So I’ve joined a book club! I know I know…Swedish lessons, Wedding planning, Weekly yoga, Meeting friends, Making time with my fiancé and family, working and soon to be dancing again hopefully too etc. etc. I’m living a busy busy life, but (and whilst I’m not crashing or burning out) I love being busy and having things to do. Always have and I suppose always will. I love relaxing on holidays and relaxing in general, but I love life to be full and rich with things done when really living.
Now for the second I know I know….A book club you ask…really? Hell yes is what I say! Before my wonderful friend Amber left to head back to Australia, she monthly would give me her hand me down books, from a book club she was a part of. I love reading but I really loved, when she would give me books I’d never really pick up in a book store. I loved the not knowing what types of books would appear for me when we had catch ups and in return I would give her some she too would never in a million years expect to read, let alone enjoy. So I’d asked Amber if I could join her book club, not just for the books, but for the monthly catch ups with others where you can share the joy of some fab literature and interesting plots, or equally ask the bemusing questions in the cases where ‘you just didn’t get what was going on’. I always think differences in conversation = really interesting conversations and broaden our knowledge and understandings for one another. Unfortunately there were no spaces when I asked, until last week! Anna had received my details from Amber and wondered if I was still keen. So here I am now – reading my first book in a new book club. I’m super excited (busy busy still in life but full of joy and happiness).
I must however mention, and apologise to those I have already informed, but in all of my excitement for joining the book club, I had a colleague who sits near me say the following “Well that’s a bit loser-ish isn’t it.” Firstly: 'Did you seriously just say that?' I thought and Secondly: How utterly judgemental and closed-minded.
I understand books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but are we really living in 2013 where the stigma is that books are loser-ish and uncool. I know in school being overtly academic was seen as the no-no in the books for coolness (no pun intended), but a strong and steady intellectual interest in expanding your mind and outlook I think is so awesomely cool! It led me to really question though – how judgemental today’s society can still be. How we’re still trapped by stigmatism and closed minded ideologies I had assumed we’d grown out of.
I really want to just flag it and raise that open-mindedness is not easy but really should be exercised. As Beyonce (yes I’m quoting the famous Bey in all her superstardom) was recently quoted in discussion of life after her baby saying that we really need to appreciate ourselves for all of ourselves and all of the quirks and differences that make us, us. It resonated with me, that it’s just so damn easy to judge (same ways we do with books in the store) at first glance, and get trapped by that. I really urge you to find peace in the differences of the human race, and see these differences as beauty instead of loser-isms, as was presented to me. It took all of my might, to realise that generally (and I’m truly culprit of this) judgement comes when one is insecure. I really have found with hindsight, when I’m being overtly judgemental it’s an insecurity within myself over something – Like I wished I had this, or how can this person act this or that way. Instead of holding my head up high and moving beyond, I judge…..but that’s the easier way out, and in fact leads us to more damage within than we think. SO food for thought this week, think before you speak, think before you act, and really think before you internalise that judgement you’re just about to make.
Wishing you a fab week J
Now for the second I know I know….A book club you ask…really? Hell yes is what I say! Before my wonderful friend Amber left to head back to Australia, she monthly would give me her hand me down books, from a book club she was a part of. I love reading but I really loved, when she would give me books I’d never really pick up in a book store. I loved the not knowing what types of books would appear for me when we had catch ups and in return I would give her some she too would never in a million years expect to read, let alone enjoy. So I’d asked Amber if I could join her book club, not just for the books, but for the monthly catch ups with others where you can share the joy of some fab literature and interesting plots, or equally ask the bemusing questions in the cases where ‘you just didn’t get what was going on’. I always think differences in conversation = really interesting conversations and broaden our knowledge and understandings for one another. Unfortunately there were no spaces when I asked, until last week! Anna had received my details from Amber and wondered if I was still keen. So here I am now – reading my first book in a new book club. I’m super excited (busy busy still in life but full of joy and happiness).
I must however mention, and apologise to those I have already informed, but in all of my excitement for joining the book club, I had a colleague who sits near me say the following “Well that’s a bit loser-ish isn’t it.” Firstly: 'Did you seriously just say that?' I thought and Secondly: How utterly judgemental and closed-minded.
I understand books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but are we really living in 2013 where the stigma is that books are loser-ish and uncool. I know in school being overtly academic was seen as the no-no in the books for coolness (no pun intended), but a strong and steady intellectual interest in expanding your mind and outlook I think is so awesomely cool! It led me to really question though – how judgemental today’s society can still be. How we’re still trapped by stigmatism and closed minded ideologies I had assumed we’d grown out of.
I really want to just flag it and raise that open-mindedness is not easy but really should be exercised. As Beyonce (yes I’m quoting the famous Bey in all her superstardom) was recently quoted in discussion of life after her baby saying that we really need to appreciate ourselves for all of ourselves and all of the quirks and differences that make us, us. It resonated with me, that it’s just so damn easy to judge (same ways we do with books in the store) at first glance, and get trapped by that. I really urge you to find peace in the differences of the human race, and see these differences as beauty instead of loser-isms, as was presented to me. It took all of my might, to realise that generally (and I’m truly culprit of this) judgement comes when one is insecure. I really have found with hindsight, when I’m being overtly judgemental it’s an insecurity within myself over something – Like I wished I had this, or how can this person act this or that way. Instead of holding my head up high and moving beyond, I judge…..but that’s the easier way out, and in fact leads us to more damage within than we think. SO food for thought this week, think before you speak, think before you act, and really think before you internalise that judgement you’re just about to make.
Wishing you a fab week J
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