I read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig a few months ago with my childhood friends in the new book club we formed. I remember struggling to truly understand it in the first few chapters but as I moved through it, I was consumed.
Haig’s book resonated with me because I was trying to figure out “who” I wanted to be. Flash forward to now and I am freshly laid off from my marketing copywriting job of 3 1/2 years with no clue what I want to do next.
The last week being jobless, I’ve had time to really think. Think about different jobs to pursue, hobbies to start, projects to finish, habits to refresh, and more. Today, I thought about The Midnight Library.
I was feeling a bit lost because today marks exactly one week since getting the news that my position at my previous company was no longer financially viable. I hope months from now, I will be saying “getting laid off is the best thing that happened to me”. But right now, I firmly can say I do not feel I am enough.
These thoughts and uncertainty are what brought me to The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. This is a book that gently guides you through a journey of self discovery through the main character’s experiences.
Nora, the main character, gets to walk through the different lives she could’ve lived if she made different decisions. Throughout the experiences, Nora learns lessons about change, creating your “chosen” life, expectations, and yearning “the grass is always greener”.
The lessons Nora learns are beautifully written and extremely quotable. Haig’s book is filled with memorable quotes, it’s like when you spill glitter and no matter how many times you vacuum you keep seeing a shimmer here and there. Below is my favorite quote from The Midnight Library.
“We don’t have to do everything in order to be everything, because we are already infinite. While we are alive we always contain a future of multifarious possibilities.”
For a long time, I have struggled with the idea that I am not enough, that I never do enough, that I will not amount to enough. Haig is trying to tell us with this book that everyday is a new day full of potential. We have infinite paths to explore and no one path is wrong.
Whatever I choose to do professionally will simply continue to guide me through life. I will learn more lessons, I will grow as a person, I will help other people around me, and it will be the right decision.
I am happy to say, today, The Midnight Library made me feel empowered to pursue a multitude of lives in my one.
It’s a hard concept to grasp that we are truly in control of our lives. Matt Haig did an outstanding job taking a complicated subject like the human condition and our “why” and turning it into a thought-provoking and heartwarming novel.
I highly recommend this book to anyone “going through it”. Sometimes we all need a little guidance and a tad reassurance that we are strong enough to endure life’s ups and downs (because they will always exist) and enjoy the change.
So here’s a friendly reminder that you are powerful, you are in control, and you are enough.
Discover with Deanna 