Tuesday, July 15, 2014

"Dance First. Think Later."

This summer has just been filled with relaxation time and, as many know, if I'm not moving, I'm reading. I have read a lot of really good books this summer and have plenty more on my list. School starts in a month so I have a lot of reading to get through before I am thrown into the whirlwind that is college. 
One of the most memorable books I have read this summer (so far) is "Dance First. Think Later." by Kathryn and Ross Petras. What I liked about this book was that it was unlike anything I have ever read before. Most of the books I read are novels or non-fiction and all of them have a set plot. When I first picked up this book, I had been eyeing it on my aunt's coffee table for a week and was thinking it was going to be a non-fiction guide book of some sort. Boy was I in for a surprise. "Dance First. Think Later." is a collection of quotes or, as Kathryn and Ross call them, rules. 618 of them to be exact. It isn't something that I would normally pick up off the shelf  in the store but has easily become one that I am going to add to my personal bookshelf. The 618 Rules that lie within the pages of this book are funny, thought-provoking, and downright inspiring. 

Here are 10 of my favorites: 53 58

Rule No. 7: "If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up.
                    who's going to know?"
                                                     -Julia Child
                                                          Chef

Rule No. 40: "Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."
                                                     -Samuel Beckett
                                                          Writer

Rule No. 70: "Don't carry a grudge. While you're carrying the grudge, the other guy's out dancing"
                                                     -Buddy Hacket
                                                          Comedian/Actor

Rule No. 326: "Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't,
                        then you are wasting your time on Earth."
                                                     -Roberto Clemente
                                                          Baseball Player

Rule No. 462: "Stare. It is the way to educate your eye, and more. Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die
                        knowing something. You are not here long."
                                                     -Walker Evans
                                                          Photographer

Rule No. 474: "Chase after the truth like all hell and you'll free yourself, even though you never touch
                        its coat tails."
                                                     -Clarence Darrow
                                                          Lawyer
Rule No. 496: "I once complained to my father that I didn't seem to be able to do things the same way
                        other people did. Dad's advice? 'Margo, don't be a sheep. People hate sheep. They eat 
                        sheep.' "
                                                     -Margo Kaufman
                                                          Writer

Rule No. 513: "There are two kinds if people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. 
                        Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there."
                                                     -Indira Gandhi
                                                          Stateswomen

Rule No. 558: "In whatever you are doing, failure is an option. But fear is not."
                                                     -James Cameron
                                                          Film Director

Rule No. 595: "Be willing to make decisions . . . Don't fall victim to what I call the 'ready-aim-aim-
                        aim-aim' syndrome."
                                                     -T. Boone Pickens
                                                          Businessman

I absolutely adore all of the wisdom this book has to offer. I mean, these rules are only 10 out of the 618 AMAZING rules in this book! I definitely know that I will be referencing this book a lot in the future, there is just so much to learn from it!

What are some of your favorite "Words of Wisdom"?

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