The Power of Reading

Reading was instilled in me at a young age. As a child I used to think, “how cool is this, I get to travel to a faraway land” and escape into the world the author created. As I grew older my reading selections evolved into learning something new, seeing through the eyes of someone else, and trying to figure out “who did it” so I can prove my detective skills right. I learned the importance of keeping my mind occupied and growing. Looking back, there are so many hidden skills that I was subjected to as I dissected each character and joined them on their journey. 

Reading allows us to learn how to cultivate friendships and how to disengage when the friendship has ran its course. We can learn about various personality traits including how manipulation always back fires in the end and lies always come to the surface. Books give us the opportunity to learn the importance of being kind to oneself and that everyone experiences hurt. We learn how to communicate effectively and have hard conversations, as well as what probably should be left unsaid or spoken in a nicer tone. Reading teaches us the importance of having a support system and what can happen when someone betrays our trust. Some books teach us that we cannot go back in time to change things and even if we could, the outcome would not be what we expect. We can learn the importance of using all our senses and brain to help navigate tough situations. We are exposed to the importance of always packing a safety bag in our car, because we never know what can happen or when. We also learn that people are not always nice or have our best interest at heart. We learn there are different kinds of love as well as different kinds of anger. Books teach us that life can be hard, bittersweet, joyous, and dull. We also get to have an imagination, regulate our emotions, determine why a character is liked or disliked, and even find similarities of ourselves within the pages. I had no idea how much wealth was right before my eyes. 

As our society is battling whether or not to ban books, sensor material for pre-adults, publish material that is not scientifically proven, and even make horrible movies (as the book is always better); I think it is a great opportunity for all of us to get back to the reason as to why books were created. Simply to educate, document history, and later on as entertainment.  Without reading, I would not be who I am today. I recommended various books to clients on a regular bases and encourage them to bring in their own suggestions so we can process it together. Books can help us recognize that we are not alone, that we matter, and it’s okay to not be okay. 

I strongly encourage all readers of this blog to pick up a book. If you are needing recommendations – reach out, I have tons of suggestions. Get yourself on a reading app to track your progress and find new authors, personally I enjoy Goodreads and Bookmory. Get involved in a book club. Reward yourself with pizza hut individual pan pizza when you complete your challenge (totally worked for me as a child!). Go cruise a library or book store. Decide if you are a physical book, Kindle, or audiobook person. Give books as gifts. Share your great read finds with others. Reading does not have to be dull or dry, find a genre that resonates with you. Reading is powerful, assert that power!