Uncomfortability is a natural and essential part of life. It can mark growth and development. Being uncomfortable, in any given situation, can push the envelope of someone’s life for them to change it for themselves, for the better. While comfort feels amazing, one cannot challenge themselves if they never get a glimpse of discomfort. The state of discomfort can one day be a great friend and admirable ally, because it made a person work on themselves inwardly and outwardly. This goes for books as well.
In regard to reading, I used to hate, no doubt about it, nonfiction books. Yes, they can be necessary for research and provide a substantial amount of knowledge, but I could never really get behind them. Several nonfiction books I have come to read, pre-high school era, were quite a drag. The pacing was too slow, to the point where I would get bored easily. There was also no element of fantasy to make it intriguing for me. Sci-Fi and fantasy books had become a home to me. It is hard to leave a home with no force pushing me out. I read to escape the awful world around me, where the everyday horrific news was not new at all to me; the tragedies of the world had become normalized. Truly, I was scared to see the real-world in the books I read, when I tried to constantly evade it. Luckily, that is not the ending to my relationship with my discomfort. Towards the end of high school, I was struggling. I remained at the top of my class, I had even become the salutatorian. However, I had no real idea of where I wanted to go. As a child, I dreamed of going to the prestigious Harvard University, but now that it was within grasp with my 4.7 GPA, I was overwhelmed by opportunities. The pride my friends and teachers had in me fueled me to apply to big name schools such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, and Georgetown. They led me down the application route of an ego trip. I had become lost to pushing my own boundaries, even though I could never believe in myself to get there or be accepted. Before college decisions came out, I ran into a book that incited me, at my local Barnes and Noble. Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be, by Frank Bruni, stuck out to me. I was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. It was a message I needed to hear. I always thought that in order to get into my medical school of choice, I needed to go to a well-known, phenomenal school. Yet, this book taught me that whatever school I pick is not going to make or break my future career path; it is all up to me. I make whatever experience I choose to have in college, not the university itself. It really is a message all high school seniors should hear before applying to college because decision time can be devastating; one’s value is not based upon what college they end up getting into. Before the COVID-19 pandemic even started, the first set of big-name colleges started rolling out. If I had never picked up a book, which I would never read normally, I would be miserable. Not only did Bruni do a great job humbling me, but he also taught me that no matter where I end up, I will be okay. My life is in my own hands, I can choose whatever I want to do with that. I should never allow universities to make that choice for me.
A simple little book opened a wide door for me. Books that are a part of subjects I do not normally go for should not be fully ignored. Sometimes the mysteries of life and uncommon wisdom can be found in take the path a person would not normally follow. Since that time reading Bruni’s book, I tend to reread over again and recommend it to all of my friends that are still in high school. Furthermore, I pick up a lot more nonfiction novels, because the first one I enjoyed and blew my mind, changed my entire perspective on education and myself. Discomfort offers a lot of room to grow and adapt to life; if one never allows themselves to relish in the uncomfortability of reality, have they given themselves a chance to develop more? Pick up a book you may not normally go for, it can present you will a message you have been yearning and needing to hear. Go forward and choose to read or do whatever makes you a bit uncomfortable, it will make a difference in the person you are.
I completely agree with the sentiment that getting out of one’s literary comfort zone is the pathway to growth. I did not understand this until I was fortunate enough to have a teacher in high school who did, and he encouraged our class to read from a selection of novels that were both interesting and pushed our boundaries. Despite not being your self-described forte, I encourage you to find some nonfiction novels that you may enjoy. Personally, I have found value in novels such as “Devil’s Teeth”, which highlight niche scientific pursuits.
I definitely get your perspective and I dealt with similar things and thoughts in highschool. There is such a pressure to be a certain type of person or go to the “right” school without taking into account what you as an individual need. It is interesting how books were able to really give you that push to go somewhere that will make you grow instead of making you fit inside a box. I really enjoyed reading your story.
I really enjoyed reading this post – the tips you offered were quite insightful, and I’ll admit that I do have a habit of only reading one type of book. I’ll have to try out some more genres that aren’t inside my “home of reading” and branch out, because it does indeed help people become more well-rounded. Even though I am not in high school anymore, I may check out the book that you discussed – it sounds like it has good lessons that anyone could use, and I agree that its message of following your own path will help you find the most success.
It’s really inspiring to read about your journey through the college application process- I had a similar story, where I was aiming for some high-level schools but eventually chose Penn State and not my most prestigious option. I also believe that getting out of your comfort zone is important. What I really liked about my high school English class was that my teacher made us read all sorts of different genres. For example, I never thought I’d enjoy absurdism but I eventually grew to love it.