"Each day is a gift, not a given right." Yes, I am quoting Nickelback which is like music suicide for most college students, but do not stop reading because, I swear, I am not a fan. However, Chad Kroeger is doing life right. Thus far, the majority of the articles I have written for Odyssey have had a similar theme - how can we affect change and ultimately be successful in life? I am a strong proponent of making the most of the life we are given and in my opinion the only way to do so is to be the best version of yourself. To be the best version of yourself, there are multiple routes that you can take like studying harder in school, being a better person, giving back to your community, the list could go on forever. Instead, I am going to share with you all one tiny thing you can do that will make you more depth and make you an overall successful person...pick up a book and read. The majority of people know that sitting down to a nice and hearty non-fiction read is good for you, that is something I would put in the common knowledge category. Here is the plot twist though: research shows that actually reading a fiction book stimulates your brain in a way that may actually be more beneficial to you in the long run.

There is a known stigma that people who read non-fiction are for some reason perceived as more intelligent. I can attest to the validity of that stigma because I often find myself going for a non-fiction read and not just for the thrill. Students from the Harvard Business Review also found this topic interesting, and cited actual research done by academic researchers and leading psychologists on the subject. Researchers Oatley and Raymond Mar have outwardly cited that there is a neurological pathway in the brain that is opened up when readers choose fiction. The York University researchers alluded to the idea that reading fiction forces the audience to visualize the characters in the book and resinate with their triumph; ultimately readers will go on to apply the idea of overcoming obstacles to their own life after reading about it in another hypothetical context. Basically, making those movies in your head from the books that your first grade teacher recommended actually has proven benefits. Taking this point one step further, Oatley and Mar went on to conduct studies that delved deeper into the subject and ultimately discovered that those who read more fiction were able to thrive more in their emotinal relationships with people and just connect on a deeper level. Considering that this is the generation of communication, having stronger social skills is a quite a leg up in this economy. To corroborate these two researchers, Yale psychology Professor Salovey conducted research that proved that those with a higher emotional capacity were more successful in life. Now do you believe me?

So, next time all you Political Science lovers like myself dive into a lengthy Mark Bowden novel maybe pick up something a little different. Obviously it is important to read all genres and explore all the world of literature has to offer, but there is no shame in choosing something that challenges a different part of your brain. Think about it - the person that gets the job is not just the qualified person, but the person who killed the interview and had the social skills to make a connection. The idea that I am writing about today corroborates this argument: people who can make emotional connections are proven to do better in life. That is what I am trying to do right now, connect with all my readers and help you to be the best version of you. So, go pick up a good fiction book.