20 Minutes To Lifelong Success

20 Minutes To Lifelong Success

- Rya Sara Jetha

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What about simply turning a page?

In a world so dynamic and overstimulating, it isn’t difficult to become consumed with the illusion imposed upon us by social media. The illusion that life is a concoction of glistening adventures — dazzling coastal sunsets, tempura sushi rolls, and aerial shots of marathon finish lines. All these images ruthlessly spoon fed to us by social media! But what about occasionally creating our own visuals? Social media hampers our minds from flexing their powerful muscles, simply because nothing is left to the imagination. Reading is essential to maintain a balance between fiction and reality. We must understand that portrayal in social media is not an objective piechart encompassing the full spectrum of human emotion. Individuals choose the slice of the pie with the most filling, with the perfect crust pictured at the perfect angle under the influence of the perfect filter. What about all the rough, unrefined edges that are a part of life?

I’m not saying the books we read are 100% truthful — but quality reading material strives to portray the world through a nuanced lens, sans the glam and glitter. Reading a diversity of topics regularly ensures a holistic, 360 degree exposure of the world. Reading allows us to probe beneath the surface — to ask how and why, and to receive answers that are not stripped into mere emoticons and 140 characters of over-simplified text.