Learning How To Read

We'll start off with our "highs and lows" and get into some important societal survival skills and general goings on of the TwinCities and neighboring communities with news about the rest of the world here and there. Participation is simple. Just give us your highs and lows either in the comments of the article or on twitter by trending #ProverbialWisdoms or tweeting to me @E_HowardCo.

High: Young Professionals' Wealth Development Summit was an awesome event!
Low: Exhausted from balancing the new job with coordinating the summit.

***Read***

At the Young Professionals' Wealth Development Strategies Summit a great question was asked to our presenters: "What's the last book you read and what are you reading now?"

My initial reaction was that the question lead with the assumption that each presenter not only read regularly but that they were currently reading a book and could immediately recall titles. I was waiting to hear from a presenter something like: "its been a while since I picked up a book" or "honestly, I really don't like reading". Instead each was able to quickly throw out titles and authors of books some recently published, some by local authors, some more popular to the general public but each was able to answer quickly. In that moment I remembered being in a room full of college students when a similar question was asked and only a few had answers that included books that weren't required by course curriculum. Most of us leaned on the Holy Bible being our favorite books for lack of any other reading on personal time.

If you want to set yourself apart I highly recommend reading. Personally, I've never enjoyed reading. I'm convinced now that it's because reading was something that was presented to me as a chore rather than a hobby. It's the way I thought about reading that kept me from reading. The fact that for so long I had been required to read what was presented to me by others kept me from adopting it as an extracurricular activity.

Now I'm learning how to read again. Most recently I read Reallionaire by Farrah Gray and The Power of People by Dr. Verna Price.

Although I read one book at a time I like to keep my focus set on getting to the next book I want to read rather than just finishing the book I'm working on. I think that helps me keep at the front of my mind the fact that reading for me now is something that I want to be a part of my life as a hobby. I want it to be fun to me. I'm interested in reading books that will teach; inspire, and challenge me to think in new ways and approach life and work in new ways. Now I'm eager to read not because of how fun it is but because of the rewards that come from reading and I hope that my eagerness soon leads to fun.

I'm convinced that the lack of reading for leisure in the household is where some portion of responsibility falls for the lack of educational preparedness and development. A quick Google search will bring up a wealth of literature and probably even some Youtube videos about the benefits of reading. So get searching and learn what reading can get you.

Happy book-hunting!

Linchpin: http://www.amazon.com/Linchpin-Are-Indispensable-Seth-Godin/dp/0307704076

Non Nonpfit: http://www.amazon.com/The-Non-Nonprofit-For-Profit-Thinking/dp/1118021819