Why You Should Read and How to Get Into Reading

Ralph Waldo Emerson had once said, ‘If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads.’

It’s a fact that the most successful people in the world spend at least a few hours from their busy schedule to read. Reading just doesn’t rejuvenate us, it empowers us with knowledge.

And nevertheless as they say, books are the best friends you can have in your life. And if you are one of those who want to get into reading, let’s tell you why and how.

1. Reading reduces stress – A good article or a good story helps you get engaged in the present moment and forget all other troubling thoughts from your professional or personal life. It simply transports you to another world and makes you invest in your own thought process.

2. Improves your vocabulary – One way to improve your vocabulary is to read. The idea is simple. The more you read, the more you are able to learn new words to include in your regular vocabulary.

3. Develops Better Analytical Skills – Did you ever read any mystery or thriller novel? Those are the kind of literature that helps you analyze the plot and constantly make you do the guess work in your head about the probable conclusion in the story. In short, reading such stories improve your analytical skills and make you think more logically.

4. Increases Concentration – They say, ‘Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body’. A good book will involve you in its story, make you think and imagine and increase your ability to memorize and focus on the subjects. If you are reading something interesting, it anyway will increase your concentration.

5. Reading Makes You A Better Writer – If you are trying to improve your writing skills, then look nowhere but start to read more. The more you read, the better you write.

How to Get Into Reading?

It’s not too difficult to become a good reader. You may just make an effort to do the following and end up finishing a good number of books by the end of the year.

1. Select a number of good books that you want to read. Don’t go for speed reading. Take it slow in the beginning.

2. Select the kind of genre that excites you. Fiction or non-fiction, thrillers or fantasies, Classics or contemporaries – Choose the kind of books that is appealing to you.

3. Set aside the books that do not engage you or bores you. Do not spend time in something that doesn’t stimulate you.

4. Start talking about what you read to others having similar interests. The more you talk about what you read, the more you will discover and explore newer perspectives.

5. Set a timer for reading. You may spare just 30 minutes to 1 hour for reading everyday from your busy routine. If you are absorbed in the content of the book, you will automatically extend your reading time.

In the end we would say what Lloyd Alexander had said, ‘Keep reading. It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have’.