In today's digital age, most of us are texting away on our mobile device or on the internet surfing, watching videos, Tweeting, posting on someone's wall in Facebook, chatting away on MSN, and the list goes on and on. While I'm a big advocate of using technology and digital media, I still believe that picking up a book to read is a good habit to keep or even re-start.
I've always had a liking for non-fiction books and I recently found out why. It's more than just facts or made up stories. Books have the ability to provoke thoughts, give insights and inspire. They're a great point of reference for when you get lost or unsure of what to do. It unleashes you into another world. If it's someone's memoirs, you can live through and see the consequences of their decision making and know the what-could-be's if you take similar steps. It opens you to other people's perspective and thinking processes. It gives you the ability to learn from the best.
Growing up I couldn't understand why anyone would want to read anything like that. Someone else's biography? How boring! It wasn't until I had to read up on different business leaders for a University assignment that I started to realize how valuable that information is. The ones who are successful (the ones with the books) all had very unique traits about them. The way they see things and the way they approach things are uniquely different and when you read up their stories you understand why they have the success they have. Sometimes, all it takes is just to have a different perspective.
Having said that, the attitude must be there too. Be hungry for information. Be receptive to new thoughts. Want to learn. Want to improve. Then, apply what you read to see how it can help you become a more successful person in life and at work. All in all, the point I'm trying to make is to unleash yourself in the bookstore and pick up a few books.
Cheers.
