Oh, boy! I have some goodies for you…
**First of all, my book is on sale at Amazon!** Order your copy of Miscellaneous Madness now.
Barbells:
I bought a barbell a while ago and it finally arrived. My home gym is complete and I am very happy. Here’s a throwback to an easy to follow workout. You can do it with barbells, broomsticks, or soda bottles. Deadlift. Bent over row. Clean. Reverse lunge. Squat. Press. Repeat.
Beats:
I was on the subway when a performer started his routine. Naughty Boy, La La La was his song of choice and I have been humming it all month. Such a great track and the concept for the video is a smash!
Books:
Womb of Diamonds by Ezra Choueke had some diamonds in it. The book chronicles the life of Lucie, a child bride in Syria cum businesswoman in Japan. Here are the key quotes
1) I was struck by her determination to succeed and advance, while others were deliberately trying to do the least amount possible. I wonder about personal integrity and our investment in the work we do and in the companies we serve.
–– “Mademoiselle Lucie…you see, the problem is that before it required fifteen soldiers to do the work here. Now you are doing the work of five people, so there are four of us who have nothing to do…It would help us a lot if, instead of working faster and faster every day, you could slow down. Maybe you can look busy most of the day but actually not do a lot of work.”
2) It’s not easy to ‘hold space’ for someone. We often want to share our opinions and ‘help’ our loved ones. Sometimes, we may even judge. When I read the following quote, I was struck by how necessary it is to just hold space. Sometimes, words are not necessary.
–– “[The Jewish refugees] related unspeakable tragedies of their families being snatched out of their hands by the Nazis. While they lived in the synagogue to meet their physical needs, a few gave up praying…we could not judge them. Even to fathom the depths of agony enveloped around their fragile souls was impossible.”
3) Life lessons are often reiterated across cultures. I like to remember that I am the average of the people I spend the most time with. This Arabic proverb shared the same sentiments.
–– “If you associate with kings, you become a king. If you associate with rats, you become a rat.
4) As the world continues in turmoil, it might be worth directing our attention to the fact that sorrow can lead to beauty, if we are diligent and make it matter to someone else.
–– “The simple oyster has an ingenious solution to cure an infection or control a foreign particle invading her core. She does not eliminate the malady but covers it delicately with luster. The first layers wrap the intruder in a translucent or; the next bury all the virulence with a pleasant luminescence; and the final coats create nothing less than a majestic, incandescent jewel. Like the oyster, it took me years to convert my pain into something beautiful.”
That’s all for this month. Remember to order Miscellaneous Madness. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think.
Peace and love,
Kit
Find the balance. 