Tag: podcasts

Favorite Things (at the moment)

Posted on by Kath Thompson

 

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I thought I’d write a post about things I’m liking these days a la the Tim Ferris and Austin Kleon weekly newsletters.

So here goes:

What I’m reading:

Murakami. Can’t get enough. I’m on a jag now. Finished A Wild Sheep Chase and was told that it’s part of a “Rat series.” (Who knew?) So I picked up Dance, Dance, Dance and am enjoying that one even more.

Podcasts I am really loving at the moment:

The Living Experiment with Pilar Gerasimo and Dallas Hartwig. Today’s episode was on Reading. Really good. (Episode 76) All the episodes are good, but this one hit home because I’ve been reading more lately.

I love cocktails.

All winter it was Negronis. But on Easter I switched back to my trusty favorite: The Sidecar. I tweak the recipe, though, substituting Grand Marnier for the cognac. Here’s my recipe:

1 large jigger Grand Marnier

1 small jigger lemon juice (1 lemon, freshly squeezed)

1 small jigger Cointreau

Pour into an ice-filled shaker, shake until the shaker builds a layer of frost, strain into a martini glass. I like these stem-less ones.

Versa Chalk. I got a blackboard for the Yoga Challenge and I’m in love with Versa Chalk. It writes like a marker on a chalkboard.

Essential Oil

I’m into Geranium at the moment. Eases nervous tension, balances the emotions, lifts the spirit, fosters peace, well-being and hope.

But when I’m in deep work mode, my fave diffuser blend is currently Helichrysum and Eucalyptus Radiata

Never been a big fan of vitamin supplements. I have a fairly good diet and vitamins never seemed to make me feel any different whether I took them or not. But recently I’ve been drinking Athletic Greens and I actually do feel a lot better. I heard about them on the Tim Ferriss podcast. I get them in the individual packets and drink a glass every morning before my coffee. I actually feel better as a result.

I love comfy shoes (or no shoes). I love my Allbirds. I don’t wear them out in the wet because they’re wool, but there was a spell of dry days a few days ago and I dug them out. Ahhhhhh…. I’ve missed you, my little birds! Maybe have to get a new pair for spring?

A question I’ve been asking myself lately, especially when I’m online:

Is this activity compulsive or creative?

I really love to hear about people’s favorite things. Will you consider sharing yours?

Learn it, Live it, Give it

Posted on by Kath Thompson

One of the people who really inspire me is James Altucher. He is a bit of a goofball, and sometimes I wish he would stop talking so much, but he is so adorable and he is so audacious in the questions he asks in his podcasts, that he totally disarms his guests, and I am sure they are startled at their own degree of self-disclosure afterwards.

I mostly  listen to podcasts when I am working in the kitchen. Yesterday I made a batch of kitchari because I always need kitchari when I am alone, and I am going to be alone for the next 10 days while G is down south with her team.

So while I measured out the coriander and the fennel seeds and the cumin and the turmeric and the black mustard seed; and while I minced the ginger and rinsed the mung dal and scooped out the ghee and measured the basmati, I listened. And every once in a while put down the wooden spoon to takes notes from this really good podcast James did with Jairek Robbins who is the son of Tony Robbins.

Robbins just wrote a book called, Live It!  (which I promptly ordered), in which he describes how he operates s as a coach. He says , first you have to learn whatever you are going to teach or coach (duh).  And then you have to “live it.” He said he never coaches anyone on anything he doesn’t actually live himself.

Ding! “Yep,” I thought. Yepper.

None of that “faking it till you make it” bullshit. If you are going to tell someone they aught to be doing something, you better be doing it yourself.

If everyone operated like that, (with integrity) we would be surrounded by such paragons of authenticity, that we couldn’t help but be inspired to go out and live exemplary lives ourselves.

But instead, we tend look at advice-givers with a hairy eyeball. That’s because doctors who are fat are telling us to lose weight; and yoga teachers who smoke (god forbid) are telling us that the breath is paramount; and school teachers who haven’t cracked a serious book in a decade are telling us to read more.

So first: learn how to do it, then, live it, and after that, GIVE IT.

Yeah. Give it away. And give it without seeking or expecting credit or thanks.  Once it becomes clear that nothing is “our idea” anyway but just a reworking of someone else’s idea,  then we are happy to open source everything, so that good ideas can continue to grow and morph into great ones.