An old saying is that 'The pen is mightier than the sword' and there is a lot of truth in this.
Words are wonderful things.
Words can make you happy or sad, cheer you up when you are down, inspire you to think beyond your present situation and dream dreams of better things to come. There is nothing more cheering than a letter from an old friend, received just when you were believing you hadn't a friend left in the world. Reading a good book, tucked up snugly in a warm bed, is one of the most pleasurable experiences I know of. And the inspiration that comes from other people, brave enough to write down their own experiences of life, knows no bounds. When I was lost in the throes of alcoholism I found great help in reading the stories of others who had been there and had come out the other end.