I know what some of you might be thinking. Reading books? No thanks. But you are looking for ways to improve your lifestyle and overall thinking. While the bookworms reading this are already thinking about their own lives and saying to themselves "Mhmmm it sure has" and are only here to verify their addiction to storytelling. Besides helping my voluminous vocabulary, reading really has changed my lifestyle and shaped me into who I am today in more ways that I can explain to you now.

To explain how it has impacted me, I will tell you a little background of my reading history. Since I was young, you could find me at my local library checking out books every week. From mystery books, sci-fi fantasy, to "Ramona and Beezus," I was addicted to flipping the pages of any book I could get my hands on. To this day, I have probably read over 300 books in my lifetime, or even more. Even now, I have several books on my nightstand and make time to read almost every day.

So why am I so passionate about reading? I like to joke that with each book I read, I carry another soul. I carry the story and lesson the novel had and let it shape me as a person. From reading books like "Purple Hibiscus" I have been given insight into what it might be like as a fifteen-year-old in Nigeria. To books like "Divergent" that show me what society could be like, better or worst. For me, all of these stories have brought different ideas and realities to life that I couldn't have ever imagined on my own.

These stories have helped me become more thoughtful. Since I have read so many books, I feel like I can put myself in almost anyone's shoes. Books and stories leave an impact on you if you recognize it or not. Being thoughtful of others has helped me excel in being a leader. It has helped me be compassionate towards my peers and overall helped me understand them. Not only have all these books made me more thoughtful, but it has helped me see life in more detail. I always say that I am so jealous of how authors can capture moments in such detail, that it has helped me see life in a new way. I try my best to really live in a moment, not by just looking, but by actually seeing and interpreting.

Lastly, reading has helped me take a step back from my own life, dive into another, and come back to this reality feeling like I understand the world a little more.

It's weird to think how taking a step back from this world, can leave you with a better grasp of it. While I am busy occupying myself with someone else's story, it allows my brain to give a million thoughts racing through my head during the day, a break. Then, when I am ready to put my book down, I am ready to face my reality. It's like putting a pause on life. Doesn't that sound nice?

So I have you hooked now, right? Do you want to get your hands on the next New York Best Selling Novel? I hope so. Many people tell me that "they wish they had time to read" but can't seem to find the time of day. What I tell those people is that if you want to actually do something, you will always make time for it. Read on your lunch break, read before bed (a personal favorite), or even substitute TV for reading. Who knows, you might actually enjoy it.