The Art Of Being Alone

Do you know what’s the most pathetic lie told to us?

We are manipulated into believing that studying is boring, and people who read books and constantly are in search of learning something new are ‘geeks.’ Most movies, books, and series paint this idea in our brain that if you are in your 20s, live wildly, get drunk, do stupid things, and blah blah. The media and _ entertainment industry have successfully created a belief in our minds that those who study hard in school/college are stupid weird kids who have no means to enjoy life. This is happening intentionally. This whole system is designed carefully. It’s not random that most people prefer to get drunk on weekends instead of sitting down with a book in a nice park or library. It’s not random. It’s designed to make us mentally weak so that we stay a follower, not a leader.

And to top it all, the education system in every country is designed in such a way that we are bound to hate books. Isn't it pathetic how every student is supposed to be good at every subject that some authorities chose for us years ago? And we all are supposed to study hard and prove our intelligence based on our scores in subjects that were forced on us? No wonder why people hate books.

But do you know what’s the good thing?

The good thing is you are not in school anymore (I hope) and even if you are in school/college, you can still take the responsibility to feed your brain with the knowledge that you think is important to win big in real life. School and that strict system are over and as we discussed, you are on your own. You can choose to read the books that make you feel excited and help you grow in life.

When my college came to an end, | promised myself that | will never read a book ever again in my life until | am forced to. | simply hated books. In all three years of my college life and countless years of school, | never found anything worth applying in real life. My degree didn’t offer a good job so what was the use? Ugh..books are boring. Why would anyone read them?

Oh wait, that's old Renuka talking.

In 2020 | read my first book. Yes, during lockdown. | was suffering from extreme frustration, mental breakdown, and various other personal and professional life problems. And it was during that time, | read my first book ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma. Not only did this book help me see everything clearly, but it also made me fall in love with

books. Since then | have read more than 200 books. There was a time when | was addicted to books. One page after another. One book after another. Books became like drugs to me. My college was over. | didn’t have professors or anyone else to guide me. And being an extremely underconfident person, | always needed someone to guide me. That’s when books helped me. Whatever | needed help with, | would start reading a book on that topic. That’s it. Since then, my life has changed in ways | cannot explain to you. And as cliché as it may sound,

“Books are powerful and words hold the power to change your entire life”

| have lived that quote. My life is the epitome of this one quote. Books have transformed me. Books helped me understand myself and the world. Books helped me feed my brain with the knowledge and wisdom of those who have experienced more than me in life. Books helped me learn from the mistakes of others and learn to be kind and empathetic. Books made me smarter. Books fueled the air of wisdom in me and with every exhale, | became confident and more successful in life.

Books are not boring. Books are magical. They hold the power to transform YOU into your dream version. And most importantly, books are our best friend. They don’t leave you like people do. If you read a book, its Knowledge is going to be with you forever and during the time of need, it will guide you. That’s what you expect from a friend, don’t you? You want your best friend to be honest with you. Well, books are honest with you. They show you the mirror while helping you become better at the same time.

During the times when | needed someone to guide me, | found the wisdom of books to guide me in every aspect of life.

Stop letting the media fool you. Books are more interesting than you can imagine. Read books of every genre. If you want to learn to live a better life, read self-help books. If you want to learn how to think better, read great philosophers. If you want to become mentally strong, read Spiritual books. If you want to spice up your life, read fantasy. If you want to understand humans, read fiction. Books have it all. Read books and feed your brain. In your free time, or what you call ‘alone time’, take out a book and read at least 5 pages. Allow yourself to drown in the pool of words. Read books on the topics that pique your interest. Read books written by your industry expert and learn what they have learned after spending decades working. Read books written by people who inspire you and make yourself a tiny part of them by consuming their words. Enough of excuses and drama. You have got so much to look forward to. So much to grow and learn. And books are the easiest way to learn and grow in life.

And not only books, dedicate yourself to learning. Make it your goal to feed your brain with knowledge. If not books then go ahead and listen to the podcasts and speeches by your favorite people. Listen to the TedTalk of the people who inspire you. If there is any topic that piques your curiosity, don’t let it die a slow death in your mind. Get up and search about that topic on the Internet. Go on YouTube or Masterclass. The point is to FEED your brain with knowledge, not garbage. You don’t have the time to complain about how people left you. There is So much out there that you need to learn. There are so many topics and books that will make you feel a little more alive. Dedicate your time to that.