of “rowing north” as a bookend to Reviving Ophelia

02:20 Younger and older women all live with cultural stereotypes and scripts

03:30 What does it mean to be old?

04:00 All of Pipher’s books stem from a deep curiosity about her own life

04:20 “Young" old age” vs. “old" old age

05:40 Women 65-75 are the happiest people in America

06:15 Most women deny being old in order to distance selves from cultural script and stories

07:20 Older women tend to be social connectors and experience a time of tremendous growth

08:00 Age can be a source of happiness, bliss, and satisfaction

08:30 Choosing happiness—a skill set often found among women in 70s

10:30 Jane Jarvis, musical prodigy (pianist), had everything she needed to be happy right between her ears

12:00 Age brings changes in body image, social invisibility, and loss of abilities

12:45 How women can reclaim their power

13:00 Story of Michelle Obama’s mother coming to live in the White House

13:45 Exploding the tired, old mother-in-law myth

14:45 "Solutions can’t be legislated; they come from the human heart."

15:15 Female friends give women power and support

15:45 Older women can rescue themselves using decades of practice fighting back against negative messaging

17:00 The power of saying “No” (walking out of any situation we don’t want to be in)

17:45 The power of saying “Yes” (instead of stilling the inner voice)

18:15 Taught to be “good girls” instead of learning to take care of ourselves

19:30 Finding a healthy approach to caregiving, which is very hard work

21:10 Contradictory research on caregiving

21:40 Caregivers need respite and creative strategies for bringing friends into the home

23:50 Keeping connections as lifelines

24:50 True secret of happiness is managing expectations

25:30 Defining happiness on your own terms

26:50 Old age is catalytic for growth

27:00 Suffering increases capacity for bliss, gratitude, empathy, moral imagination, and authenticity

28:30 Stories of resilience, gratitude, and perspective

30:40 How to lean into lessons of suffering without denial

31:20  Taking a gentle approach to our own pain and suffering

31:50 “All of us keep so many appointments we did not make, but we always have choices about how to reframe those experiences.”

32:00 Crafting resplendent narratives: we can’t have a better history, but we can have a better story

32:30 Older women tend to joke around very well and unselfconscious about their bodies

34:20 Time (the most valuable resource of all) = wealth

35:50 Many older women happy because, for the first time in their lives, they can do what they want with their time

36:50 Women becoming intentional moral storytellers for their families

41:00 A great gift of old age: the long view of family and a lifetime

41:55 Blessing of old age: the freedom to be honest

43:30 Small things can bring enormous joy

44:15  Book contains discussions of death, loneliness, and more

44:50 Recommendation: The Trip to Bountiful (1985 movie)

BUY Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age

MORE BOOKS BY MARY PIPHER
BUY Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls
BUY The Shelter of Each Other
BUY Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders

RECOMMENDATION 

BUY The Trip To Bountiful (movie)

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