Build a Personal Library

The bookstore and the library have a shared feature beyond both having many books. They both have many different genres and styles of books. No bookstore sticks to one genre. No library only has one specific type of literature. It is the combination of multiple styles, types, and authors featured in these venues that make them special. A lightbulb moment went off in my mind when I heard a recent analogy on this premise. A library (or bookstore) is only a library if it has sections. If it has no sections, it’s just a shelf. The defining feature of both bookstores and libraries is that they have everything, not that they have books. In our own lives, we should look to curate a mental library of ideas, experiences, and thoughts. We should desire building an internal library and not stick to one shelf of topics.

Building an internal library takes time but should come naturally as we live our lives. Every personal experience, story, and memory gets tucked away in one corner of our minds waiting for the moment to be shared. These specific “genres” in our minds are what make us unique. The experiences we have differentiate us from the people around us. By getting out and experiencing the world, these shelves of our library will naturally be filled. The more we experience life, the more we can tuck away inside our minds.

The more defined parts of life that require more deliberate effort to add real estate to our internal library are areas such as skills, hobbies, and learnings we uncover. These genres are what enrich the library in our minds beyond the experiences and memories we have. These shelves help fill our minds with substance and help us continue evolving, learning, and pursuing opportunities within life.

Without differentiation, new experiences, and opportunities, we are at risk of living monotone lives. The monotone shelf of doing the same thing and only knowing one area of life should be avoided. Would you want to walk into a library of only one style of book, of only one author, or of only one idea? The answer, presumably being no, reinforces the idea that you should do what you can to get outside of your comfort zone, chase the unknown, and continue filling up the shelves of different genres within your mind. Don’t let one shelf satisfy your desire, fill the whole library and then add an extension to the building. Push the limits of how much your library can hold.