"I do believe that something very magical can happen when you read a good book." -J.K. Rowling
We are a little out of tune with reading. It's OK, I know the call of Netflix well, along with every college student in the country. Nevertheless, books are such a great benefit to our lives, our intellect, our health, and our emotions. So why have we fallen so far from a society of bookworms?
The most recent development in our society has been the advancement of technology, which has led us to looking less at books and more at screens. However, books are timeless and more important than checking Twitter. Something amazing happens when you read a book; you find yourself completely indulged in another world, in another time. Reading engages your mind and your imagination and benefits your life in some surprising ways. We've made excuses saying we don't have enough time to read, but we need to make time to read, because our reading skills are more important than we think.
One of the simplest and yet best reasons to read is to learn more, in so many different ways. First, you're going to learn a lot of new interesting words, and your vocabulary will expand to understand more than you ever knew. Once you learn some new things, even greater things start to happen! Your memory starts to improve, and you are able to concentrate and focus more; if you have to sit down and focus in on a book for a few hours, then you can basically focus on anything. Your writing skills gain richness as you read and find new ways to get your point across, and this will translate to your verbal skills and the way you speak to a crowd. You'll realize just how much you don't know, and your imagination starts to wander more and more, pondering all of life's burning questions. When you think, you'll find yourself finding more creative outlets, and you'll read stories that will help you take steps toward finding out about yourself.
Benefits to the mind go hand in hand with the benefits for your health. Reading is a huge stress reducer because it allows your mind and body to fully engulf itself in another world, therefore forgetting all of the work that you've been worried about all week. I mean, there's not a lot of things that sound more relaxing than curling up with a good book on a rainy day, with some hot chocolate in your hand. Reduced stress leads to all sorts of good things, like more energy, a more active immune system, and an overall better quality of life. If you're staring at a book before you go to sleep rather than your phone, you're likely to have better quality sleep as well. Reading is one of the best things you can do for your mental health, and reading keeps your mind fresh and alert, no matter how old you get.
Reading also improves the quality of your interactions with other people. By expanding your vocabulary and understanding of different perspectives, you're able to connect with more people on a wider variety of topics. You won't run out of things to talk about as easily, and you'll become an interesting person to talk to. By reading and walking in hundreds of other character's footsteps, you'll develop your empathy. You'll be able to relate to other's struggles in a more authentic way, and you'll become a nicer person. The reading community is also welcoming and timeless. Whether it's an old classic novel like Pride and Prejudice or a new contemporary non-fiction like Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, people are talking about books all over the world. When we get to take part in that global conversation, we are able to search for other perspectives and participate in history. Literature will always be ageless, and so will conversations surrounding literature for the centuries to come.
"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!" -Dr. Seuss
In short, reading helps us better communicate with our world and with ourselves. By reading and becoming better in tune with the words on the page, we become better in tune with our world. By becoming better in tune with our world, we become better in tune with ourselves. And by becoming better in tune with ourselves, we become better in tune with others. This brings more worth and value to our lives as a whole and gives us an individual and unique understanding of virtue and humanity. Not only this, but reading is a source of easy entertainment that indulges you in another reality, that create in you a sense of wonder and joy. Books and their messages will have longevity and will be available for you to find any time. Why make excuses when there's so much out there that you haven't discovered yet?
