Reading is important

• Reading is important

  How many times have we heard “ Books are your best friends ” ? I am sure an infinite number of times .

  How many times have we wondered , “ How , Why ” ? Well, books are our best friends because they are always there

  for us. They inspire us to learn great things in life like a good friend. They are a treasure of knowledge and intellect to

  bring out the best in us. Once we acquire knowledge, nobody can take it away from us .

  ‘ There is no friend as loyal as a book ”, said Ernest Hemingway.

  Reading stimulates imagination because books open our minds to new perspectives and we set out on an exploratory

  sojourn. Books quench our thirst for knowledge and make us interesting individuals to talk to. Try striking a conversation

  with a well read person vs a non reader and you will see the difference .

  When was the last time you read a book or a powerful article ? Do you read the newpaper ? Do you read tweets ? Well,

  most of you would say yes to the last question. Yes, I read tweets, whatsapp messages, facebook feed . Stop! because

  that’s not what will develop your brain . Reading books, articles, magazines, newpapers will sharpen your mind because

  while reading you concentrate on the story and it stimulates your mind. It lowers your stress level because you are

  engrossed in the weave of the story where you don’t have to respond to any messages. When you read different authors,

  you are exposed to various genres of writing which may strengthen your own ability to write.
• While reading a mystery, have you ever solved the mystery yourself before finishing the book ? If you have then your

  critical and analytical skills are at work ! Have you ever refused to go out to play because you have chewed your nails

  trying to figure out what will happen next ! That’s concentration which comes with focus and while reading you are

  only focusing on the story, everything else just does not exist. You are transported into a different world.

  In today’s fast paced, tech crazy world, if you can spend one hour everyday on reading any book, it will make you calmer

  and less stressed. It will bring focus and tranquility. Even if you have never read a book in your life, you can start now .

  For example, we don’t like green tea initially, its an acquired taste, we have a cup to give company, another one for

  health benefits , then start liking it and ultimately it becomes a habit . Similarly, reading is healthy and stimulates our

  mind and soul. The more we read the more we understand the world around us.

  However, reading too is an art which many are unaware of. What is the correct way to read ? Pick up a book of your

  interest , familiarize yourself with the author, read the synopsis to understand what the author is trying to say, start with a

  positive frame of mind which tells you to enjoy the book. You may come across new words and phrases, the best way to

  increase your vocabulary is to write these down with their meanings. If a biography is inspirational then you must take

  away pearls of wisdom from it. It will guide you to follow the correct direction and path. In a work of fiction don’t

  identify with the protagonist because he/she is a fictional character. Just enjoy the fantasy created by the writer for

  relaxation of mind. In a non fiction, look for motivation and problem solving to iron out your worries. Think out of the

  box , go back and read again till it makes sense to you. If it still doesn’t make sense after re-reading then no point wasting

  time and energy on it, just get another book. When we read a newspaper, we must read it with the sole purpose of

  knowing what has happened in our country and the world today . Only the news, without dissecting what one political

  party said to the other. Media does it brilliantly ! When we read an article , we must appreciate the effort and the research
• the writer has done to assimilate facts and findings. It is not necessary to agree to the author’s viewpoint always but there

  is no harm in reviewing a different perspective because it adds to our analytical mindset. Books are a rich source of

  information and at the same time a treasure trove of knowledge . When we read, we are reading the thoughts of other

  people and learning from them, which is educative. A good way to read is by joining a book club where members discuss

  a book in an open forum. Imagine, if there are ten members in the club, it means eleven different perspectives on one

  book which challenges our thinking abilities . So the earlier one gets into the habit of reading, the better it is for the brain.

  In olden days children did not have access to libraries like we have today. So, we would go to these tiny shops who gave

  books on rent and read as many books in a day so that we could lay our hands on another book the next day before any of

  our friends could ! There was a thrill to it, reading books under the blanket in torchlight , in a boring Geography class as

  a back bencher, in long train journeys and in the rains with a cup of hot coffee. Reading started as an experiment, turned

  into a hobby and then passion. We didn’t realize when it helped us ace vocabulary, sentence formation, debating,

  dramatics etc etc because reading widened our scope and boosted our creativity, improved focus and concentration ,

  developed thinking skills and memory.

  Books make us better communicators, educate us, have the power to inspire and motivate us with stories. Children are

  very impressionable in their development so when they take up reading at an early age they hone their imaginative and

  creative skills and become better communicators.

  So, have you reached out for a book ? Try and reap the benefits !