I have come across a handful of people, young and old, answering "I am too busy to sit and read" or "I cannot find that book in my library" or "I don't want to spend on buying a book to just read once" to the inquiries related to their reading habit. I would like to write this post to all of you who don't read because of a myriad of reasons- to just remind you and/or notify you, all the things that one could gain by reading a book.
Now, with this post, I don't claim myself to be a full time reader, because, I have adopted this habit not until recently however, for the period that I have indulged in this productive habit, I can see the transformation that my intellectual capabilities go through. It is a never-ending life-altering journey and I would like you to experience it too. This might be a long post, because here, I have addressed a few reasons I have heard for not reading the book and what I want to say to all those who lose themselves with trivialities.
Now, let's talk!
A book- Is not just a collection of words, but information. A book can convey any kind of information- History, memoirs, physical pleasures, advices, collection of ideas, collection of good habits, current affairs or theories or opinions. There are subtleties in choosing a book for you to read, but we will get to that later. Now, think of the fact that these authors have had something to tell the world, something that they might have personally experienced or read or collected, discovered or sometimes spent their lifetime on researching on a particular topic and compile into an organized compressed, easily understandable product.
So, to know about a subject, you need not spend your lifetime discovering the intricacies of the concepts, but to read a book on it. What an unfailing privilege that is? Don't you think this is something an individual should take the fullest advantage on? Now, someone has written what they learnt from experiences, so others can learn from it and we choose to commit the same kind of mistakes again in life and try to learn from it? Isn't this the definition of incompetence? You should focus on maximizing what little years you have to live and stop wasting your life in learning from your own mistakes.
"Learn from the mistakes of others. You cannot live long enough to make them all yourselves"- Chanakya.
We are not born with survival skills, we learn them as we grow. We are not primal creatures, but highly sophisticated intellectual beings. So, mere survival skills don't yield a fulfilling fruitful life, there are things beyond the basics, that need exploration- Intellectual, emotional and spiritual. Growing these vital parts of life lies in our desire to live a big life. Of the many ways to grow in these areas, the most common easy and obvious way is to read the good books which are the wealth of information on pretty much any topic. This seems to be pretty elementary yet very overlooked by the most of us.
"Well, you know what? I can get the summary of the book in less than 10 minutes with a youtube video. Or better, someone would make a movie out of it, if that book is so worthy! Why should one waste time in reading the whole book?"- To answer this question, I would like to add a link here, that discusses about the number of developments that happen in one's brain with a consistent reading habit. Reading a book primarily increases the brain connectivity that is sustained even after the reading period. It improves one's communication skills by improving white matter in the brain. It is also found to enhance the attention span of the readers and to improve the memory by increased mental activity of visualizing and hearing our own reading.
There can be people who talk, write, shout and show the best outcomes of reading, but only when you are receptive to those messages could you even pay attention. Why are you so distracted with the futilities that the current world throws your way? Why are you bound by the short sighted nature of immediate gratification? Reading just the highlights while you can delve deep into the issues that fascinates you? Why should you graze only the top grass while you can find the sweetest of carrots at the root? You are so blinded by too much things your attention is exposed to via social media, that at one point, you become a hot blob of unorganized data scum bag.
Let's shake off the lethargy, the blinding amount of social media dump; the incessant need to constantly stuff entertainment within our eyes and the brain; the walls that we have built around us that blocks us from seeing beyond our perception; the urge to reason and justify everything that we do or say or think; and for once let's keep our brain open to the idea of finding something that can help enhance, shape and enrich our lives on a daily basis. Books are the best beginnings to keep the brains engaged and nourish at the same time.
Do you not have the time to read? Are you sure? 6 hour sleep and 10 hours of work, 3 hours for chores and routines, 2 hours for eating, travel time- 1-2 hours and still we have 1 extra hour left! Can't you spend our travel time in reading? Can't you dedicate 30 minutes before sleep to reading? While doing chores, can't you play an audiobook? Will is all it takes and the rest follows, the path is laid where the will lies. Do you not want to spend too much money on books? Then try these options: FB market, Kijiji, Amazon's used books, used bookstores in the city, free trial on amazon audible, or even sometimes you can find PDFs of books on google search. You can also resell if you happen to buy new books! So, now let's get started!
Remember that finding the right book, discovering your area of interest- the niche might take time for a few but you should first introspect what you want to achieve in life and what you think gives you peace and happiness, what can help you find yourself, take your life to a higher level. Say, reading a classic book like 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee leaves you with a storm of thoughts and feeling intense. A book like 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama inspires you about the endless possibilities regardless of the kind of beginnings one might have. A book like 'Outliers' by Malcolm Gladwell or 'Guns, germs and steel' by Jared Diamond fills you with the magnitude of the society we live in. 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear or 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron transforms your way of life. So, Goodreads can give you suggestions based on your interests, but or starters, you can begin from this list!
Few more key things to keep in mind:
Find the books that benefit you - Mentally, Emotionally and Intellectually. Choose books that can enhance or change your perspectives those that evolve you.
Consistency is the key - Reading on a daily basis even if for a short period of time could benefit you over time.
Have a list - Of the books you would like to read, I have this ritual when I set up the bullet journal for the month, I mention reading 2 or 3 books with the titles and their authors in it.
Imbibe the subject- Reading the book just to strike out the list of reads can't yield much. It is vital to learn from it. Write the learnings from the reading in a page or two in your journal.
Live it- Again, reading and learning is as important as living according to the morals you've learnt from the book. Reading 'You are a badass' doesn't make you a badass, implementing the words into actions make you one!
"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing "- Harper Lee from How to Kill a Mockingbird
Happy reading!
True that people cite excuses for not reading books. Social media are the greatest deterrent to reading. Same time, people thronging Book fairs in large numbers indicates reading habit has not come to an end. The charm in turning the pages and the physical feel will keep the book reading habit alive for ever - no doubt.