“There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry …”
Emily Dickinson, ‘There Is No Frigate Like a Book’.
Read books.
The act of reading is one of the greatest gifts to mankind.
Say out loud words that lit a spark, set off a smile, stirred newfound emotions, unraveled a viewpoint, or made you question an old one.
Reading enables us to draw inspiration from the words of men and women from different reaches of the world.
The more you read, the more you realize the universality of our emotions, the spirit of oneness that cuts across cultures, generations and yet marvel at the uniqueness of perspective which is the essence of our individuality.
Whether it is Aesop’s fables or the Panchatantra. Whether it is the Greek or ancient Hindu mythology or Nordic folklore. Whether it is a Shakespeare or Kalidasa, Tolstoy or Dickens, Classics of the Western Canon, or Post-modern literature, patterns of human thought and wisdom reveal again and again that our differences are merely illusions.
Readout loud poems, that have moved you to tears.
Read words that open a window into a stranger’s soul for you, only to find a part of your own.
Embrace the creative imagination of others and the wellspring of human wisdom that has been flowing through ages, as a testament of our evolution and the true essence of our human-ness.
Reading long and hard can become one of the most affirming exercises to feel connected with others through their thoughts, through their words cast out into the world to reach another at the farthest corner of the world.
And whenever you have read something that staggered, moved, or inspired you, Share. Spread the word.
Share it with another and you will see how it connects and illuminates the lives of others as well as our own.