20 short observations about books
On books, reading, unseen benefits, and things we don't usually understand about ourselves, life and people, unless we read.
Raw and Real Conversation
When I was in college, the college would get over around ~4 pm.
Because the CA classes were yet to begin, for a month or so I had some time on my hand.
So a college friend took me to the nearby Crossword book store. This is the year 2011. The city is Ahmedabad.
Located in the Himalaya Mall, not too far away from college, just an ₹8 bus ticket from right outside the college.
“You can also sit there and read books for free,” 2-3 friends from college gave me this interesting bit of info, which I was not aware of.
So every day right after college, I would go to Crossword and read books. I remember reading The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari and Women and the Weight Loss Tamasha just during those visits. The latter was also the one which transformed my relationship with my health, for the better.
And now, I had fallen in love with Crossword.
But a few days later I was back to my hometown Kota, to prepare for my CA IPCC exams.
Within a year, a Crossword opened in Kota as well. In the December of 2012, I was roaming the aisles of that Kota Crossword, when I stumbled into the book “The Magic”.
That was the beginning of my reading journey. Since that day in December 2012, over more than 13 years now, there has never been a time I am not reading a book (or three) at a time. Sometimes I am reading too fast, sometimes way too slow, but a book and a notebook have become parts of my body just like phones have become for a lot of us.
I have reflected on some life lessons from reading books, which I would want to share with you here:
When you have nothing, you have books. When you have everything but not books, you have nothing.
“The man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”
―Mark Twain
People leave you. Books never do.
A right book is something that meets you exactly where you are. The best thing is there is a different right book for different phases of life. And there is a different right book for different people.
If someone gifts you a book, thank God that they did. They could gift you all the vanity in the world but they chose to give you the gift of loving your inner self. There is no better gift than this.
“I don’t have time to read books” is the fakest excuse in the history of excuses. If you can scroll the internet for hours, you can certainly read one page of a book a day.
Most people do not read books because they put the pressure on themselves of finishing it. Guess what? What if you chose to be okay with whatever you read? You are in competition with no one. Read just one page, but please please read.
Another reason why people do not read books is because they got bored/did not like some book, but because we have been conditioned since childhood to not waste things/finish our books to the end, they unconsciously drop off from those books. And I am here to tell you that you can drop books in the middle if you find them uninteresting or not appealing to you. You might end up “wasting” ₹200-300 on that book, but you will save your time, and use that to read another book. The love affair of you and books continues, which is the most important thing.
For example, a year back I had picked up “Days at the Morisaki bookshop” based on the zillion positive reviews the book had gotten over the internet. But within the first two chapters, I just could not resonate with the protagonist. She was uncommunicative with her ex but super communicative with her uncle. I could not go beyond this duality. So I put it away. (Weee…are never ever…getting back together.) As simple as that.One method that I have invented (if you can say so) to stop dropping books mid way is to read first page in the bookstore itself/read the first page sample on Amazon. That mostly gives an overview of the book. But still, sometimes a book is meant to be dropped. It is a judgement-free zone you have to enter at eventually, if you really want to enjoy books.
There is no restriction on reading the kind of books you want. I have been a self-help girl, a business books girl, a philosophical books girl, last year I was also a fiction girl (not anymore), and so many more avatars. Read what you like. Naval or Nicolas Sparks. Robin Sharma or Rhonda Byrne. Cal Newport or Chetan Bhagat. But read bro read.
We humans are so fragile that someone else hurdling insults at us makes us lose our temper and dampen our mood. I have always chosen to not be that person. So I read books to lift my mood again. No one should get the taste of a dark side of you, especially if they did not sow the seed to it. If you give the fruit to someone who did not sow it, it is not the right karma my friend.
In spiritual class we are told that you became lawyer, doctor, etc., only because you read books. Now to become a better person every day, you should study about becoming a better person every day. (Note to myself: What an absolute clarity!)
I failed twice in CA IPCC, which is the second stage of CA. But I cleared the most difficult stage (CA Final) in the first time itself, with decent marks (AIR 99 if you think, but official ranks are awarded only till 50th). How was that possible? Only because I read books every day. Did not miss a single day. Ever.
Bob Proctor once said that you create what you think. The only problem is that 99% of most people’s thoughts are the same as yesterday. A book shows you possibilities of what someone else could be, and you could be too.
You can get all the gyan on the internet too. But reading a book is a communication medium that does not entice your senses. Even though it is written to make sure it is interesting to you, a video platform is a place with 20,000 notifications, each vying for your attention. And it is usually not possible to focus in the midst of so much noise and voice. Also, a book is great escape from the massive social media time.
A book is not a hobby (even if it is). It is a choice to put the content in your head that you wish to. If you look at your YouTube history for the last one month, that is what you have become. Time to alter your content history through books now.
Books teach you to be humble. And not complain. I once watched a vlog of two celebrities, who said they have to go from Mumbai to Thailand, Maldives, etc. because Mumbai’s beaches are so dirty. I agree to that. But when you are someone who is reading a book, you realise you have to go to Thailand, Maldives, etc., but you would never complain about what’s not working. If you can change it, awesome. If you cannot change it, you go inside a book instead of complaining on a vlog.
A lot of our social media content is raising us this way. We must be very aware of what we are letting inside of us.The world would never want you to read a book. They would take you to parties, to malls, to restaurants, to everywhere but never inside a book. It is your job to go inside a book. Because that is the only way you go inside yourself too. Everything else is a conspiracy theory. (PS: Fun carpool story for you)
Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers. I have not seen one person whom I admire not read books. Books are as important as oxygen for the wisest people.
Some influencers also tell very confidently that they do not read books. And I have come to understand that overconfidence and charisma can never compensate for intellect and competence.
Now at this point it would be a great foolishness on my part to not offer you some reading suggestions. So here are a few pictures of a few of my bookshelves. It’s a tiny slice of the entire pie, but really good ones. Pick whatever you like. Or whatever social media/your friends suggest you. Over time, just like your style, you will also develop your own taste in books.
But it all begins with the step one to save yourself.
Read, my friend. Because if you are not reading in your life, you are merely dragging yourself. You deserve better, don’t you?
2 Raw One-Liners:
People don’t care about you because they don’t care about themselves either. It is impossible to disrespect someone else unless there is a seed of it within oneself too.
A clean room and a clean desk is the solution to 95% of your problems.
3 must-have things for every sane person
A diary/notebook. Just start keeping one. You will figure its functionality later on.
A park nearby. Many countries prescribe time outdoors as a necessity for healing.
The art of letting go. Because you are not a dustbin that carries everyone’s trash.
PS: Starting today so many people feel bad for being single/not having someone to “love”. What’s worse is I see these capable, smart people could use their energy to become so much more creative than crying over rocks. Thus, if you are dealing with a heartbreak, this ebook is for you.
Get instant access here. 50% off for the V-day week. Just for you :)
I’ll see you next week.
Love yourself <3
Nishtha Gehija
LinkedIn | X | Daily blog | Weekly newsletter
Thanks Nishtha for all the pointers. People seldom complete books these days as they're used to short-form content regurgitated by social media. Unfortunately, there's not much to learn through reels and shorts. We must invest more time reading longer forms of content. I'd start with articles and progress to books.