“St. John had a book in his hand – it was his unsocial custom to read at meals – he closed it and looked up.”
Are you among those who have never picked up a book, despite wanting to? Do you find the idea of reading too boring or too ‘uncool’ to brave up and give it a try? If yes, well, then this one is for YOU!
Here is an attempt by me to help you inculcate that “good habit” of reading.
- Start with Easy: You don’t have to grab that fat old Tolstoy book to adorn the role of a reader. Initiate your journey by taking up a book that relates to any of your fields of interest. Don’t be apprehensive about picking up a Children’s book or even Comics from the book store. Just push yourself towards those sheets with words on them and be prepared for Zen!
- Pick a Spot: Before you start reading, choose a place of your liking where you would easily be able to get lost in a good book. Find a cosy space in your bedroom, your favourite park, the beach or a coffee shop. If you find reading in libraries too boring, then this is your way to make it fun and engrossing.
- Set Self–Goals: Tried reading but get weary of it too quickly? Here’s a suggestion, start setting short-term and long-term goals for yourself, relating to the hours you put into reading and the number of books you read. To make sure that you stick to your strategy, treat yourself every once in a while whenever you accomplish a goal!
- Go Beyond Simply Reading: Don’t keep your relationship with reading just up-to that book in your hand. Go on-line – build a blog, be a part of book clubs. Everything is always better when you share your knowledge and passion with other like-minded people.
- Choose Accompaniments: Compliment your reading time with things that you enjoy the most, such as music, coffee, fruits, your favourite chocolate and so on. Make the process as enjoyable as you possibly can.
- Engross Yourself: Forget your daily woes and just get lost in what you are reading. Engage with the content, assess it and analyse it. Use it for self-introspection and enjoy it for what it is. I strongly feel that the one who reads is truly blessed. It is one of the few things in this world that isn’t overrated in any sense.
It is a Way of Life that transforms you from within and the outside. It is a journey that takes you to unknown lands and introduces you to multiple facets of life, a process that leaves you more sensible, more enriched and more confident, and leaves you with a friend who gives back way more than you give it.
So here is my calling to all of you hesitating to pick up that book! Be forever open-minded and curious, and let yourself be lost aboard the never-ending journey with books.
Happy Reading!
