Amanda Kingsmith

yoga teacher. world traveler. writer. podcast host.

akingsmith@gmail.com

Day 14: 7 Reasons Why I love Harry Potter

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If you know me well, you know that I am obsessed with Harry Potter. It’s one of the only series of books that has survived the many purges I’ve done on my stuff, and it’s the only series of books that can continue to capture my heart even though I’ve read them countless times.

Ryan and I had the chance to go to Harry Potter World in Universal Studios in Japan this past spring and it was easily one of the best days of my life. If I had the disposable income to buy everything there, I probably would have, but alas, I left only with a Hogwarts shirt and the taste of butterbeer in my mouth.

When I re-read the series again this past year, I contemplated why I love the books so much. Is it the characters? The writing? The escapism? The lessons I learn time and time again? All of the above?

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

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Day 13: A Lesson on Being Patient

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In our fast paced world, we have everything we need at the tips of our fingers. Literally. Our smart phones are an amazing access to any information that we may want, from recipes, to how to jump a car, to YouTube tutorials on how to get almost anything done. The world we live in is truly amazing.

The downside of having everything available super easily is that we expect everything to happen quickly. We get frustrated when our internet browser takes more than 3 seconds to load. We’re annoyed when our Uber drive takes more time to pick us up than the app said. We are impatient.

And this impatience transfers over to other parts of our lives. We expect to start at a management level making $50,000+ a year in our first year in the workforce. We expect to start a YouTube channel and instantly have 10,000 followers. We expect to start a podcast and immediately be sponsored.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe there is a difference between setting lofty goals for ourselves and expecting to get Insta-famous in the first week of having an Instagram account. Having goals that you can work towards is undoubtably a great thing, but we must also have patience with whatever we are trying to achieve. Fame and fortune will not happen over night.

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Day 11: Why I appreciate a good latte

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Ryan and I picked up coffee after lunch today, and his latte was really, really bad. It was so bad, in fact, that he threw it out. It brought to mind something I had been thinking about earlier this summer: how much I appreciate a good latte, and why.

Perhaps you’re wondering to yourself why on earth I’m writing about lattes when there are BIG things happening in the world. Important things. Really meaningful things.

Well, good coffee is important too. Not only does a good latte make my day so much better, but it also signals that the barista takes pride in being good at what he or she does. [Read more…] about Day 11: Why I appreciate a good latte

Day 9: When I grow up, I want to be…

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As I was going through school, my mom kept one of those books where at the beginning of each school year you log your age, weight, school photo, and what you want to be when you grow up.

In grade 1, I wanted to be a ballerina. I distinctly remember that I was taking a bath and my mom popped her head in to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I answered immediately, “ballerina”.

My mom hesitated, and then responded, “Great! Did you want to take ballet this year too?”

“Nope,” I responded, and went back to playing with my toys. End of conversation.

I wanted to be a ballerina, yet I didn’t want to take ballet.

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