This year’s Common Reading book dazzled audiences with the tale of a Shakespearean theatre troupe traveling across the remains of civilization two decades after a virus wiped out most of humanity. While it’s safe to say that most of us haven’t lived through the apocalypse, we could all learn a lesson or two from the characters who did.
1. Hold onto the past. Cherish the people you love and where they’ve gotten you. Take pride in your own accomplishments, but never forget the people who have helped you along the way.
2. At the same time, don’t be afraid to let the past go. You are not the result of what has happened to you. You are the choices that you choose to make, and it is never too late to turn a new leaf.
3. We all believe in different things. Refusing to interact with someone with different values than you – religion, sexuality, gender, culture or political ideology – only robs you of your chance to live and learn from a new perspective.
4. Wealth is more than monetary value. Remember the saying “not all that glitters is gold”? As cheesy as it may sound, the real treasure is in the relationships and bonds we form with others.
5. We can’t always control what happens to us. What we CAN control is how we react to events.
6. Connection is a double-edged sword. While it’s incredible to live in a world where you can access information and talk to people in other countries with a single swipe or tap, too often we end up so involved in the digital lives of others that we forget to live our own lives. It’s okay to put the phone down and take a stroll down the Boulevard every once in a while!
7. Broaden your horizons. Too often we think of ourselves as each being the center of our own little universes. Try stepping out of your comfort zones by attending a new event on campus or striking up a conversation with someone you haven’t met before.
8. The arts are important! Listening to music or watching a theatrical production can bring thousands of different people to share a life-changing experience.
9. Don’t take others for granted. Whether it’s knocking on your best friend’s door with a carton of ice cream after she broke up with her boyfriend or thanking the girl at Dedman Rec who had an extra ponytail holder to spare (because we’ve all been on both sides of that situation), showing someone you sincerely care and appreciate them is a surefire way to make their day.
10. Be the change you wish to see in the world. This quote from Mahatma Gandhi can be seen on everything from coffee mugs to t-shirts, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful or relevant.
11. Above all, survival is inefficient. It’s not enough to just stay alive – in order to live, you have to learn. You have to love. You have to thrive.
Courtesy of Amazon
Fans of the novel will have a chance to meet with author Emily St. John Mandel at her free, on-campus lecture 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at McFarlin Auditorium. Don’t miss out on this incredible chance to learn even more about Station Eleven’s universe from the person who knows it best!
Feature Image: Courtesy of Library Aware