Now, there was a brief moment in time a few years ago where I felt that I didn’t have time to relax and enjoy a fun novel because I had too much to do if I was going to be successful.
But, here’s the thing…
That is complete and utter bullshit.
For one, if you’re denying yourself things that you love and enjoy then what the fuck kind of life are you living?
I absolutely love to curl up with a cup of tea and a good romance novel and get lost in a fictional world with love and pain, heartaches and happy endings, and flawed humans who always find their way back to where their heart is leading them. And there’s no way I’m giving it up.
We don’t know how much time we have left in this world.
If we’re spending all of our time grinding away because it’s what we’ve been told we have to do to be successful then perhaps we need to check in with ourselves…
What does success mean to you?
What does living a life you love look like and feel like?
What do you value? Are you living your life in accordance with your values?
If today was your last day on earth how would you want to spend it?
My definition of success includes time in fictional worlds. It doesn’t mean that I spend all day every day reading (although I do grant myself a day to do nothing but read every few weeks). I schedule time to read because I enjoy it and it’s restorative.
Tune in to what matters to you and then schedule your time accordingly.
And please if reading is something you love, drop the guilt for spending time lost in the pages of books.
My second issue with the idea that reading fiction is a waste of time is that it’s based on a false premise that there’s no value in reading fiction.
Granted there are some real crap books out there. Books that if you’re honest with yourself you wonder why the hell you bothered reading past the second page because you truly felt like you wasted your time reading it. Those aren’t the books I’m talking about.
I’m talking about the books that you can’t put down.
The ones you want to read faster because you want to see the characters get their happy ending. While simultaneously you want to read slower so you can savor every single moment of the story.
There are stories that reflect back to you things you’ve learned in your own life, inviting you to revisit the lessons and blessings. Stories that help you heal as you watch the heroine do the same.
Characters whose flaws remind you of your own and whose happy endings help you accept that your flaws aren’t what’s stopping you from experiencing your own happiness.
Books that have you laughing one minute and crying the next as you’re pulled into the story and the emotions reverberate through you feeling not just the character’s pain, sorrow, joy, and love but your own.
Stories that remind you to have a little faith that things will work out.
There are stories that if we’re open to them will teach us lessons.
About a year ago, I read a story about a cowboy who didn’t believe he was good enough for the woman he loved.
When he was young his mother committed suicide and he formed the belief that love wasn’t enough. He believed that if her love for him and his love for her were enough then she wouldn’t have overdosed.
But, as the story progressed he realized that it’s not that love wasn’t enough. It’s that fear won. And he was allowing fear to win again now with the woman he had loved for years.
“But right now he had a choice. A choice between love and fear. He couldn’t have both. He knew it. They couldn’t exist side by side.”
Love and Fear.
In every moment of every day, we get to choose between love and fear.
In every situation, we get to choose to respond with either love or with fear.
The choice is always there.
If you aren’t choosing love then by default you’re choosing fear.
If you love reading novels then embrace them. Love the time you spend reading. Enjoy it.
And don’t be surprised if along the way you learn a little something about Loving Your Life and Living Your Dreams.
