The Way Reading Saved Me From Rotting.
My PSA for everyone to start reading.
When Instagram launched Reels, I saw a direct correlation between my lack of free time and my scrolling through TikTok trends and food reviews.
I could feel it as well; the strained eyes, the numbing feeling that overcame my brain — short-form videos were indeed putting a chokehold on my life.
All of a sudden, the ambitions I had, whether it was my desire to write my novella or simply to leave my room, had all dissipated within the algorithms of my screen.
So, how did I get out of it? It was honestly a gradual shift of lucky opportunities that I had been given.
Chapter One: The Giving
It had been more than four years since I had last picked up a book. The last thing I had read was “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, a book that had moved me to my core and made me realize that authors are just philosophers with a bigger imagination.
Honestly, I’m not sure why I stopped reading after such an impactful book (maybe I thought nothing could top it), but nevertheless, it wasn’t until my creative writing class in college that I dove back into the literary world.
