Books were my safe haven as I grew up. I was always excited for read aloud when I was younger. We’d gather on the carpet in my elementary school classroom and our teachers would read to us for a while. This continued into middle school when we started reading more complex novels. This even continued to high school when we stood in front of the class reenacting renditions of Macbeth or Hamlet.
Reading has become my talent. Most of the people in my classes were really into sports and had intensive hobbies. I just liked to read. I was always so excited to go to the library and check out new books. I couldn’t help but get excited about the stories out there.
Photo by João Silas on Unsplash
I fell in love with books. Things got hard in high school, but books could never leave. Stories took me all over the place. I got to visit new places and meet new characters and have new experiences all in the safety of my own room. I lived vicariously through characters. I took a train with Anna Karenina. I rode a boat with Odysseus. I stood on top of a hill with Holden. I partied with Gatsby. I looked with a key with Oskar Schell. I rode in a van with Donald Miller. I stood in a hallway with Rob Bell.
Books have been my escape as long as I can remember. I can be in the middle of a crowded room but if I have my nose in a book, the rest of the word fades away. Words captivate me and so do stories. Stories let me explore and dip my toe in many streams without actually having to get pushed in.
Mason Cooley said that, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.”
Here are some reasons why you should be reading more than you currently do.
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It makes you a better writer.
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It’s good for your brain.
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It invites you to solve problems.
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It improves your conversation skills.
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Reading strengthens your worldview
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Reading increases knowledge of history and cultural understanding
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Reading challenges your imagination
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Increases your interest
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Reading reduces stress and helps you unwind at the end of the night
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Reading forces you to focus and improve your self-discipline.