Do you just love to read??? If you're anything like me, who does LOVE to read, as much as you enjoy those times of peace & quiet, curling up with a great book in your favorite chair, and absorbing yourself in a story that takes you a million miles away from present day reality, those moments are just hard to find in life. You might feel you do pretty well taking the time to read to your kids everyday, or listening to them read, but come on, who's got the time to just sit down with a book anymore? Who's got the time to even sit down, much less read?! And why not just listen to everything on your Ipod or CD's? Better yet, why not just watch it all on DVD?
Believe me, I can so relate! And many others can too! In fact, I learned that 1 in 4 people don't even read a book in a YEAR, wow, amazing, but I can certainly understand how that can be true. I've found in my own life the huge struggle to actually find time to read & I consider myself a "reader!" So many other things seek to pull at our time, family, work, kids, activities, friends, home responsibilities, school, etc..., just fill in the blank, the list could go on & on. So often after a long day, when we're just exhausted, it's probably more common to find ourselves plopped down in front of the TV, instead of absorbed in a good book. We want to catch up on the news, current events, learn how the stock market did for the day, find out what the weather will be for tomorrow, see who left American Idol, try to guess what Jack Bauer will do next, and watch anything else our DVR has ever so kindly recorded for us.
But lately, I've been reading alot ABOUT reading, about the real benefits, the positive effects of this, somewhat "lost" skill. When we hear of the benefits of reading, most of us probably first think of the benefits for our children. And, of course there are soooo many great gains that come from reading with your kids!
It's a wonderful bonding time, it helps build vocabulary, increases listening skills, it widens their world to learn so much about other places & peoples, it builds creativity & a love for adventure, oh wow, the list could go on & on with how children are positively affected by the art of reading.
But here, I'm focusing more on the benefits for us, adults, parents. I've been freshly reminded of how very important it is to build this habit, this "routine of reading" into our lives also, not only into the lives of our children. For most of us, it probably won't "just happen." We have to make it happen. And, I realize that as much as we "say" we want our children to learn to love to read, if they never see us reading or talking about great books or things we've learned from stories we've read, unless you have just a natural born avid reader, chances are slim that they will actually incorporate a pattern of reading into their own lives as they grow up.
Want to know some of those benefits I read about? Want to know how important the skill of "reading" can be in our lives?
I found these advantages to be really encouraging & challenging too. (Here's just a few taken from the website www.persistenceunlimited.com, there's many more!)
1. Reading is an active mental process - it stimulates the right side of your brain, it increases creativity & imagination. Plain & simple, you get smarter & more interesting!
2. It improves memory. Studies have shown, if you don't use your memory, eventually you lose it. I need mine to stay around as long as possible! I'm sure you feel the same way. (:
3. It builds expertise. Did you know that the average millionaire reads at least 1 non-fiction book per month? Author Brian Tracy has said that one way to become an expert in your chosen field is to read 100 books on that subject. He also said by continuing the same for 5 years you'll become an international expert. With the Internet & blogs, you could hone that time down to 2-3 yrs. if you follow through.
Interesting, huh???
4. Reading reduces stress. And who doesn't need a good stress reliever in life?! Many people unwind by reading. Compared to TV with loud commercials & constant fast moving images, reading can actually be "relaxing."
5. It improves your discipline. Adding a book to your daily schedule, and sticking to it, is definitely a way to increase your own self-discipline in life!
So, where to start? Here's a few suggestions that we've found to be helpful:
- Turn off the digital distraction at times...turn off the computer, turn off the TV, turn off the cell, the Blackberry, whatever it is, just turn off the things that might steal that precious time away from actual READING.
- Establish a set routine, decide ahead of time when are you going to read for that day, for how long, what book? Start in small segments, maybe 20 minutes before you go to bed, or 15 minutes at your lunch break, or 2 chapters in a book, etc...
- Keep books out, available, at your fingertips. This helped me just to stay consistent. It also helped me with my "ADD" tendencies, because I usually find myself reading about 5 different books during any given week.(:
If you walk in our house, you'll find them everywhere, on the nightstand, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, in the living room, even in the car for when I find myself waiting in carpool line or on that rare moment out for a cup of coffee on my own. Of course our kids rooms are filled with their books too...your house is probably much the same!
Over to the top right of our blog here, we've listed some books we've either recently read or are working through now. There's so many great ones out there! So much to read, so little time! We would love to hear what you recommend too, many of the books we actually do make time to read, came first with the recommendation from a friend.
Blessings to you all today & HAPPY READING!
No comments:
Post a Comment