As defined by the dictionary, an adult is “fully grown or developed.” The irony of the definition is that it is often said that adults should “act like adults” but what does that mean?
Growth and development should be ongoing, regardless of age.
I loved reading as a kid. I read to learn, escape my environment, experience other cultures, and learn from history. Then, as an adult, I stopped. I guess I thought I had it all figured out. My ignorant attitude was, ‘Who has time to read?’
Seneca wrote, “There are too many mediocre books that exist just to entertain your mind. Therefore, read only those books that are accepted without doubt as good.”
A modern version would read, “There are too many mediocre books, podcasts, songs, albums, blogs, videos, social media accounts, TV series, video games, apps, opinions, movies, and news outlets that exist to entertain your mind. Therefore, only consume what is accepted without doubt as good.”
Attention is a coveted commodity today, and “good” can be very subjective or well-marketed.
Looking back, when I did read, it was more for entertainment or to pass the time, not for educational purposes or internal insight.
The content I consumed was mostly empty calories and rarely contained nutrients for knowledge.
For the past two years, I’ve taken a different approach and become much more aware of the content I ingest, and I feel healthier for it.
These are not book reviews. I’ve never been a fan of individual opinions from reviews for shaping others’ behavior; I feel that creates contentment without inquiry, which is a dangerous notion for free thinking.
The majority of trending topics, talking points, and even videos we share on social media only have a 24-hour shelf life, so we need to take extra caution when consuming because content can quickly become clutter.
Reading has made a monumental impact on my mind, emotions, and behaviors. One of the few things we can control in life is what we consume. What we digest nourishes our body and soul and expands our consciousness.
Until the day you die, there should always be a drive for more understanding, compassion, knowledge, and learning.
Avoid becoming an adult.
Book List:
- The Pilgrimage – Paulo Cuelo
- Hell Yeah Or No – Derek Sivers
- the War of Art – Steven Pressfield
- Lighter – yung pueblo
- Ego Is The Enemy – Ryan Holiday
- Before the coffee gets cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- the five people you meet in heaven – Mitch Albom
- Introduction to Internal Family Systems – Richard C. Schwartz
- The Creative Act: A Way of Being