Reading is dreaming with open eyes. – Unknown
To me, there is next to nothing more enjoyable than to read a good book. I simply love that feeling of plunging through space and time and different dimensions. I love it when the novel creates that magical feeling of traveling around the world where I am being put into the bodies and minds of astonishing and fascinating heroes and where new marvels of life, endless destinies and stories are unravelled opening up new meanings and reflections on my own life and the way I perceive the world.
I read books because I love reading. It enriches me, it teaches me, it makes me stronger and more open-minded with each book I read. A book is a powerful teacher that shifts our imagination and expands the horizons of our mind.
I’m far from being the fastest and the most ferocious reader in the world, but I do it daily. And I genuinely enjoy reading.
I know that many people wish to read more, but don’t know quite where to begin, how to start doing so.
How to Read More: 10 Compelling Reasons
1. Expanding the Worldview
The more books from different genres you read the more you expand your worldview horizons. It simply opens your heart to new ideas, people, cultures, different views on history and unites you with the rest of the world at the same time. The more perspectives you get, the better you are at understanding people, the world and, dare I say, life.
2. Endless Inspiration & Knowledge
It’s true when we say that every time we meet someone, they always know something we don’t and vice versa. Same goes for reading books. Every time we come across a new book, it has some story, some insight, some boost of knowledge and inspiration in store for us. Every single book you read fills your mind with information and, even though you never know when it might come in handy – the more knowledge you have, the better you are equipped to tackle new challenges that life throws your way. Our mind is like a sponge that absorbs the information and comes up with solutions, tools and skills in life when you need them most.
3. Biographies & Dreaming Big
It is always an inspirational infusion when you read biographies of people that inspire you. An incredible journey of their lives teaches us how to push harder, how to identify what we want and how to go for it. Whenever I read someone’s biography it compels me to THINK BIG and DARE TO DREAM – something that some teachers fail to teach at the school.
Think about people that inspire you. Who’s story of life would you would love to know more about?
4. Creativity Boost
Our mind is like any muscle in our body: in order to be healthy and strong, it needs its daily boost of knowledge through reading. Moreover, it is a well-known fact that the more people engage their mind with reading the less their chances are to become a victim of Dementia and Alzheimer’s diseases.
New ideas that we stumble across when we read tend to stretch our creativity enormously. The more we read, the more exercise our brain gets.
Reading books expand your creativity. Creativity gives you the ability to solve problems effectively and in no time. Creativity gives you the power to write fascinating books and outstanding music, create breakthroughs in science that subsequently aids us all… It helps humanity.
Reading expands the imagination. It makes you see what you’ve read. And there is no movie better than a good book and your own imagination.
5. Better relationships
From a good conversation to a deeper, more meaningful conversation. Every book you read improves your relationships with people. It gives you a better understanding of psychology and human nature. It helps you understand yourself when you find your reflection in the book that you are reading.
6. Good vs. Bad ideas
Books help me a lot in distinguishing good and bad ideas by simply reflecting and learning about what has worked for someone in the past and what doesn’t currently work right now. Especially when you’ve chosen a field that you strive to become an expert at. Reading develops your analytical thinking. It increases your focus and concentration. The more we read, the more we think and, therefore, use our brain. And the more solutions and valuable skills we store in the library of our knowledge.
7. Dramatic Vocabulary Expansion
The more we read books the broader exposure to a wide range of writing styles and words we receive. When you read and come across new words, they find their place in your daily vocabulary and expand it dramatically. Imagine that you have a toolbox that gains more tools with every book you read. Your toolbox simply has more tools that help you to express your ideas, beliefs and contemplations in a better way.
Reading books is an absolute must for those who learn new languages because if you are not a native speaker, you get a wider exposure to words and you understand their context. When we come across new words in different contexts, it deepens our understanding of where and how to use them. It helps us with writing and speaking more fluently.
The idea is simple. The more you expand your vocabulary by reading more, the more self-confidence you gain knowing that you are articulate and well-spoken. It gives you a great boost in any profession you are into.
8. Writing Skills Boost
Improvement of writing skills goes hand in hand with vocabulary expansion. A broad exposure to the world of books (different genres and writing styles) and a boost in your own imagination and creativity subsequently increase your chances to write a brilliant piece of work. Why? Because when we read our subconscious tends to absorb everything and expands our personal grammar and understanding of the language.
Just like musicians influenced one another writing new masterpieces and world-famous painters used the techniques of previous generations of great painters creating something new… great authors create new masterpieces with their unique blend of what they read and inspiration from other great authors.
9. Memory Enhancement
Wouldn’t it be nice to expand your memory capacity? What more can help in pushing your memory muscle and make it stronger? Reading books, of course. Every time you read it requires you to remember quite a lot of details, characters, their motivations, ambitions, and backgrounds. And this is what amazes me the most about our mind. It can pick up and remember even the smallest details of the story. The more you read, the more you train your mind to remember… the more expanded your memory gets.
10. Stress Relief and Tranquility
It doesn’t matter how much stress you experience during business hours, or when you are at school or university, or when something is going on with your relationships… All issues become irrelevant and dissolve for a while when you give yourself some rest and vanish in a good storyline. A book takes you away to a different reality and dimension while draining all the tension in the present moment out of your system. It gives you relief, peace, and tranquility.
In the next posts, we will expand the subject of reading, comprehensive techniques, speed reading and talk about why we shouldn’t judge a book by its movie.
I hope this article motivated you to pick up a book and start reading. What are you currently reading?