An Ode to My Unread Books
I love reading. My bookshelf is my sacred place.
But it can also be a source of stress. You see, I have A LOT of unread books sitting on my shelf. I’m kind of addicted to buying books. I buy them with reckless abandon. Recommend a book to me and the odds are pretty good that I am going to buy it.
Sometimes I look at my bookshelf and ponder…
How the hell am I going to read all of these books?
But lately, my mind has changed. Instead of feeling stressed about them…
I have decided to love my unread books.
What changed my mind?
I recently discovered the Japanese word Tsundoku:
“Acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one’s home without reading them. It is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf.”
What a beautiful word and a beautiful concept!
It gives me permission to go ahead and accumulate more books.
It gives me permission to look at my unread books in an entirely different light.
It gives me permission to love my unread books.
Now, instead of getting stressed over them, my unread books remind me:
- I love to read.
- I still have much to learn.
- I have many opportunities to discover a life-changing book.
I now look at the shelf that holds my unread books with affection instead of angst.
Thank you, Tsundoku.
