Affected By Reading
Why reading consistently is so important, and how it truly affects us long-term?
It’s said to be true that those who read, simply get better at it over time. Not surprisingly, consistently reading is known to gain more enjoyment from it for those who read more occasionally, than those who read less often. For starters, reading consistently forces us to use our analytical abilities which then stimulates our awareness, fluency, thoughts, and memories.
Beyond that, reading is a neurobiological process that strengthens our brain muscles, therefore, expanding our vocabulary, and writing abilities by enhancing our knowledge, and increasing our imagination, comprehension, creativity, and so much more. Reading opens doors to new worlds, which provides entertainment, and overall has positive neurological, and psychological benefits.
Like many things, reading is simply a practice. Although, many of us often find ourselves caught in a loop of feeling as if we don’t have the time, but later discover that in many ways that could be our reality, or easily a lazy excuse… In many cases, the problem isn’t lacking time, but choosing to prioritize and make better use of our lack-of-time, and management. Realizing that, I decided to create the time, by creating a routine, in which becoming more serious about implementing reading into my life.
"True behavior change is identity change. You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you’ll stick with one is that it becomes part of your identity."
~ James Clear
Here’s how I do it:
An average book has 200 pages, and of course, that can vary.
There are 7 days a week.
By dividing the number of pages, (which of course is depending on the book) by 7 days, we have approximately 30 pages(a chapter, being that most book chapters only consist of 30 pages, if not less).
By reading a chapter (30 pages) a day, we can commit to completing a book in a week.
The beautiful thing is that it only takes about 40-60 minutes out of the 24 hours we are granted to pick up a book, ground ourselves, and commit to our own self-love, healing, growth, and improvement.
A few of my favorites novels thus far:
The Manifestation Manifesto — Brendon Burchard
The Four Agreements — Don Miguel Ruiz
You Are What You Say — Larry Rothstein, Matthew Budd, and Patch Adams
The Anatomy of Spirit — Caroline Myss
You have a Brain — Ben Carson
