I hope you all had a great weekend! I spent some time by myself for once and had a quiet, relaxing weekend. Let's hope this week goes well for everyone.
I realize I talk a lot about how much I love books and reading but I don't really talk about why I read. I read, not just for enjoyment, but to better myself. I've learned a significant amount of information from books; information that I wouldn't have learned otherwise. It's amazing how much knowledge a person can gain from just one book. Knowledge is only a small percentage of what you gain when you read. There is so much more than knowledge from books but not everyone knows this. There ARE important reasons to read. Here are a few of them:
-Knowledge: I mentioned this above but I really want to stress how important it is to gain knowledge. It doesn't matter what you read, you will almost always learn something new. You can read a comic book and learn from it. What I really mean is that you can ready ANYTHING and learn.
-Imagination: I know many of you would rather watch an actual movie than reading the book the movie is based off of. That's fine but you don't get to use your imagination to come up with your own vision. You might think that imagination only applies to fiction but there's where you're wrong. When you read a biography do you picture the events the person describes? Yes! You use your imagination to come up with your own vision. It's that simple.
-Writing Skills/Vocabulary: After reading for so many years I can honestly say that I have vocabulary and writing skills far beyond what I would if I hadn't been reading. I will find a new word, look it up and immediately try to find a way to fit it in a conversation. The best part is look on a person's face when they realize they've never even heard that word. As for writing skills, after a while you learn to see the difference between good writing and bad writing. This follows over into your own writing.
-Concentration: I've always noticed how I can read for hours but become bored with other things after only a few minutes. The more I read the more I've taught myself how to use those concentration skills in other areas.
-Memory: I'm sure many of you know how easy it is to forget something you've watched on television or heard someone say. If you're like me you have a tendency to forget about things in movies and TV shows easily. I even have a hard time remembering something someone has said a few minutes later. I find that when I read I retain more of the information. I've learned take copious notes in school because when I read it back to myself I memorize more of it. If you really want me to remember something you'd better write it down.
-Health Benefits: Right now you're probably thinking I'm crazy but the truth is, there ARE health benefits to reading. I recently read that just 20 minutes of reading can slow your heart rate and help alleviate stress. Having a stressful day? Find something to read and see if it calms you down.
-Vivid Dreams: This may not always be a good thing but studies have shown that people who read more have a tendency to remember more of their dreams. They also have more vivid dreams. I remember many of my dreams and have an easier time recalling them months or even years later. There are downsides to this when you have nightmares. (Believe me, I've had many I wish I could forget.)
Just in case you didn't understand what I'm trying to teach you I'll say it in simpler terms. READING IS GOOD FOR YOU! If you don't believe me, go find a book to read. Now when you finish that book, tell me you haven't learned at least one new fact. (This pertains mainly to books you have never read before.) If I'm wrong let me know but you'll probably find I'm right.
I hope you enjoyed reading! Have a great evening everyone.
Sincerely,
Erin a.k.a. Bookworm
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