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We all dream about being successful….
We discuss it over wine with our homegirls, stating that “one day when I become the next Oprah….”
We hope, think, obsess, and wish for it, not to mention Googling the hell out of it. Even though we attempt all these tactics, the first time someone suggests a book recommendation to get there, our reply is….
“No, I’m good girl you know I don’t read like that…..”
Most of the answers we search for lie between book pages. But because we are too cool for school or too busy searching for a quick fix, we pass by the same answer that we look for.
(And don’t you dare say that you don’t have enough time because if Ted sent you a text saying that he wants to see you…. watch as your busy schedule magically opens up….but that isn’t any of my business, though.)
Here are five reasons you should pick up a book a little more often.
Ease your mind
As life comes at us ten million miles per hour, it can be tough to sit down and relax. Seriously when I go to bed, my mind is already halfway through the next day with thoughts of what I need to do. Don’t let me watch ratchet TV before bed; I’ll be up analyzing Mimi from Love and Hip Hop’s new relationship; is she really in love, or is it just an attempt to extend her storyline for another season?
A study by the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%, working faster than other relaxation methods such as listening to music or drinking a hot cup of tea (2009).
When I read, I am no longer focused on the hustle and bustle of the day but in tune with whatever book I have opened up. If it is bedtime, it never fails.
Boost creativity
You know that moment when you attempt to create a catchy slogan or the perfect end to a research paper, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes to mind. If drawing a blank was art, you would be Picasso. When you read, it boosts your brain power; the scientists over at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reported that just reading it engages 17 regions of your brain, which makes sense when you think about how particular ideas can just come to you after you put down a book. Let’s refer to it as a wake-up call for your brain!
Enhance what you know
We all have that one friend who thinks they know everything. That’s you, girl, but if you try to put her onto something new, it is dismissed before you even can finish the sentence (and if this sounds foreign to you, you may be that friend…). We close our minds to new information when we feel as if we know it all. Reading it allows us to build on the expertise we already know, to consider a different angle and insights that we would never have thought of before.
Because if I ran a mile with a time of 7:30 in high school and I never ran again since then, I bet the result would look a lot different now because I didn’t try to be better, just banked on what I already did a looooooong time ago. Knowledge is no exception to this rule.
Carry an adult conversation
When I was in college, I always heard a particular professor say that they could tell how much a person read by just having a conversation with them. At the time, it sounded like when I was younger, and my grandma would have all of these country sayings that didn’t make any sense. But as I grew up, a light bulb went off: grandma wasn’t crazy; it makes perfect sense.
Yeah, that happened to me.
It’s almost as if readers think differently; conversations can be profound without even knowing the person. You can expand your vocabulary as you constantly face new words outside your everyday life. The context of various topics can be discussed because face it, what you saw on BallerAlert can only take you so far in a professional setting.
LEVEL UP
One of the significant characteristics of every successful woman is……they READ….and reads A LOT. How can you want to be successful but neglect the most crucial factor to get you there? Reading can take you to the next level. When I was fresh out of undergrad, my networking skills weren’t the best…. they were terrible. I was just the person who would follow around my classmates to say that I did something. One day I came across a book called Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and thought I would try it. Ever since that day, my networking skills have been looking good! If you don’t know something read about it. It will stretch your thinking and take you where you want to be. If your mind is never pulled, you will most likely stay there.
Even though this list could go for days, we must pick up a book and cancel out all the excuses about why we don’t.
Knowledge is power. But you can’t gain the power if you never allow yourself access to the knowledge (Tweet This).
If you read one book every year, challenge yourself to two. And if you’re an avid reader, share this article with someone you know that doesn’t pick up a book (tell them you’re not being shady…just honest…)
