4 Books That Made 2020 More Bearable (from Paulo Coelho to Anthony de Mello)
Holy shit balls. I'm still coming to grips with the fact that it's 2021.
It’s amazing how the mind creates energy from thought. For almost every organism on Earth — except us, humans — the concept of time is insignificant. Time does not exist for animals, fungi and eh…viruses?
So what has changed for most conscious beings? What has changed for you going into the New Year?
Nothing.
Chances are, nothing has changed.
But…
In a way, everything has changed. Sam Harris asserts that changing your mind is as good as changing the world. Your state of mind has changed therefore your world has changed —your mind has entered 2021: a completely new time-frame of mind.
Going into a new year is like beginning again. Entering 2021 is like meditation. It is a mental construct of starting anew from being lost in thought. 2021 is a way of coming back to presence from being lost in the noise that was 2020.
I read many books in 2020. Those books got me through the hard times — feelings of isolation and despair.
Books have saved me on a number of occasions.
Below is a list of my favourite reads from the Rona-rampant 2020. All four are old and timeless. Books stand the test of time for a reason — they are littered with nuggets of gold.
I hope you find these as useful as I did.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
If you enjoy stories of travel and all that comes with it — the trials and tribulations, lessons and awe — this is for you. Paulo Coelho neatly wraps life’s fundamental lessons into a book about a boy who is on a quest to find himself.
No book I’ve read has kept me thinking, “my God, this is beautiful,” as The Alchemist.
On Writing: a memoir of the craft by Stephen King
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.
”
““Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.””
I wrote a blog post on this book. In that post, I describe how the past 3 years I have felt like King — going from being knocked out to coming back to my creativity with gusto and enthusiasm.
Even if you are not a writer, this book is equally funny and entertaining as it is inspiring and thought-provoking.
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”
Similar to The Alchemist, John Steinbeck tells life’s truths in the most fascinating account of American life on the road.
I’ve always loved the idea of road-tripping across America in a van, but Steinbeck made that lust even more real. Reading this book is a journey into the (scary) pre-evolution of modern America — and therefore, the modern world.
The Way to Love by Anthony de Mello
“You must cultivate activities that you love. You must discover work that you do, not for its utility, but for itself, whether it succeeds or not, whether you are praised for it or not, whether you are loved and rewarded for it or not, whether people know about it and are grateful to you for it or not. How many activities can you count in your life that you engage in simply because they delight you and grip your soul? Find them out, cultivate them, for they are your passport to freedom and to love.”
I first got exposed to De Mello’s work while reading Rediscovering Life. My obsession with De Mello turned into me spending weeks trying to get the paper-back version of the much-acclaimed Awareness (the Amazon Kindle, where I read most of my books, version is not available).
These four books have helped me create a new frame of mind going into the New Year. Books can change your life.
To the people that have supported my work in 2020, thank you. And to the ones that are new here — welcome: I am beyond excited to walk into the New Year with you.
I invite you to walk this path with me. Let’s make 2021 a year of re-transformation.
Proost.