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Self-Improvement

Chase More Of What Lights You Up Inside

Ev Chapman
May 5, 2022
•
2 min read

I have a decent library of books that sits in and around my desk.

I designed it that way. Literally, my desk is built into my bookshelf. Every book holds a significant moment or memory or reason for being on that shelf.

The Stationary Shop of Tehran, Musicophilia, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, The Name of The Rose, On The Road, Infidel, Churchill, Branson, Clinton, Kennedy, Da Vinci, The Wild Things.

I choose to surround myself with the things that light me up and inspire me the most.

Books have always lit me up in that way. My earliest memories at school were in the library talking to the librarian. I would go in weekly and ask for recommendations for new books. This is how I discovered The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton.

Later as a teenager, you could find me down at our local library wandering around the shelves looking for something that sparked. That's how I discovered the Redwall series by Brian Jacques & Lord Of The Rings (the books, not the movie).

Books light me up inside. But I'm also aware that books don't light everyone up.

I have a friend who is a professional video editor. And I watch his eyes light up when he watches a great movie. He doesn't love books in the same way I do, but he does love movies in the same way I love books.

I have another friend who lights up in a good conversation. It could be a room full of people or it could be one person over coffee. He can't help but light up inside when he experiences the energy and exchange of ideas.

So my question is what lights you up? What creates those sparks in your life? Do more of that.

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