Well, I may seem overly focused on Savi Sharma’s books due to my continuous posts, but the truth is, I’ve lost touch with reading and want to reestablish the habit. Starting with something short and enjoyable, Savi Sharma’s books felt the perfect choice for me. So, here’s to getting back into reading!
My life – or certainly the latter part of my teenage years and now as an adult – was spent avoiding conflicts. Not that I lacked the backbone to stand up for myself. But my sense of self told me that my words hurt people, and hurting people meant that I was imperfect.
Upon reading the very first page, it resonated with me deeply as if the words were taken from my own journal. The lines I write every time I face the conflicts with myself and with the people around me.
There are moments in our lives that change us irrevocably; these moments come without warning. Sometimes they are avoidable. Other times, it is a cruel throw of the dice.
It’s remarkable how certain life situations can unfold in such a serendipitous manner, almost like a message from the universe, as if it were meant to be. Just two days ago, I made the decision to delete my social media accounts, with the exception of WhatsApp, because I started to feel increasingly lost whenever I opened them. I couldn’t help but wonder why people predominantly share only their moments of happiness, as if that’s the sole narrative of their lives. Shouldn’t we, in fact, find connection in sharing both the highs and lows? Even, I’ve chosen not to share my challenging days, just as I haven’t overly highlighted my moments of joy. I’ve occasionally shared posts when I thought the photos I captured were really amazing. However, I usually end up deleting those posts within 1-2 days, as my inner thoughts start to question my choices (“Why did I post? What am I expecting from posting my pictures online? How is it helping me in anyway?……” )
The interesting connection lies in the character Jhanvi from the book, an Instagram influencer who becomes entangled in the negative aspects of social media—precisely what I’ve always aimed to be away from. Strangely enough, I stumbled upon this book just two days after I deleted my own social media profiles.
There are stories of loss, darkness and destruction. But then there are always stories of hope, light and recovery, waiting to be told.
The book delves into a deeply serious subject: mental health, a topic that still carries a significant stigma in India. The ability to write a story discussing such a subject in an engaging way that most people can relate to is a skill of the author. While awareness about mental health issues has grown, many individuals still hesitate or not comfortable to open up and discuss their struggles with others. I wish for those people, and for myself, to discover the inner strength to be vulnerable and to lead lives surrounded by those who genuinely care about us.
“It is important that we share our experiences with other people. Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else. When you tell your story, you free yourself and give permission to other people to acknowledge their own story” ~ Iyanla Vanzant
If you liked this post, make sure to come back to read my next post!
Until then, live life and have fun 🙂
With Gratitude,
Teja Sree Goli
