Thursday, January 26, 2012

Cultivate a Lifetime Reading Habit



How many of you have always wanted to picture themselves as one of those " educated " people who read! People who read stuff other than text books!? you know, those "smart " folks.

I know I do! I've always hated reading, I could never get my mind to focus on the words! or make it stop drifting away to what is happening on Facebook right now, or when will lunch be ready...
But now once I start reading a book, I don't put it down unless am done with every word written in it. 

However much free time you have and whatever the reason behind it, filling your free time with useful pursuits is a way of increasing your creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and sense of fulfillment from life. Using free time productively can help you to overcome the inability to relax because you're scared of "just doing nothing". 

And ultimately, using free time in a way that feels beneficial to you will ensure that you feel well-rounded, engaged fully in life, and very much a productive human being. We [ WAMDA TEAM ] personally recommend, filling your free time with a one hell of an awesome informative book. 

Now that could be a problem if you have the same mentality I used to have while reading, but am going to tell you what made me stop thinking about food and focus on whatever I was reading... find yourself an interesting book ... meaning, like any other thing in this life, if its boring then simply the attitude of " to hell with it " takes over. Just like a games, movie, class, song or whatever if its alive you won't have any other choice but to keep on concentrating even if you don't want to.. Just like the couple of people sitting next to you in a public place and discussing what happened yesterday when they went out and Hussien told her that he likes her! You don't have the smallest idea on what the hell are they talking about yet we all continue listening!! whether you like it or not, you feel complied to continue to listen. 

Morale of the story find your Hussien... The first book i ever completed was called " Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. The idea behind it was a boy coming back to home from school one day, and he found a shoe box with his name on it on the front door, after he opened the box he found a bunch of cassette tapes numbered from 1-13, as he plays number 1, he finds that its his friend from school who committed suicide a week ago, saying that these tapes contain why I killed myself, and each side of a tape contains a reason. If you have received these tapes, know that you are one of the reasons. All she asks is that they listen to the 13 sides and pass it on to the next person on the list, meaning if you were reasons #7, you pass it on the person on side #8... and the story goes on in these 13 sides while she narrates her reasons ..

Now that was what kept me going, and from there i started taking reading more seriously, it didnt matter what I read, as long as am actually reading and having an opinion to discuss with other people who have also read it. 


I've searched the internet for ways to help in cultivating the habit of reading within a person, if my way didn't work out for you guys. Check them out and I really do hope that we all get to embrace the value of a book.

Always carry a book. Wherever you go, take a book with you. When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my drivers license, my keys and my book, at a minimum. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and to appointments and pretty much everywhere I go, unless I know I definitely won’t be reading (like at a movie). If there is a time when you have to wait (like at a doctor’s office or at the DMV), whip out your book and read. Great way to pass the time.

Make a list. Keep a list of all the great books you want to read. You can keep this in your journal, in a pocket notebook, on your personal home page, on your personal wiki, wherever. Be sure to add to it whenever you hear about a good book, online or in person. Keep a running list, and cross out the ones you read. 

Read fun and compelling books. Find books that really grip you and keep you going. Even if they aren’t literary masterpieces, they make you want to read — and that’s the goal here. After you have cultivated the reading habit, you can move on to more difficult stuff, but for now, go for the fun, gripping stuff. 

Make it pleasurable. Make your reading time your favorite time of day. Have some good tea or coffee while you read, or another kind of treat. Get into a comfortable chair with a good blanket. Read during sunrise or sunset, or at the beach.

Blog it. One of the best ways to form a habit is to put it on your blog. If you don’t have one, create one. It’s free. Have your family go there and give you book suggestions and comment on the ones you’re reading. It keeps you accountable for your goals.

Set a high goal. Tell yourself that you want to read 50 books this year (or some other number like that). Then set about trying to accomplish it. Just be sure you’re still enjoying the reading though — don’t make it a rushed chore.

Find a quiet place. Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair (don’t lay down unless you’re going to sleep) and curl up with a good book without interruptions. There should be no television or computer near the chair to minimize distractions, and no music or noisy family members/roommates. If you don’t have a place like this, create one.

 I personally recommend goodreads.com, you can easily create an account there or even connect your FB or twitter accounts to the site, give it a try, its a really good site, that helps in embracing the beauty of a good read. :)


                                                                                     Y.H
Jan-2012

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