Why We Fall in Love with Words
Nurturing an Inner Sanctuary
[Image by Anna Paula Feriani @ Pixabay]
Dear Reader,
I have been really reading some excellent manuscripts lately.
The icing on the cake is that I am the first to read them. Wondering why?
Well, I am editing these books, that’s why.
Collaborating with authors, sending them notes with suggestions to rework and editorial inputs, besides having candid conversations with publishers - I am grateful for this phase in my life!
Did I forget to mention I’ve been hooked to Dr. K. Vasuki’s zesty book, The School of Life?
I almost didn’t buy it.
Then the guy at the bookshop tells me, “This is the last copy - the book has sold out.”
Now I was interested.
And I didn’t want to lose an opportunity to read this book.
Minutes later, after it was safely in my custody, I wondered if the guy at the bookshop had played a joke or something….but why would he? Hmmm…….
[Image by congerdesign @ Pixabay]
I sat down and took this book out and started reading….
Let me just say…it didn’t feel like a book.
It felt like someone was sitting right across me and sharing the story of their life, warts and all.
Think about this - would you tell the whole world about your insecurities and self-perceived flaws, anxiety attacks before exams, how you got teased for it and how it ignited your ambition?
I loved this unusual storytelling style - like a candid conversation. The writing is free-flowing yet packed with invaluable insights drawn from a lifetime of public service.
And yes, I will be sharing my thoughts on this book soon.
[Image by Jill Wellingcongerdesign @ Pixabay]
Scrolling, reading, reflecting….
Controversial books aren’t my cup of tea.
Usually, the hype is a result of a carefully strategised marketing plan. Most readers fall for it - sometimes, even those who are in the publishing field.
I haven’t bought a copy of Sarah Wynn-Williams massive bestseller, ‘Careless People’. But everytime I walk into any bookshop including the ones in Kochi, I’m told it is a book I should read because ‘everyone’s reading it.’
Plus, nearly everyone I know have been recommending this book.
So, when I read
’s post on this book, I knew I had to share it here. Do read his sharp observations on the ‘bestseller.’
Next on my list is another newsletter post.
Thought-provoking is the best way to describe
’s post on ‘Sentences That Have Shaped Me.’
More importantly, she recommends, ….
"putting together your own list of intriguing thoughts from others. Something encouraging or cerebral that you can skim before an interview, presentation, or any difficult or creative work. Essentially, words that focus, stimulate and uplift.”
Hmmm, I like this idea.
A lot. You know, dear reader, I have a thing for quotes.
You see, I keep several notebooks stacked with quotes that I’ve liked reading or found thought-provoking.
These are gentle, handcrafted notebooks with handmade paper. Some have dried, pressed flowers in them.
[Image by fotografierende @ Pixabay]
And when I read the post on ‘words that focus, stimulate and uplift’, it reminded me of a sentence in a poem I read in The Poetry School’s newsletter recently:
“The cost of faith is the molting of memory.” - Sarah Ghazal Ali
[Poem: The Origin of Species]
Deep. Intense. Riveting. It scalds your senses in a way.
last quote
Over a period of time, a milestone realisation dawned upon me. A realisation of my lifetime that happened not just at the intellectual level but a very deep experiential level.
The relentless desire for success is just a play of an insecure egoic mind.
This insecurity and the resultant need for recognition and success is universal. Whether or not a human understands this, this is the existential truth of every human being.
As long as a human being identifies herself as a separate entity, unaware of her connection to the universal being of the unmanifest dimension, insecurity and fear is bound to exist within that human.
- Dr. K. Vasuki IAS (The School of Life)
a few thoughts
Emotions don’t make you weak or vulnerable - it is what makes you special.
Encourage diverse perspectives in conversations as it broadens your knowledge.
To master the mind, meditation is one of the best techniques. Benefits include becoming calm, rewiring the brain’s pattern of thinking, enabling positive energy.
At the end of each day, ask for feedback from others so that you can improve yourself.
Whatever you seek in life, give generously to others. If books are your passion, buy more books written by new authors. Avoid asking for free copies.
last verse
Swimming, One Day in August
….I went down in the afternoon
to the sea
which held me, until I grew easy.
About tomorrow, who knows anything.
Except that it will be time, again,
for the deepening and quieting of the spirit.
Red Bird by Mary Oliver (Beacon Press, 2008)
If you enjoyed reading this, forward or recommend this newsletter to your friends.
Write back to me at swapnazanand@gmail.com - I’d love to hear your bookish thoughts.