I read for growth, firmly believing that what you are today and what you will be in five years depends on two things: the people you meet and the books you read.
Interpretation
Personal growth is influenced by the connections you make and the knowledge you acquire.
This quote emphasizes the importance of both relationships and literature in shaping an individual's future. Twyla Tharp suggests that the people we surround ourselves with and the books we choose to read significantly contribute to our development and success over time, indicating that growth is not just a personal endeavor but also a communal one, heavily influenced by external sources of wisdom and inspiration.
In practice
In a motivational speech about self-improvement, you could quote this to emphasize the importance of surrounding oneself with positive influences.
Do I watch dancers as people? Yes, absolutely. Do I watch really good dancers for specifically who they are? Absolutely, because how they move best and how they look best is going to be most familiar to them, and not necessarily to me.
I am still pushing the edge of what my body can do.
No one is born with skill. It is developed through exercise, through repetition, through a blend of learning and reflection that's both painstaking and rewarding. And it takes time.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft. Without skill, all the passion in the world will leave you eager but floundering. Combining the two is the essence of the creative life.
I grew up in a drive-in theater, from the time I was 8, working in a snack bar watching four features every week. It was silent theater in the sense that this was a drive-in, which meant that I often saw the films going with no sound. But I learned to tell stories through action.
Without passion, all the skill in the world won't lift you above craft.
Skateistan's not just about skating. It’s giving people life skills and hope for the future.
We should be teaching young girls to take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself.
Some women have a weakness for shoes... I can go barefoot if necessary. I have a weakness for books.
Many books that tell you how to achieve come from a privileged position. If you can't see yourself in the advice, how can you use it?
If you do a job where someone tells you exactly what to do, they will find someone cheaper than you to do it. And yet our schools are churning out kids who are stuck looking for jobs where the boss tells them exactly what to do.
The art of good teaching begins when we can answer the questions our students are really trying to ask us, if only they knew how to do so.
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