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The perspective-shif ter
Journalist Kayla Osborne, 25, was
given the skills to help a friend in
need thanks to Paper Towns
“My friend was diagnosed with depression just before I started
reading Paper Towns, and up until then, I’d led a relatively
sheltered life in regards to mental illness. I didn’t know how
to help my friend, so I tried to force her to go out and do
things even though I knew I was being overbearing. I could
hear myself nagging her, but I couldn’t stop because it felt
like it was the only thing I could do to help her. I thought if
I didn’t tell her to go and seek help, nobody would.
In the book, the main character, Quentin, feels as though
it’s his responsibility to find his missing neighbour, Margo, and
during one particular scene, a police officer talks to Quentin
and explains that some people are like balloons – they need to
go their own way, even if it ends badly. It made me realise that
I shouldn’t chase or push people (sometimes they have to help
themselves), and it allowed me to take a step back and become
my friend’s shoulder to lean on rather than a mother figure.
I realised that mental illness is an internal struggle, so I gave
her space and the invitation to come to me if she needed to –
and she did. I was by her side whenever she needed me to be.
Before reading the book, simply listening to someone
instead of judging or providing them with a solution was difficult,
but, thanks to Paper Towns, I don’t find it too hard anymore. Now
I have a deeper understanding of people who are living with
mental illness, and I try to hear what my friends really need.”
READ IT: Paper Towns by John Green (HarperCollins, $19.99)^The career switch-up
The Alchemist helped ex-teacher
Kate Liston-Mills, 31, chase her dream
of becoming a writer“I was on my way to do volunteer work in India for a few months
when I saw The Alchemist in an airport newsagency. I’d just quit
my job as a primary school teacher and, to be honest, I was a lost
soul. I thought I’d be a teacher for the rest of my life, but after
a bad experience at one particular school, I was turned off
completely and didn’t know what to do – I was 24 and felt like
a failure. A few days before I saw the book, I’d read that Coelho
wrote The Alchemist in two weeks, and since I thought finding
the book was quite the coincidence, I figured I’d better buy it.
What inspired me most about the book was the magical
journey. I was entranced by the adventure of it – the heat, the
characters, the desert, the sand and the unrelenting sun. It was
all very similar to what I was experiencing in India and it made
me think about the power of books and how much I’d always
loved writing. The Alchemist talks about finding your ‘personal
legend’ or your ‘true self’, and based on how I felt about
teaching, I knew it couldn’t have been my purpose, so I decided
to study creative writing when I returned to Australia.
It was difficult to tell my friends and family I was going
back to uni, but it was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
I kept studying after I finished my writing degree, and now
I’m a librarian and have a book to my name: The Waterfowl Are
Drunk! (Spineless Wonders, $22.99) I’m not rich, but I get to
work from home, exercise when I choose, spend time with loved
ones and focus on being my best self, so I don’t regret a thing.”
READ IT: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (HarperCollins, $22.99)
The soul-soother
The Little Book of Hope helped
fraud analyst Kate Skinner, 26,
nix anxiety and stress for good“After the birth of my son early last year, I wasn’t in the best
place. I was worried about money and how we were going to
get ahead, and as a result, I was battling stress and anxiety every
day. The stress grew harder to live with, and at times I wasn’t
the nicest person, so I realised I needed to find a way to deal
with my anxiety and be the best wife and mother I could be.
When I picked up The Little Book of Hope in a bookshop,
I was inspired from the get-go. The book tells the story of
Ade Djajamihardja, a man in his mid-30s who suffers a major
stroke. The stroke forces him to address his negative lifestyle
choices, and throughout the book he shares some of the
techniques he’s developed to relieve stress and anxiety.
One of the techniques Djajamihardja talks about is filling
your ‘bucket’ with ‘big rocks’ – the non-negotiable things in life
such as family and exercise – instead of letting the unimportant
things take up all the room. He also talks about the importance
of a ‘sacred luxury’ and support network, so now I give myself
time to enjoy a cup of tea and I don’t feel weak when I need help.
I didn’t realise the book would have such a big impact on my
life, but after reading it, I’ve learned how to manage my stress
levels so they don’t overwhelm me. I understand that stress is an
inevitable part of life, but the most important thing I’ve learned is
that no matter how bad things get, you can always bounce back.”
READ IT: The Little Book of Hope by Kate Stephens and
Ade Djajamihardja (Simon & Schuster, $19.99)
The love game
Business banking associate, Janelle
Ouyong, 25, found the courage to end
her relationship after reading #Girlboss
“When I read #Girlboss I was going through a quarter-life
crisis. Although I had a management job in retail and a decent
boyfriend, I wanted more. I felt as though I wasn’t living the life
I should’ve been and I wanted out, but I had no idea how to do
it. Self-doubt, fear and guilt kept holding me back, and I needed
a push from the universe to get my crap together.
The whole vibe of #Girlboss made me want to be a stronger
woman. The book inspired me to rethink my life decisions, and
the title alone made me feel empowered – like I could be young
but still be in charge. First I decided to edit my resume and get
another job, then started exercising more and getting my nails
and hair done. I also questioned if I really wanted to settle for
my long-term boyfriend. At first I thought that nobody would
love me like he did, but for me, every time we had a fight it was
over, so eventually I bit the bullet and broke up with him for
good. I told myself, ‘I can and will do better,’ and I did.
The first few months were hard (I’d be lying if I said I didn’t
miss the security of my old job and relationship), but stepping
out of my comfort zone was a big part of growing up and feeling
confident. In the book, author Sophia Amoruso experiences
setbacks, but they just make her more determined to continue
on, and this made me realise that nothing comes easily. I stuck to
my guns, and now I’ve got a new career in banking and a partner
who I’ll spend the rest of my life with. I’m grateful I read the
book when I did, because now I feel like I can take on the world.”
READ IT: #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso (Penguin, $24.99)