Sometimes we feel like we are jinxed because nothing seems to be going right. The truth is that, most of the time, we end up sabotaging ourselves. Just because things don’t turn out the way we want them to doesn’t mean our entire life is derailed. Perhaps, instead of panicking, we need to see the problem from a different perspective.
We could be inadvertently ruining our chances due to ear of failure. Our fear is the cruelest of tyrants, the only one with the power to hold us back from pursuing our dreams. We must learn that it only takes a moment to conquer your fears. Otherwise, you’ll shut yourself away from the world, unable to enjoy happy and special moments.
The following books can help you get over this hurdle you’re in:
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The Book of Embraces (1989) by Eduardo Galeano
Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano has the ability to use a wide range of illustrative motifs in his writing. The Book of Embraces interweaves several stories that depict injustice and convey the feeling of being an underdog. The characters gather their courage to face the truth and rise above it. After reading this book, you’ll feel the ambition to change anything you want and become a better person.
The Man Who Planted Trees (1953) by Jean Giono
The novel’s narrator runs into a man while walking through a desolate land in Provence. That man turns out to be a shepherd called Bouffier, who has been planting seeds everyday, hoping to bring the forest back to life after it was destroyed by a fire. Some years later, after the Second World War, the narrator comes back to the same place and is surprised to discover the wasteland he once saw has recovered half of its vegetation. This novel teaches that happiness is about enjoying what you do. It doesn’t matter if people around you think it’s meaningless. If you believe in yourself, you can surprise others with the results!
De Profundis (1905) by Oscar Wilde
After Oscar Wilde was sentenced to jail for homosexuality, he decided to write a long revenge letter for his former lover, Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. In the letter, Wilde explains why he sees Douglas as the end of his life: the cause of his imprisonment, divorce, bankruptcy, and the exile he would be forced to endure when his sentence was over. Despite this dark horizon, the time in jail makes Wilde reconcile with himself and reflect upon the most valuable and important things in life. Through his awful experiences and his inner pain, he is able to rebuild his life little by little.
The Empty Book (1958) by Josefina Vicens
This is the perfect book for all those who feel they’re going around in circles. At times we act like the protagonist , José García, who believes success equals money and material possessions. This man tries to write a novel, but isn’t able to complete that task. By the end, he fills a journal with everyday life events that he first thought to be vain and empty. He comes to realize and appreciate their value and significance. We can find ourselves reflected in this account of “ordinary” experiences.
The Truce (1960) by Mario Benedetti
This novel tells the story of a widower called Martín Santomé. His job and his three children mean everything to him. As his time for retirement approaches, he starts to question the purpose of his own existence. After he falls in love with a young employee called Laura, he learns to appreciate the simple things in life and be truly happy. He comes to realize he’d shut himself off from the world and had stopped noticing the things that matter. If one person has the power to change our lives, this means we can also do it.
Death at Intervals (2005) by José Saramago
One morning, Death decides to stop working. Notwithstanding her absence, people continue to be unhappy and miserable. They become more savage, merciless, and vile to get what they want. The only one who seems to be having fun is Death. At the end, she shows us the beauty humanity is unable to see. The things that truly matter can’t last forever, that’s why it’s important to be thankful for what we have.
The Happy Death (1971) by Albert Camus
“It takes time to live. Like any work of art, life needs to be thought about.”
This is Camus’ first novel, which centers on how difficult it is to reach happiness. It also gives a deep insight into our own conscious creation of happiness.
The Martian Chronicles (1950) by Ray Bradbury
This book deals with mankind’s current problems like war, self-destruction, and racism. The main premise of The Martian Chronicles is the human condition. After colonizing Mars and making that planet their home, humans realize they can never get rid of that feeling of not belonging anywhere or not owning anything. This is a deep reflection that also shows we don’t know how to treasure things until we lose them.
Watchmen (1986) by Alan Moore
This graphic novel, that takes place in 1985, centers on an alternate reality where costumed superheroes are part of everyday life. In this world, the Cold War’s underlying tension is still present, but the possibility of global annihilation is the least of the characters’ worries, since they know none of their powers is enough to prevent a fateful outcome. This is another story that shows how acknowledging your own limits is an important part of the process to get stronger and face life without deceiving yourself with false hopes.
Translated by Andrea Valle
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