What is it with books finding you? Not Today Blog 30
I did not expect that one day I would get to read the most important holy scripture of Hinduism.
Arnie and Harry
I love reading books. But this wasn’t always the case.
The teachers forced me to read a lot of Kafka at school. I don’t think I’m making myself unpopular when I categorise the hours of book analysis of strange old books as exhausting. Franz Kafka was a big deal to my literature teacher but he didn’t fuel my general enthusiasm for books. (I might possibly regret this one day when I reread his work haha!)
As weird as this might sound, it was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biography that changed the way I looked at books. On the advice of a German fitness and business Youtuber, I blindly bought his book. I thought this could kick me in the right direction. It did. It even made my Instagram feed in 2014. 3 likes!
(If you are not following my Instagram yet, this is your sign.)
I was not disappointed. A biography about a guy who moves to the US by himself with nothing, but a plastic bag filled with clothes, only to become a notorious bodybuilder, actor, politician, author, and generally a good bloke. You know the story.
I’m going to deliberately overlook the Harry Potter series here, which I read with similar enthusiasm. Great books as well, but if you can mention Arnold, you mention Arnold.
It Continues to Happen
It wasn’t the last time I stumbled across a book that opened up a new universe for me. Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Work Week taught me the importance of spending your time where you truly want to be, doing things you genuinely want to do. The Alchemist gave me purpose. Rich Dad Poor Dad helped me forget everything I thought was true about working for money.
All these books have one thing in common. I didn’t look for them.
They fell into my lap at the right time and in the right place. Those are the best books. And what is it about reading an impactful book that you suddenly meet people who have read the same book and you keep hearing about it?
Reading should serve the goal of attaining peace; if it doesn’t make you peaceful, what good is it?
Epictetus
The Gita
I think you should let books find you.
It’s funny. Two weeks ago, I saw a new video popping up on the Yogi Lab YouTube Channel. In this video, David-Hans Barker talks about a book called Bhagavad Gita. He explains how this book became relevant in his life because it taught him that the path of action is superior to the path of inaction. Meaning that once you have sat with yourself and found out who you are, you should take your new knowledge into the world and live it wholeheartedly.
I have never heard about the book before. Naturally, my interest was kindled, but instead of ordering the book for myself, I sent it to my friend.
A few days later, on my Sunday morning run, I listened to a Podcast episode with Steven Pressfield. An hour into the podcast he too starts talking about the Bhagavad Gita. What are the odds?
Wait.
Sunday goes by and I sit on my massage chair (how bougie haha!) and scroll through my Watch-Later list on YouTube. A 30-minute video catches my attention. I can only read a part of the title “Hugh Jackman on nature of God…”. I click the video and the first thing I spot is the whole title of the video. “Hugh Jackman on nature of God, Non-Duality, Bhagavad Gita, Death, Buddha, Krishna, Zen”
Amazed that a book I’ve never heard of before had turned up three times within a few days from the most random of corners of the internet, I tell the friend I’d sent the book to earlier that week. She explained to me that the Gita is to Hinduism what the Bible is to Christianity.
I had no idea. But clearly, this was a sign to read it.
Why Not Today
I have meanwhile ordered a shorter version of the Gita for myself. Thrilled to get started. I am certain that there are lessons to be learned.
Has there been a book, movie, or song title lately that you have heard suspiciously often? Order it. Or do this instead: Be the sign for someone else. Order your favourite book through amazon and give your friend’s address as the delivery address. You could be the reason why a book lands in someone’s and changes their lives forever. As it did for me on so many occasions. Why not today?
D
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