Good Books Can Help Improve Your Mood
I firmly believe that good books have the magic of making people feel like dancing; therefore, if I feel depressed and dispirited, I always read my favorite books to cheer my spirit up, improve my mood, and embolden me to keep moving forward. As a matter of fact, this magic has never failed me – I am extremely happy and motivated after reading my favorite books. This is because good books have the power to speak to your heart and inspire you to face the music with a strong determination.
I described in Liberation: Seeking the Meaning of Life how I always find refuge in my favorite books when things do not go well, when I feel lonely, and when I cannot see any hope in the future. These books provide me with comfort, encouragement, and insight to uplift my mood and navigate difficult times:
Whenever phobia assaults my heart, I find refuge in my favorite authors, who give me direction and hope. In addition, they make me understand that I am not alone in having such suffering in my own country, but they had been through the same experiences and overcame them! When unbearable loneliness invades my heart, I always read Hamsun, Miller, and Hesse. They have become my only friends in Japan, and their books have become my bibles. They speak to my heart, give me strength to keep my head up, and make me feel that I am not alone. “You have no time being maudlin, mister! You are obliged to read books to improve yourself every single hour that you are available,” I reproach myself. Maybe, this time, I’ll find a perfect solution in books,” I nod and say aloud, “This is it!” while snapping my fingers. The idea of finding the perfect solution in books cheers my spirit up, and I decide to take a train to go home as quickly as possible, as though my every problem would solve itself just by the act of opening my favorite books.
It is important for you to meet books that have the power to help improve your mood miraculously every time you read them. You can find such impressive books if you really want to improve your mood and unlock the courage to chase after your dreams relentlessly. I am lucky enough to meet such enchanting books in my seeking, and one of them is The Smile at the Foot of Ladder by Henry Miller. In fact, this book still has the power to make me dance around the room every time I reread it.
I depicted in Dance to Dream: Making the Right Choice how I feel every time I lay my eyes on this wonderful book:
I sit on a chair, inhale the fresh morning air, sip coffee, light a cigarette, and puff in the air peacefully. I open The Smile at the Foot of Ladder, which I have reread countless times. I believe that this is the only book that Henry Miller ever wrote other than himself. As a matter of fact, this book is extremely thin, with only 56 pages; however, it has tremendously impacted me and touched my heart deeply ever since I laid my eyes on it. As soon as I begin reading it, the magic of mystery overwhelms me, and I am helplessly engrossed in Miller’s beauty of language. As I reach my favorite passage of the book, it still has the power to make me shiver to the core of my being:
“Well, there’s one thing I understand now – my happiness was real but unfounded. I have to recapture it, but honestly this time. I have to hold on to it with hands, as though it were a precious jewel.
I must learn to be happy as Auguste, as the clown that I am.”
He took another sip of wine, then shook himself like a dog.
“Maybe this is my last chance, I shall start from the bottom once more.” With this he fell to speculating on a new name for himself. This game took him far afield. “Yes,” he resumed, having forgotten already the name he had decided on, “I’ll work out something new, something totally new. If it doesn’t make me happy, it will at least keep me on the alert. Perhaps South America….”
The resolution to begin afresh was so strong that he almost galloped back to the fairgrounds. He went at once in search of the boss.
“It’s decided,” he said breathlessly, “I’m leaving right now. I’m going away, far away, where nobody will possibly know me. I’m going to begin all over again.”
“But why?” exclaimed the big one. “Why do you have to start afresh when you’ve already established a great reputation?” “You won’t understand but I’ll tell you just the same. Because I want to be happy this time.”
“Happy? I don’t understand. Why happy?” “Because usually, a clown is happy only when he is somebody else. I don’t want to be anybody but myself.”
“Don’t understand a word of it…. Listen, Auguste…”
“Look,” said Auguste, wringing his hands, “What makes people laugh and cry when they watch us?” “My dear fellow, what has all that to do with it? Those are academic questions. Let’s talk sense. Let’s get down to reality.”
That’s what I’ve just discovered,” said Auguste gravely. “Reality! That’s the very word for it. Now I know who I am, what I am, and what I must do. That’s reality. What you call reality is sawdust; it crumbles away, and slips through the fingers.
Accordingly, good books certainly have the power to help improve your mood. You just need to start finding books that have the magic of improving your mood and encouraging you to be who you truly are. Maybe you can find the magic and inspiration in my trilogy, Song of Friendship. Who knows?
Find Your Favorite Writers Who Resonate with Your Beliefs
I have madly worshiped Knut Hamsun, Hermann Hesse, and Henry Miller. And Knut Hamsun is the one whom I revere the most. I’ve always aspired to write like Hamsun, and his style is a constant presence in my mind. Throughout my life, I’ve read a multitude of books and deeply admired various writers, but Hamsun’s influence on me has been the most profound. I’ve never encountered a writer as beautiful as him, and I’ve even delved into studying his books line by line in the hopes of unraveling the magic of his writing.
Isaac Bashevis Singer expressed his admiration, “The whole modern of fiction in the twentieth century stems from Hamsun. They were all Hamsun’s disciplines: Thomas Mann and Arthur Schnitzier… and even such American writers as Fitzgerald and Hemingway.” I should add here that Herman Hess was his discipline as well. And on top of it all, Henry Miller was the most fervent discipline of Hamsun.
The very first time my eyes laid on Pan, I was astonished at Hamsun’s elegant poetic style, which contains a harmony found only in the highest types of poetry. I was entirely captivated by his beautiful world and read it four times in a row. Truth be told, I have still reread Hamsun’s books to improve myself. If you never read his fantastic books, I strongly recommend you read one of his books to improve your mood and enjoy his enchanting world.
My admiration for my favorite writers is phenomenal. I have forever been a champion of Hamsun, Hesse, and Miller. I can tolerate if someone hurls insults at me, but when it comes to my idols, my tolerance wears thin. If someone happens to hurl an insult at my idols in front of my presence, I will fly into a rage to defend them, just as passionately as a heavyweight boxing champion in the ring. As a matter of fact, I wrote the episode in Mexican Rhapsody: Having a Second Chance about how I resolutely defended one of my heroes when my English professor gave a sloppy remark about Henry Miller:
Her parting words outraged me. It was okay with me that she insulted me and failed me. As a matter of fact, I put up with this frivolous reality, notwithstanding I was nauseated by the preposterous education system to hell. Still and all, I could not allow her to insult my hero. “Why did she insult Henry Miller?” I was talking to myself aloud while waiting for an elevator. I could allow her to insult me as much as she wished, but never my hero. I decided to decline her proposal flatly and made up my mind to have a straight talk with the principal.
I hope that you can find your favorite writers whom you can passionately worship and admire. This is because if you can find them, their books will be your Bibles. And every time you feel discouraged and disheartened, their books will help improve your mood and cheer your spirit up to the heaven!
