A few months ago I thought of two books that had a huge influence on me when I was younger. So I decided to check the internet to see if I could find them. I didn’t have any luck with the first one, The Old Fellow, a book about the Chinese philosopher Laozi. I read it in high school and it was one of the books that caused me to respect learning and experience. I have never wanted to be younger than I am… it wouldn’t be worth it because I would have to give up too much. That’s the first part of my mantra:
Stay curious and open to life. No matter what happens, keep learning and growing.
The second book was The Importance of Being Imperfect. And I did find and buy a copy of it:
I found that one in the Ithaca, NY library over 50 years ago and it was the idea behind Cheerful Monk. (The original subtitle for this blog was “Happiness as a spiritual practice.” )
It tickles me that when I reread that part of Clarke’s book I found that I had remembered it wrong. The ancient Egyptians believed it was a hippopotamus, not a crocodile. Fortunately I called the story apocryphal (fictitious) so I can keep my crocodile image. I do like it.
I can give Clarke credit for the second part of my mantra,
Find what you love and find a way to share it with others.
Have any books had a powerful influence on your life?
November 18, 2024
I have been reading since I could hold a book, and since books were beyond my mothers purse strings, the library was our go to place. I don’t remember any one book influencing my life, but in general all the books did. I found my happy place over and over reading books. I waited for the book mobile to come once a month, mother and I could each check out 7 books, which meant I read and reread by 7 during the month we waited. thanks for the memory jog. I loved that book mobile and the huge library in
Savannah GA when we could get there in late years. Books still transport me to other places
I loved to read too, and it’s so much easier now!
The Bible.
God bless.
🙂
Books were always a big part of my life growing up but I can’t really recall any that had a powerful influence.
The main thing is you had access to them.
…and what took you to Ithaca, NY over 50 years ago?
Andy taught at Cornell.
I love the title to Clark’s book!
Now, I need to chew on this question; what a delicious task!
🙂
When I read this I thought of two. I read A Tale of Two Cities in the school library in Junior High. I was excused by a dr note from gym because of an injury. I read The Grapes of Wrath at about the same time at home. I reread it about 14 years ago.
I read the tale of Two Cities in high school. I never read The Grapes of Wrath, but I saw the movie and cried all weekend.
Those are two great quotes. Thanks for sharing. Have a great week.
You too!
Thanks for sharing
🙂
I will have to check this one out. When I was a young mother, I read one book a day for many years. The book store owner finally got tired of having to order so many, and told me to do it myself! Unfortunately I don’t remember many now. But one of my faves is “One Hundred Years Of Solitude.” Not a self-help book, but an epic Spanish classis for sure! Gabriel Garcia Marquez is one of my favorites, along with Isabel Allende.
I actually have two versions of One Hundred Years of Solitude on my Kindle. One in English, the other in Spanish. I’m afraid it’s not my favorite book and I didn’t read the whole thing. I read a lot of the beginning, then a few chapters at the end. I read the parts in both English and Spanish last fall for learning Spanish. I might try it again to see if it’s any easier now.
Honestly, reading the Dick and Jane books when I very first went to school. It all clicked that I could read stories on my own. 🙂 I didn’t quit until my aging eyes made it more and more difficult and eventually it became easier to get my stories on a laptop screen–lol!
Good point! Learning to lead was exciting.
Sounds like some pretty good reading!
🙂
I have thought and thought on this off and on since yesterday…and still dont have an answer. Except one I hesitate to share. The 23rd Psalm may have saved my life one night…it was after Roger was home after he had his stroke.
One night I woke having panic/anxiety attack…I dont know what it was. There are no words to explain how it was…I would try to lay there and could not. I tried sitting up and could not.. I can hardly bare to think of it. It is just so hard to describe…real thoughts of suicide entered my mind to escape the feeling. I have no idea how many times I sat up or lay down all in just minutes.Then the 23rd Psalm entered my mind. And I kept thinking on the phrase ‘The Lord is my shepherd… and just focusing on the feeling the rest of it. It calmed me down..thinking of the Good Shepherd.
“The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want,” is powerful. I’m so glad it helped.
at the moment, I’m working on happiness for me as i struggle with one particular health issue that slipped backwards and I need higher dose of 2 meds. a visit with my GP today basically to try and understand way forward.
now it seems i need to watch for more side effects and nothing can be done for the ones within me
so that means finding more happiness just for me…