Reading is like a superpower. It helps us learn, grow, and see the world through others' eyes. But like all things, it takes practice before thoroughly enjoying it. It takes tremendous effort to learn how to learn to the point where we can get lost in a great book or learn life-changing lessons from other people’s lives.
My Journey with Reading
I didn’t always love reading. When I was in middle school, I took comprehension tests and didn’t do very well. As a child, I enjoyed reading, but by the time I was a teenager, I avoided it as much as possible. This avoidance made me miss out on a lot and kept me from learning new things. It wasn't until after college that I realized how critical reading is.
I used to think that I was wise because of my life experiences. But then I understood that reading was like living hundreds of lives. I could learn lessons from various people, places, and times without leaving home. Reading has since become my key to improving every part of my life—business, teaching, finance, and relationships. It has helped me become better both inside and out.
The Power of Reading
We live in a time of more information than ever before. According to Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, more information is created in just a couple of days than in the entire history of civilization until 2003! This makes our world very competitive, and those who can keep up with the latest information will have an advantage.
Studies show that good readers tend to do better in life. They get better jobs, earn more money, and have more opportunities. Reading is like a workout for our brain. When we read, our brain is busy doing many things at once, which makes it stronger. Reading also improves our memory, focus, and imagination. It helps us understand other people's lives and experiences, making us more empathetic and aware of the world.
Challenges to Reading
Reading isn’t always easy. There are a few challenges that can get in the way:
Regression: This is when our eyes keep going back to reread the same line. It might seem like it helps, but it slows us down and makes it harder to understand what we’re reading. We can improve our regression by practicing keeping our eyes focused. Regression occurs because our eyes are darting around.
Outdated Skills: Reading is a skill, and like any skill, it can be learned and improved. We don’t need a high IQ to be good readers—we need to practice.
Subvocalization: The little voice in our heads reads along with us. We all learned this when we first started reading aloud as kids, but this habit can slow us down. Our brain can understand words much faster than we can speak, so learning to read without that inner voice can help us read faster and with better comprehension.
The secret to improving reading comprehension is to focus and concentrate. However, some people read so slowly that they end up boring themselves, and a bored mind struggles to stay focused.
Learning to Love Reading
The most important thing about reading is to enjoy it. Start with books or articles that excite you.
"Read what you love until you love to read."
Naval Ravikant
Reading isn’t a race. The best books are meant to be savored, not rushed through. It’s not about how many books we finish; it’s about the ideas and lessons we take away from them. If we start a book and don’t like it, don’t feel bad about putting it down. The goal is to keep learning; sometimes, that means skipping ahead to something more interesting.
Most people don’t read much—maybe just a minute or two daily. But we'll be ahead of most by making reading a regular habit, even if it’s just a few minutes each day. Over time, reading will become something we look forward to, opening up new worlds of knowledge and experience.
So, start today. Pick a book, article, or blog that interests you, and see where it takes you. Reading might change your life, as it did mine.