Why I read books?

Why I read books?

One of the problems that I know right now concerning the area of personal development is the lack of interest in reading books. Many people I know ask where I get all the ideas I share to them in conversations, lectures, presentations, and speeches. I don’t know what answer are they expecting from me but my answer will always contain reading books. It is said that there is no substitute in reading books and I found this to be very much true in my life. Reading books has transformed my life in my ways. I can account many of the things I learned and share from reading and trying what I’ve read. Many of the techniques that I apply in my team and many of the strategies that I used in my work came from what I’ve read. And some people will come up to me and ask me how I thought of it. I simply answered that I got them from a book I’ve read. Some people will respond by telling me that they are not readers and it’s good that I already have an appetite in reading. In short, they are saying it works for you because you are a “born-reader” but it will not work for me because unlike you I do not have those desires.

I did not started as a reader of books. I remembered that I love listening than reading the lessons in class. I figured that listening works for me and reading works for others. But there was this teacher who introduced me to the work of reading. In her class I’ve read four novels and submitted a review to her. This is something I’ve never done before. I started enjoying reading but later stopped the habit after graduation. I figured that I should not read any books anymore since there will be no teacher to check for it. I lamely allowed the tides of life to carry me. Until I realized that I felt so unsatisfied being carried by the waters of circumstances and decided to map my course. It was timing that my pastor talked about reading and upgrading your knowledge. I was challenged and was so enthused to read books.

I drop by a bookstore and got myself a book. To my surprise it did not go as well as I thought it should be. It took me awhile to enjoy the book. But I still carried on and carried on until I finished the book. Finishing gave me a new spirit and I desire to finish another one. I gained a new fervor of finishing what I am reading. Its amazing how one leads to another and another until I’ve read a few more books that interests me. I begun to read books about personal development and found that many, if not all, of the authors’ supports reading books even those who do not publish books. So I continued to read books and something wonderful happened, my language changed my, I have more ideas than before, and as I share the ideas that I’ve learned to my colleagues it impresses them. This drove me to read more books and share what I’ve learned. Until I got opportunities that I’ve never thought would be open for me (this soon). The years of reading books and learning opened big opportunities for me. Reading changed me.

Let me share to a quote from Charles “Tremendous” Jones, “Five years from now you will be pretty much the same as you are today except for two things: the books you read and the people you get close to.”