Many people either have no time to read or stop reading. The secret to happiness is hidden in your library.
A sight, a sound, a scene can evoke thoughts for writing. Ever since I decided to begin writing as often as I could, I opened up my senses to this world. For stimulation and inspiration. I have started to view things positively. I felt this countless times. My life has taken a turn for the better because of medium.com that makes it a recommendation that what we write must be articles that are thought provoking, beneficial and encouraging. We internalize and manifest good thoughts as we think more about them.
Today, I walked into a subway train and was blown away by the motif of the interior section that I stepped into. A beautiful scene of a library of book shelves which adorned the whole stretch of both walls of the carriage. Books of all colors, titles and sizes neatly arrayed from the top to the bottom. Commuters were standing against the shelves, many looking at their mobiles, some reading their books or magazines.
What a serene feeling during that ride. I whipped out my phone to snap a picture to register this inspiration — -to read more. I belonged to the world of books but was never that passionate. Coming from the science stream, my books were confined to mathematics and science subjects. Reading novels were a rarity as there was much to commit to memory as a science student and fiction was not seen as important.
The books that I surrounded myself with for years were largely textbooks of learning- anatomy, physiology, histology, biochemistry, pharmacology, clinical manuals and so on. The only deviation was probably when I became interested in the Japanese language that I started mugging on the basics of Japanese grammar structures.
When I joined Toastmasters club to improve my public speaking skills. I realized that I lacked the oratorical abilities as well as a good content to deliver a credible speech. To develop these skills I needed to read more to understand how to hone my communication skills and write speeches . It requires me to build a good standard of English that can only come from reading more of everything other than my textbooks.
My love for the English language was sparked by listening to people who could articulate their thoughts with such clarity and finesse. I fell in love with the language and naturally reading as that would be the source of my development in this aspect. An organized library became my dream.
The paradise is the library. Stop looking everywhere else.
A beautiful library that would entice me to stay for a good length of time to devour my books. They would be books of renowned authors, biographers, philosophers, great thinkers, sages, best sellers of novels, history books, travel books, craft books, famous magazines like National Geographics, publications about photography, sports men and women and anything else that would improve my thinking and lifestyle. I believe this would enable me to handle life’s vicissitudes with ease and understanding from the insights and wisdom acquired.
Why reading is the ultimate luxury
1 Reading requires your undivided attention to assimilate what is written and capture the message. In today’s busy and fast paced world, one’s attention span may be disrupted by the events around us. Hence to benefit fully, you need to create that pocket of time daily to imbibe the applicable knowledge from your reading.
2 A book or any reading material is a good friend that never leaves you if you do not allow it. It is the most reliable companion in times of loneliness. You can choose to read humorous articles or any uplifting stories to enlighten yourself.
3 A journey into another world, culture , thinking. Travel a thousand miles through reading, experience another world at your leisure. When you go to these countries, you could enjoy fully.
4 It is your path to learning a new skill, a new technique. If you have the patience to read through, you may not even need to take lessons. This in turn allows you to launch into a new hobby or even a second career. I have friends who launch into their business successfully by just reading about their interest or hobby in detail including the intricacies of running businesses.
5 Reading builds discipline and character. Once you become a reader, the whole world is your oyster. Reading takes time and temerity. If you have the patience to finish a thick book, you could complete any manual or project with ease. Anything you wish to know or learn is open to you, more so with the internet today.
6 A good feel. The touch of a book , the viewing of its cover and thumbing through the pages give a sense of ownership that no computer can impart. Your favorite book sits on your shelf as a collectable to be passed on to your kids and theirs. It is your legacy.
I envision that with regular reading, I would be very informed in many aspects that I have interested myself in and able to apply to my life. To develop more passion in life as the ‘light’ dims and still be a beacon of hope and inspiration to my children and other people. Through my mind using my words that that have been enlightened by reading others.
With consistent and insightful reading, I want to develop some good thoughts and concepts. I would like to put those into writing on medium and hope they would be of use to those who read my articles. Then I would consider myself having a useful and successful life . It is through this library that my hopes and dreams will be built.
Leave a Reply