To me, reading books felt like taking sleeping pills. I would drift off by the time I was on the second page. However, all of this changed three years ago.
It all started with the Tamil historical fiction, Ponniyin Selvan. Never before had it occurred to me that a book, much less a novel could have a movie-like feel to it! This book almost transported me to its era, taking me on a journey that will take some forgetting. So intrigued I was that I very nearly skipped to the last chapter on multiple occasions. It was as if every scene were unfolding right before my eyes. I felt like an invisible person, who was physically witnessing every event. It took me just a week to complete the five-volume series. Well, that was the official start of my affair with books.
I slowly turned to other books, starting from Two Minutes from the Abyss. The book was a real-eye opener for me. Its take on matters such as the human ego, the importance of present and our goals was quite refreshing. Honestly, it was this book that helped me set my priorities right. Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Alchemist also played a key role in shaping my outlook on life. The Alchemist in particular showed me the value of dreams in our lives. It shouldn’t come over as a surprise that one of my all-time favorite quotes comes from this Paulo Coelho classic:
And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
To date, I have stayed honest to my habit of reading for ten minutes every day. In fact, we hold regular group reading sessions, which we proudly call Gnana Yoga. These days, I am reading Atomic Habits.
Reading has made me so much more disciplined and knowledgeable than I ever was. I have started seeing the world in ways I never thought were possible. Books have also taught me that I can easily avoid or reduce the mistakes that others already made on their way to the summit. I honestly feel that a book is as old as its author. And by reading a given book, we gain as many years of experience without getting any older. This, by extension, means that we could virtually garner thousands of years worth of knowledge by reading multiple authors. And that’s all down to the magic we call books.
A NOTE TO OUR READERS
Aside from an avowed reader, Karthick is also a passionate entrepreneur. Follow him on Instagram here to know more about him.
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congratulations Karthick