Dear Misplaced:
Regardless of your situation and background to this point, you may have discovered which tools and resources are at your disposal that will ultimately strengthen you. Strengthen what you might ask? Your mind; because it controls so much of your being. Every action and every attitude that you have starts with a thought. Those thoughts in turn affect both your body and soul.
You may feel as though you have missed out on so much already. Living through childhood trauma can often distort and stifle your thought process. The ones around you may seem to learn and retain so much more than you have. Not to worry, it is not a race, and you can start at any point; but the sooner the better.
I don’t know of one person, regardless of IQ points or talent who could not manage to strengthen their minds once they committed to making it happen. You just need to value it and be willing to pursue it. For me, it was as simple as obtaining my first library card. It cost me nothing and let’s face it; libraries are not a place where most kids go to create mischief. No one ever questioned my intentions for going there and for me, it was a quiet place to think and read.
Outside of the library, any book I found, I opened it. Even if not reading “cover to cover”, the most trivial piece of knowledge that I found was potentially useful. I remember finding old newspapers tucked away in the basement of my adoptive parents’ home that marked my knowledge and interest with the JFK assassination. It forever piqued my interest in politics and modern history. Curiosity in turn creates interests – the yearning to know more.
Historically, I find myself a little jealous of the more current generations though. The information is so much more accessible and readily available than what I ever had. Entire books that I would either have to go to the library and check out or be put on a wait list for are now available on a variety of screened devices. Yes, I have them now as well, but I would have been able to read so much more if only…
A word of caution though, there is a difference between being educated and being indoctrinated. There is nothing wrong with exploring different viewpoints but at all costs, be the gatekeeper of your own mind. Remember that every person develops a moral code or a sense of what is good and what is not; this should be at the very core of what you are adding to your knowledge base. If you feel that something that you encounter does not feel right, there is a reason for that. You are building your own mind and not following the will of others. Remember, it is YOUR mind to develop and not someone else’s to manipulate.
Until next time, keep reading!
-Patrick