Baby it’s COLD outside! So here’s a list of things to warm you up.
Books
The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth Grahame (which Disney converted into a movie) is a charming little book about a boy who discovers the true nature of dragons—they actually prefer composing sonnets to devouring damsels in distress. The boy decides to help his new and misunderstood friend in the quest for living an unconventional dragon life. It poses an interesting question: Who would I be if I didn’t feel compelled to conform to other people’s expectations of me? (Both the good and the bad.) And can we ever truly “be” without a relationship with others? It is the feedback from others that allows us to change our patterns and rethink our ideas. I’m sitting with this as I decide who I want to be when I grow up.
For a heavier, still thought provoking read on issues of identity, I dove into William Faulkner’s Intruder in the Dust (incidentally also turned into a film). The frightening history of lynching in America always staggers me, but elements of this book restored my faith in humanity. Faulkner captured the idea that a certain group of people “who would have come along just to see the blood, is small enough to produce a mob. But not all of them together because there is a simple numerical point at which a mob cancels and abolishes itself, maybe because it has finally got too big for darkness, the cave it was spawned in is no longer big enough to conceal it from the light and so at last whether it will or no it has to look at itself.”
I’m going into the new year with the idea to seek out light that may expose the darkness. And to keep me grounded are my three questions (I don’t remember which Guru I stole them from):
- What should I keep doing?
- What should I stop doing?
- What should I start doing?
Beats
I fell in love with Justin Bieber again. Check out his Tiny Desk concert.
Barbells
It’s no secret that I’m in love with Andrew Huberman’s mission of education and elevation. If you’re not familiar with his fitness protocols, you can check them out here. In short, combine resistance and cardio for best results (as it relates to health and longevity).
Peace and love,
Kit
Find the balance. 