READ READ READ 2

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I’ve been trying to read two books in the last six weeks, one is titled ‘Favor’ by Joseph Prince and the second is on writing, ‘Writing your Way,’ by Julie smith. Six weeks I tell you and I’m not yet in the middle of both. In between though, I do loads of reading and writing. I read my bible, snippets from Christian books and articles on a wide range of topics depending on what I’m writing on. I read people’s works that I’m editing or proofreading. I spend an average of ten hours every day reading and writing. That’s my job, more of a passion, apart from attending to other commitments.

So I understand, when you say, “I don’t have time to read.”

Time to read is always an issue, even for a writer, especially if you don’t have to, considering all the other productive and unproductive things you do daily.

You have to work and earn a living.

You have to study and pass your exams, if you are a student.

You have to attend to family and social commitments.

You have to sort through your E-mails. That may very likely take you to your Face Book page, which lures you on to twitter, a blog or a video stream on You Tube. Meanwhile your phone rings and beeps with new messages every other minute.

It’s crazy, and it reminds me of a quote I saw on my Face Book page.

“Life was much easier when apples and blackberries were just fruits.”

It made me laugh and think.

And so, after a busy day, some of which you may spend in heavy traffic, after you have endured or enjoyed the lure of the internet, all you can do is relax in front of your TV or climb into bed. Reading is far from your mind. Your brain is already overloaded.

There goes the day.

I really do understand when you say, “I don’t have time to read.”

The truth is nobody has time enough to do everything they ought to do. We just must make out time for what we think is important. You only have time for what you consider vital. If reading is important to you, you will find time for it.

You need to read. No matter whom you are or what you do. Seeking to know more about your career and other matters relevant to your need will set you ahead. Knowledge empowers.

Here are a few benefits of reading excerpted from my book, ‘READ - The Big Deal About Reading.’

READING HELPS YOU TO UNWIND

Experts advise people who have problems with sleeping to get a good book, get on the bed and read. Waiting anxiously to sleep drives it farther away, especially if you’ve had a rough day. The many matters on our minds often cause sleeplessness.

You can unwind by distracting your mind with a good leisure book, not an intellectual one that will task your brain. As you relax and read, sleep cannot elude you.

You can also slow down in the middle of your busy schedule with a good book. There should be a time during the day when you shut down, get to a quiet place and read for about an hour. It ventilates your mind and relieves stress.

READING IMPROVES YOUR MEMORY

The fastest way to lose your memory is not to use it. Scientific studies attest to this. Task your memory with reading and productive thinking and you will not have to worry about memory loss, even as you grow old.

Materials contained in a book are often more than those in magazines or internet posts. This makes reading a book more demanding. It takes more brainpower because you need to focus and concentrate for a long time. This of course exercises your memory muscles as you work to remember the details of what you are reading.

I know a dear friend, who travelled out of Nigeria to live in Europe with her husband for over fifteen years. At her return, she joined a bible study I organized. I noticed she could not read fluently or even write coherently like she used to do.

She told me she didn’t read a single book and hardly read at all for fifteen years! Not even a bible. That sounded unbelievable and I told her so. She explained she worked two to three jobs at a time, and the jobs were menial. She never did anything that had to do with reading or writing. She confessed this had affected her ability to reason intelligently and understand easily.

“When you stop learning, you start dying.” Dr. T. L. Osborn

READING GIVES YOU FRESH IDEAS

There is no faster way to overcome the dearth of ideas than by reading. It empowers your mind and fresh ideas spring forth. If you arrive at a dead end on any issue or you have lost the zeal for a project or a commitment, get down to reading about it and you will receive fresh ideas and energy to continue.

Quality ideas come from quality thoughts produced by quality reading amongst other things. When you rub your mind with greater minds, it sharpens you. Iron sharpens iron.

As a television producer and reporter for ten years, I know how valuable fresh ideas are. We are taught in TV College to always generate good story ideas. That’s one of the things that make a good reporter or program producer. We are always on the hunt for ideas, consciously or unconsciously. Our minds are permanently on the alert for good story ideas because that’s what makes good news and programs.

One of my bosses, Frank Olize, told me if I wanted to be a good reporter, I must be a good reader and be interested in as many issues as exist. I found that daunting at the time. I hated politics and sports, but then there were times when I had to do interviews on them. I had to start reading. The more I read, the more my interest and knowledge grew.

Reading gives you fresh ideas. It gives you new perspectives on how to tackle old and persistent challenges.

Accomplished Writers read a lot. That’s one of the things you must do to be a good writer. Challenge your mind and provoke your thoughts with good books.

I love John Maxwell’s Hot Poker Principle:

“If you place a poker near the heat of a fire, it becomes hot.

To succeed, follow the Hot poker principle:

Be around great men and women;

Learn from their experiences.

Visit great places.

Attend great events.

Read great books.”

Wow! What an interesting way to succeed.

Create the time. An hour a day is good enough. You will soon see the benefits.

Grace Olumayowa Aideloje is a Writer, Editor and Proofreader. She teaches Writing Classes and motivates young writers to write and publish their works. Her passion is to empower people through knowledge sharing. She is the initiator of the Christian WAR Forum.

Request a free PDF copy of ‘READ - The Big Deal About Reading.’ by sending me a mail. penparables@gmail.com

©2012 PenParables

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