Reading books gives me a perspective that my current problems are minor issues that sooner or later would vanish in the same way as already disappeared problems of artists who have already passed away.
Which artists do I have in my mind? These are, for example:
– Dante Alighieri (who spent his last nineteen years in exile from his hometown, Florence);
– Johannes Vermeer and Vincent van Gogh (who suffered a chronic lack of money);
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky (for more details, read my previous post;
– Stanislaw Szukalski (most of his works of art were destroyed during WWII);
– Zdzislaw Beksinski (his son committed suicide).
Undoubtedly, all artists and, going further, all humans had, have, and will have problems one has to face.
I am not an exception. My life is not ideal in the same way as yours, my Dear Friend. I am confident that you also possess some problems and issues that should be solved, but the solution is not easy. Moreover, once we solve one problem, others can occur. It is an ongoing issue for every one of us. Thus, having a perspective and distance to all these things is crucial not to get crazy. There will never be a moment in our lives when we won’t have any worries and problems to solve. Of course, it does not mean we should stop facing and solving them.
I believe it is one of the most incredible senses of human existence: to confront and solve problems by developing and becoming better humans to ourselves and society.
Once we rest on our laurels, we stop growing, and issues will appear sooner or later. I believe it is worth remembering that we should remain creative no matter what current problems (e.g., healthy issues or difficulties in the job) occur. That’s why we should read books. Examples of people who passed away can give us a proper perspective on everything happening around us, right here, right now.
