When Malcolm X was in prison, he discovered the power of books. He was physically caged within the walls of the prison, but his mind was free.
He spent most of his six and a half years in prison reading books—day and night. In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, he wrote about his nightly reading habits:
“At one-hour intervals the night guards paced past every room. Each time I heard the approaching footsteps, I jumped into bed and feigned sleep. And as soon as the guard passed, I got back out of bed onto the floor area of that light-glow, where I would read for another fifty-eight minutes—until the guard approached again. That went on until three or four every morning. Three or four hours of sleep a night was enough for me. Often in the years in the streets I had slept less than that.”
That’s the power of a rich mind. No matter how isolated you are, your mind will never be alone. It will be rich of knowledge and ideas. It will never be bored or feel lonely.