When Life Sucks – Read

Life can break us in countless ways. For some, the damage is unspeakably deep—there are even those who have endured the trauma of rape. Each person responds to hardship differently; each of us survives in whatever way we can, with whatever resources we have. Sometimes, the small pleasures that give life color are reduced or taken from us entirely. And the truth is, not many people know how to manage their emotions. Few truly understand their own suffering, fewer still manage to fight depression, and even fewer can consistently find those tiny moments of joy that keep the spirit alive.

Some resign themselves to despair. They stop fighting, stop searching for things that might make them feel good, and surrender to a grey existence devoid of pleasure. If you find yourself in that place—if you feel as though you can no longer take joy in anything—I have one of the simplest, cheapest, and most effective forms of therapy to suggest: read. And learn.

People often ask me, “How do you know so much?” My honest answer is that I don’t believe I know that much. What I do know has been shaped by the quality and intellect of the people who surrounded me, as well as my own curiosity. Others have asked me, “Why did you learn so much?” and, more pointedly, “Has all that learning actually helped you?”—usually followed by the cynical observation that there are countless social media influencers and sex workers who earn far more than I do simply by posting curated images, despite being, in terms of intellect, “less informed than a bird.”

My answer is an unwavering yes. Investing time and money in myself and my education was the best decision I ever made. At first, I studied because it was my duty—school was my job, and learning was an obligation. Later, I began to learn for myself. I no longer studied to impress parents, teachers, or classmates. I stopped chasing grades, because my grades never truly reflected my knowledge or my abilities.

Learning enriched my life in ways money never could. It expanded my mind, gave me perspective, built resilience, and provided tools for understanding the world and myself. Education—formal or self-directed—becomes a shield against despair. Reading gives you new ideas to think about, new voices to hear, and new possibilities to imagine. It teaches you that you are not alone, that others have faced pain and still found a way forward.

So yes—it helped me. And it can help you too. Not overnight, not like a magic cure, but gradually, quietly, in a way that rewires your mind to see beyond your suffering. The first step? Pick up a book. Read about something that fascinates you. Learn something you’ve never known before. Do it not to impress others, not to meet a requirement, but for the sheer act of reclaiming a piece of yourself from the emptiness. Because when life sucks—and it will—reading can be the light that helps you find your way out.