Most people don’t read enough. I mean why would you want to? There are so many great shows on Netflix these days.
Shows that are so good they can keep you hooked watching episode after episode dying for more…
The simple truth is, that people don’t read as much as they used to. And we are actually getting dumber because of it. I hate to say it, I’m sorry.
But you don’t want to be one of them.
Here are 7 reasons why you should read more if you want to STAND OUT and BE SOMEBODY.
1. Increases your vocabulary while improving spelling and grammar
Reading greatly exposes you to all kinds of language. Monkey see monkey do… Just like watching someone perform a task before trying it yourself, you’re more likely to do it just like them.
If you were to watch somebody shoot a basketball over and over again, you’ll learn their technique, and eventually, learn how to shoot the ball just like them with enough practice.
Why?
This is because we are visual learners. Just like a child that mimics their mother throughout infancy.
Most of this is done unconsciously. The same thing happens with reading. Reading the words of a well-established writer will take your communication skills to the next level.
You’ll increase your vocabulary, better organize your sentence structure and improve spelling and grammar.
You’ll know what flows and what doesn’t, and communicate in a way that grabs people’s attention.
2. Reading will open many more doors of opportunity for you compared to if you didn’t read
When you read enough, it’ll rub off on you. The way you speak will change, the words you form in sentences will change and the way other people will perceive you will change… Even the way you will think will change.
You’ll seem much smarter than you actually are.
I lied.
That’s because you’ll actually BE smarter.
Intelligent people tend to be more confident than those who aren’t. They seem collected, they know what to do and are much more interesting.
This translates to better job offers, more money earned in your pocket and even more attention from that girl or guy that you like. It will enhance your life, and take it to the next level.
Your newfound knowledge will provide more value to the people around you. Or to put it in layman’s terms, you’ll BE more valuable – look at you an MVP!
3. Boosts your memory and engages your mind
When you read a novel, for example, they tend to introduce a number of characters, each with specific personality characteristics. And in some books – this can get crazy.
It forces you to keep a mental note of everything that’s going on, including the character’s backgrounds, their ambitions, and how they relate to the world around them.
All of this is necessary if you want to truly enjoy what the book has to offer. To fully understand, and be immersed in another world.
They say that if you don’t use it you’ll lose it. This is why reading improves your memory, you need to remember things. And doing so physically changes your brain and strengthens the neural synapses associated with memory.
4. Slows down mental ageing and keeps you sharp
Do you know a lot of readers with Alzheimer’s?
Probably not.
And you might be thinking, that’s because they have Alzheimer’s. Obviously, they won’t be reading because they won’t remember the storyline.
Right?
Wrong.
It’s true that Alzheimer’s is hereditary (meaning that it’s passed down genetically through your family) but it can also be inherited even with a clean family history.
You can take all kinds of medications to slow the process but if you aren’t using your remembering muscles as I mentioned earlier you’ll most likely lose it.
Reading exposes you to vivid imagery, metaphors, abstract ideas and creative challenges to help the brain stay in peak condition.
But, reading can be the cure, a treatment, or at least slow the onset of Alzheimer’s. I am no medical doctor and I am not giving you medical advice, I’m just stating an opinion.
All in all, reading is a fun way to stay healthy.
5. Reading has been known to help release stress and tension
Have you ever read a great book and just find yourself lost in all the action. Maybe it’s drama, mystery, fantasy, or adventure.
The book causes you to visualize the story in your head. The words just seem to fade away and all you can see are the images of the events happening in real-time…
Often times when this happens we are so immersed in the book that we often feel like we are actually part of the story itself. You can hear the sounds, the smells, and feel the way the character feels…
What was that thing that happened at work today that made you upset?
You don’t remember anymore. And you don’t care.
Why?
Because it doesn’t matter anymore, what actually matters is if that character is going to make that move. How are they going to fix that problem? What are they going to do next?
That character’s successes are now your successes, their problems your problems and their joys, yours.
Reading a great fiction novel will transport you to another dimension where anything can happen.
Perfect for when you are having a rough day or even just to get your mind off of a few things, giving you a chance to relax. It’s also a great way to end your day before bed.
6. Books increase your attention span
If you’ve read this far, you’ve already proven my point. But I’ll go over it anyway.
Today, we live in a society that bombards us every day with this, and that, constantly trying to grab our attention.
It seems every 5 minutes something new draws us in. Often we find ourselves trying to manage 5 tasks at the same time.
Checking e-mail, texting, liking photos on Instagram, all while having a real-time conversation with someone face to face.
When you read, however, you need to pay 100% of your attention to that book, in the moment, otherwise, you won’t be able to make sense of anything.
It’s funny because they say that our attention spans have gotten so bad, that a goldfish probably has a longer attention span than you.
Can you believe that?
It’s so bad that all of this “stuff” is causing us to experience more stress because our brains can’t simply handle all of these things at once. We weren’t built that way.
Don’t believe me?
Grab a piece of paper and a pen. While sitting down, take your right leg and move it in a circular motion going clockwise. Now with that pen draw the number 6 on the paper, starting from the top of the 6 and ending in the middle.
See?
I told you.
You probably had to stop moving your leg or you ended up moving it counterclockwise to match the direction of you drawing the number 6.
7. Books provide important life lessons that can’t be found anywhere else
You can learn a lot from books, there’s basically a book on almost everything – even fiction books can teach you great lessons.
Most of the world’s knowledge, from the beginning of time, can be found written down on some sort of “paper”.
We like to write things down so that we can remember them for later. This includes the things we’ve learned, and often times we like to pass them down to other people so that they don’t struggle the way we did.
This is why we go to school. We read textbooks and learn about things that people many many years before our time went through so that we have an understanding.
That way we can learn about what happened without actually living it as they did.
“If I’ve seen further than others, It is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton
Because we read about these things, we can now take that knowledge, build on it and take it even further.
That’s where Isaac Newton was going with his quote.
If we didn’t read, would we even be here right now?
Still to this day many successful people write books. They go and write down their life knowledge on paper so that we can learn what they learned.
The best way to learn is through first-hand experience. The second best way to learn is by hearing the story of someone else who had that first-hand experience.
The best part? It’s cheap! You can literally go out and buy a book for under $20, read it and gain the same knowledge that person may have spent a lifetime trying to obtain!
It’ll probably be the best $20 you ever spent.
If you aren’t a reader, I suggest you start. You won’t regret it.
Just start out with 15 minutes a day. That’s all it takes.
Remember,
It’s never too late.
Your friend,
Jamie
