My favourite reads of 2021
I got back into reading more often in 2021 and below I have penned down a few beautiful takeaways from some of my favourite reads in 2021. Very happy to provide more details on any of these books so get in touch :)
Educated by Tara Westover - Such a powerful book! It is a magnificent story about and from Tara Westover. This was one of my favourite books of 2021. My key takeaway from this book is how important education is in expanding our horizons and questioning our beliefs. I learned how education can change our perspective and set us free from the shackles of social conditioning. Another key learning was that it is alright to let go of some relationships if they don’t serve you well. It doesn’t mean that you stop loving them, it just means that you choose your emotional well-being.
Show Your Work by Austin Kleon - I am extremely grateful that I came across this book. It made me start my website. The main lesson from the book was - just do it. If you want to start something of your own, but you are waiting for that push, read this book. This book will give you that kick you need to get your thing started.
Atomic Habits by James Clear - Do we ever stop and think why we keep saying to ourselves that we would start going to the gym but never do? The book offers some simple tricks on forming better habits. My favourite trick from the book is - habit stacking. Thanks to this trick, I have brought meditation into my morning routine. Another way of adopting good habits is by shifting our identities and changing our beliefs about ourselves.
The Millionaire Fast Lane by M.J. DeMarco- Such a clickbaity title! The book talks about the 9 to 5 rat race we get stuck in when we start working. I realised this when I started working in my first job three years ago but that did not give me the push to make a change. In the book, M.J. DeMarco makes the rat race very clear, describes the Fast lane to wealth, and the key steps we can take to get out of it and take control of our lives. The book also conforms to my beliefs that money does buy you happiness, you just need to know how to find and use it. It is a very useful read for people who are planning to start their own business.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k by Mark Manson - My friend didn’t return my call, why didn’t he return it? He is so selfish. I will never call him again. What does he think of himself? The book made me look back on my life and question all the times I gave a damn about the most trivial things. While reading this book, I questioned my values so many times. Why do trivial things bother us so much? How do my actions hurt myself and others? Have I been holding a grudge against anyone, how is it affecting me? What values do I believe in? A key takeaway was that we are faced with thousands of problems every day, not all the problems are worth our time. It is up to us to decide what we want to give a damn about. The book was also extremely helpful for me in marking out important values that I want to live by.
1984 by George Orwell - It is a story about a man living in 1984 dystopian London. The book got me thinking about democracy and how sometimes we take it for granted. George Orwell has very powerfully shown a dystopian world where the government has complete control over the society. The book has a powerful lesson on control - how leaders/media/society can change our views drastically and condition us to think in a certain way. Another broader lesson is about our beliefs and it got me thinking about how that applies in current times. Social media has grown so much in the past few years and these days all the information is at our fingertips. Do we ever stop for a minute and think how constant media intervention is changing our identities and our beliefs?
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill - One key lesson from this book is about commitment towards our goals. There would come innumerable stumbling blocks in our way when we are trying to achieve our goals but it is important that we believe and commit to those goals and put in more than required to achieve them. Magic happens outside the comfort zone.
The Country of the Blind by H.G. Wells - A very short story about a mountaineer who slips and falls from a mountain. Shortly after, he discovers a country of blind people. The book is a beautiful allegory of reality and perception. While reading this book, I asked myself several times if what I perceive to be right is actually right. There were so many takeaways from this short story, one of the main ones being that what is true for one person may be significantly different to someone else. Another one is that no matter what, do not sacrifice your uniqueness to fit in the society. The story also made me question if ignorance can actually be bliss.
Sometimes, we may find ourselves in situations where we are striving unsuccessfully to convince others to do the right thing. In those situations, it is important to realise that some people are not willing to change/accept new information and it is alright to let them be. Perhaps, ‘In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King’ is not always true!