When I first began to devote myself to a life of reading, I believed that I would be full of facts. I thought I would be a walking encyclopedia of information about historical inventions, trees, animal species, exotic cultures and Uruguayan politics. However, this monastic devotion to reading has impacted my life differently than I originally anticipated. To date this year I have read 50 books of different genres: business, literature, poems, memoirs, essays and psychology. While not an encyclopedia of facts, my life certainly has changed in a radical way. I’d like to share the important lessons I have learned from reading 50 books this year.
1. Literature provides you with a high degree of empathy
While literature is usually avoided due to being labeled tedious, lengthy and exclusively for high-brow intellectuals, I truly believe its benefit can be reaped by anyone. Having full insight into a character’s thoughts, decision making process and life circumstances allow you to see what comprises someone’s personality. You follow the protagonists through the passion, longing, doubt, rejection and fear. You begin to see the same emotions within yourself and others. By following the logical sequence of the protagonist’s ideals, you begin to form your own moral code based on the outcomes of the characters. In social situations, you are no longer irritated by petty character flaws. You begin to recognize that the difference between people in real life and fictional characters is razor thin; we all have the same universal hopes and dreams: be it expressing ourselves, accomplishing goals, or finding love and belonging. Reading literature has completely transformed the way I interact with and view others. Additionally, lengthy literature should not intimidate you. By supplementing your reading with SparkNotes, subreddits and YouTube videos, you can greatly enrich your understanding of the text. Do not be afraid to attempt a work by Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky , Austen, Dumas or Tolstoy. The authors who wrote these classics have been famous for hundreds of years and for good reason: their thought processes have had a tremendous impact on society.
2. Poetry causes you to appreciate the beauty of life more deeply
This year I have adopted a love for poetry. More than anything poetry uses beautiful lyrical language to describe the natural occurrences of the world. While people often associate poetry with words that rhyme, it is much more than that. The expressive word choice makes the emotion of the phenomenon described palpable. Reading poetry has changed the way I view everyday life: nature became a beautiful symphony of unconditional reciprocity; friendship is now a sacred bond of kindred spirits separated by nothing more than genetics; even traffic allows a moment to marvel at the technological advancement of the current age. Words are the medium that convey our thoughts. Finding beautiful words is simply a matter of viewing the beauty that exists in the world each moment.
3. A love of learning becomes a behavioral trait
Setting aside time each day to read is a commitment to constantly attaining a newer and more beneficial perspective. The process of seeking, attaining, and implementing new thoughts is an enthralling experience. What’s more beautiful than what you gain from reading directly are its’ ancillary benefits. My love of reading has showed me that what I really love is a pursuit of knowledge in all forms. I have a new appreciation for conversation as I believe everyone knows something interesting that I know nothing about. Anyone can teach us something if we are willing to attentively listen and ask leading questions. Additionally, this trait helps me at work, where a pursuit of knowledge allows me to feel more confident and competent. This feeling becomes addicting as you feel the inadequacy of your own knowledge. Realizing that you cannot know everything provides a paradoxical comfort as you embark on your quest to learn all that you can.
4. You can change the lives of others with book recommendations
I truly believe that deep down we are all yearning to have a significant life. If you begin to establish the habit of reading, others will notice a change about you. They will be inspired by your fearless devotion to changing your life circumstances. You can then recommend the books that impacted you most and see those same fruitful ideas help others. Another beautiful benefit of this is the conversations that come with reading the same books as your friends. This idea of improvement and learning takes place in a community. This helps you deeply understand the message of the books you read while providing a communal framework for implementing them into your life. There is no better way to become smarter than to surround yourself with smart people who are also hungry for knowledge.
5. The meaning of life is how you personally define it
I came to this challenge a lost and confused soul. I completed this challenge a lost and confused soul comforted by the fact I am not alone in my pursuit of universal truth. While I cannot say that reading 50 books has caused me to have all the answers to life’s questions, it has taught me one important thing: the most important knowledge exists in your ability to choose your own perspective and be grateful for each moment. Reading 50 books has taught me that the most joyful experiences in life are those spent with family and friends. Funny, isn’t it? I went through this whole process just to realize how lucky I have been from the start. The old T.S. Elliot quote grows more poignant with the passing years:
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T.S. Elliot
If you are curious; if you are in a place where feel you need answers; if you want to become an expert on any topic; if you want to feel joys of life simmer more deeply into your conscious, I encourage you to look to the infinite amount of information available at your fingertips to make your life better. Reading has become almost as routine to me as breathing. I believe that books are the greatest treasure map to a life of love, fulfillment, empathy and compassion. I hope you all make it a goal to have something you are reading. We should always be challenging ourselves to learn more. More importantly, we should all be dutifully trying to share what we have learned.
My challenge to you:
Who is a historical figure you have always been curious to learn about? What is your favorite movie (I bet it was a book first)? Who do you know that reads that can provide you recommendations? My challenge to you is to perform some primary research and learn about the most powerful books in existence. Then, I want you to read it and write about how it impacted you. Trade your Netflix habit for a reading habit for one month and let me know how your life has improved!
Books Read in 2019
1.El Alquimista by Paulo Cohelo
2. Death of Ivan Illyich by Leo Tolstoy
3, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
4. 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
5. No Death, No Fear by Thich Nhaht Hahn
6. Letters from a Stoic by Seneca
7. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
8. Fluent Forever by Gabriel Wyner
9. The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
10. Naked Economics by Charles Wheelan
11. Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson
12. Short Stories in German for Beginners by Olly Richards
13. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
14. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
14. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
15. Leadership and Self Deception by The Arbinger Institute
16. Contagious by Jonah Burger
17. Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashley Vance
18. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest by Ken Kesney
19. Persuasion by Jane Austen
20. The Stranger by Albert Camus
21. The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
22. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
23. Zen Mind Beginner's Mind by Shunryū Suzuki
24. Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
25. The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
26. 11 Rings: The Soul of Success by Phil Jackson
27. The Heart of The Buddha's Teaching by Thich Nhat Hahn
28. Harry Potter (in Spanish) by J.K. Rowling.
29. Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
30. Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
31. Varieties of Religious Experience by William James
32. Animal Farm by George Orwell
33. You've Got 8 Seconds: Communication Secrets for a Distracted World by Paul Hellman
34.The Defining Decade by Meg Jay
35. On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner
36. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
37. One More Step by Bonner Paddock
38. Peace is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hahn
39. Get Some Headspace : 10 Minutes Can Make All the Difference by Andy Puddicombe
40. The Solution: Conquer Your Fear, Control Your Future by Lucinda Bassett
41. The Longevity Code: Secrets to Living Well for Longer from the Front Lines of Science by Kris Verburgh
42. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
43. Power by Jeff Pfeffer
44.Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
45. Sacred Hoops by Phil Jackson
46. Factfulness by Hans Rosling
47. Difficult Conversations by Bruce Patton, Douglas Stone, and Sheila Heen
48. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
49. The Autobiography Of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King
50. The Wisdom of Native American's by Kent Nerburn
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