Book lovers know the deal with reading- it breaks your heart, makes you laugh, and pisses you off, sometimes all in the span of one chapter. Reading has had a huge impact with how I’ve decided to look at the world, and how I choose to act. It has inspired me to become a writer and has changed my life in more ways than I can count, but let me try:
- Reading lets me escape the real world for a while. When life is not going the way I want it to, or the stress becames too much, reading is a welcome break from everything that’s going on. It’s a break for my mind, and lets me focus on other things. There’s nothing like distracting yourself by reading about someone else’s stress.
- It has helped me become a better writer. Books opened me up to this world of words that I fell in love with. Reading inspires me to write, and the more I write, the better I get. I learned about how words flow and fit together just from reading all the time. Writing is a different kind of magic, and I want nothing more than for someone to read my work and get some kind of emotion from it.
- It helps me find the right words to describe how I’m feeling. This one may sound kind of cheesy, but I love quotes and I have a huge board on Pinterest with more than a few of my favorites. When I’m reading, I highlight phrases that I can relate to on a very personal level because it gives me a name for whatever I’m feeling at any given time. Finding a quote that perfectly sums up how I’ve felt at some point is like finding a 10 dollar bill on the ground, and I’ll probably write it out five times so I can go back and read it whenever I need to.
- It lets me dive into new worlds and learn new things. I love reading books about different cultures, especially if it’s about a part of the world that I’ve been curious about. Books that are accurate and well-written can allow you to get in-depth with another culture’s customs, and the problems that accompany them. It’s the next best thing besides actually traveling to wherever the book is located.
- It makes me feel better and helps me relax. It usually takes me a while to fall asleep, and reading is the best way to wind down from a hectic day. I’ll make some tea, wrap myself in a blanket, start reading, and my day gets a hundred times better. Even if I’m not about to go to sleep, going somewhere on my own to read can be a big mood changer.
- It made me feel not so alone. Words have a lot of power, and a lot of comfort. Books showed me that I was not the only one struggling with growing up and making decisions, and helped me realize that everything works out in the end. They gave me a complex array of characters that I could relate to, and rely on to help me through tough times. I will always be grateful for everything reading has given me, and if I could personally thank the author of each book that helped change me, I would.
But for now, here’s just a simple thank you to all of the wonderful authors out there.
