Destressing by Reading: The Healing Power of a Good Book
“For years, I have lived a double life. I do my job — I ride the bus…but at night I live a life of exhilaration…of missed heartbeats and adrenalin.
I may not look like it but I have commanded armies and conquered worlds. And though in achieving these things, I have set morality aside, I have no regrets. For though I’ve led a double life, at least I can say…I HAVE LIVED.”
Those were the famous lines of an ad by PlayStation 20 years ago. It reveals the mundanity of life and how PlayStation provides an escape from reality. You could feel the experience in every scene.
And come to think of it, life can be tiring.
You experience one of those weeks too, don’t you? — Ideas stop flowing, things get jumbled up and you feel trapped in the routine of what you do. Not another Instagram comic or a trending movie can reset you. Not a party or an outing with that crazy friend.
It is in moments like these that you can look upon the wonders of a good book. And I say this from experience.
I remember the first time a book saved me. I was a 19-year-old working at a Mine in Kwara state. The three long months felt like years as we stuck it out in the open fields of Gbose Granite Quarries.
But every night, I would manage to glimpse the beauty of art in The Richest Man in Babylon. I would later expound that knowledge towards Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and basic books on finance and investing. These helped me see more than my present situation and I knew that life was not for me.
I know I may not look like it but I have been to Paris. I have looked down from the Eiffel Tower and seen the distinctly lighted streets in wonder. I have been to Spain too, you know? I know every museum and understand the complexities of their paintings and architecture.
I was the billionaire genius with Dan Brown and the Miami Gangster with James Hadley Chase. I quivered through those labyrinths of ancient architecture and slung guns in dilapidated buildings with the scum of the earth. And each year when I’m stuck, Origin is the book I count on to reset me.
I learnt to play to win from Seth Godin. The Dip remains an eternal guide to knowing when to stick it out and when to quit. In a world that’s slowly settling for mediocrity, it tells you why you should aim to be the best in the world. This would not be complete without the contentment lesson by Leo Tolstoy. Because really, when you think about it, my friend, how much land does a man really need? I learnt the essentials of modern-day leadership in Tribes and saw what it means to work with people who love themselves and unite towards a leader and a common goal.
The Silent Salesman is a book that teaches you digital marketing psychology. I learnt how to get rich without relying on luck from Naval, and Eric Jorgensen expounded that concept into an eternal guide to wealth and happiness. In a remorseless world that cares little for how you feel, bringing with it new tasks, and chores, and goals, and deadlines, reading is one of those ways to take a break.
I could go on and on, but you get the point:
Stress is real, but so is art. So is the repose from an amazing book.
Reading tells you you have what you need and need only do some things to connect them. It gives a profound feeling of control.
And what is it about control, you ask?
The feeling of being in control is greater than the pleasure of sex.
What men really want is to be in control…
…to know they can negotiate ANYTHING no matter the situation.
