Are you ready to grind? Yes? Great! Check out the Sade + MF DOOM mashup. “Invent nothing, deny nothing.” David Mamet – This is one of the key principles writer/director David Mamet presents in his book True and False. This book was required reading for my students when I taught Acting back at the turn … More Get Lit #16
Dickens. Tolstoy. Twain. Dead white men sit at the helm of literary esteem and their novels have dominated the lists of classics taught in schools around the globe. The merit of these works cannot be overstated, and so it is surprising that they are becoming more frequently (and sadly) dismissed. With the newfound emphasis of celebrating diversity … More Dead White Men
This is a great post from Derek Sivers. He’s pretty a accomplished artist and entrepreneur, so when he presents words of wisdom I jump to read them. The point here is that we need to take time for ourselves and do things that we want to do – even if there is no tangible benefit. … More Get Lit with Kit #13
Assuming you don’t have any underlying orthopedic or medical conditions, here are some reasons why you should lift heavy weights. Endorphins (aka The Happy Hormone). Endorphins are a chemical that your brain releases when your body is under stress. The harder you push, the greater the need for the endorphins to kick in. Lifting heavy … More Why Women Should Lift HEAVY Weights
Life is hard. Especially when you feel like you don’t have control over the outcome. The day to day grind can break you down and desensitize you until one day you realize with a jolt, “This is not what I want!” I follow these principles when I find myself paralyzed: Set an expectation or goal Be … More What are you living for?
This was an interesting article about language and how our mother tongue is a strong connector to our personal history, even if we haven’t spoken that language for years. As I read the linguistics article, I thought about the unique blend of food that I grew up with (Iraqi kibbeh and Japanese sushi = winning … More Get Lit with Kit #8
This past week, a friend marveled at how I “get so much done” between work, training, music, and other pursuits. I think my productivity results from a lack of “multitasking” abilities. I am keenly aware that when I try to engage more than one activity, it all falls apart (I learned this lesson 20 years … More Get Lit with Kit #6
Pearl S. Buck deserved her 1938 Nobel Prize. The daughter of missionaries, Buck was raised in China and projected her nuanced understanding of the culture into her beautifully crafted literary works. The Good Earth, arguably her most famous piece, chronicles the life of Wang Lung, a peasant farmer who rises from humble beginnings to establish … More Bound By Duty: A closer look at The Good Earth
“Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain Sometimes “the rest” includes ourselves. I decided to revisit Twain’s classic The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I knew I didn’t fully appreciate the when the teacher assigned it in 11th grade. I couldn’t appreciate Twain’s brilliant research of dialects, recognize … More Things We Learn from Literature
I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting over the past week. Here are some of the things that have influenced my thinking and helped me consider the type of person I want to be over the next year… This is a link to the Tim Ferriss blogspot. I do make a concerted effort to speak … More Get Lit with Kit #2
Find the balance. 