I once heard someone say that the person you become will be dictated by two things: what you read and who you spend time with. I believe this is true.
Start by reading books.
In high school, I did everything I couldn’t read. I don’t remember reading a book in high school, but I do remember a heavy reliance on cliff notes. I didn’t enjoy English classes, and I certainly didn’t give a damn about symbolism. (For some reason, my teachers were obsessed with symbolism. Just say what you mean!)
I read very little in college and only read law school related stuff in law school (which was awesome). It wasn’t until I graduated from law school that I really started to enjoy reading. Maybe part of my desire to read was moving to Kansas City in February in a cold that I never knew, but I think my real motivation was that I wanted to continue my education in certain areas and deep down I knew that books were the answer. .
Did you know that a third of all high school graduates and 42% of college graduates will never read another book for the rest of their lives? 80% of American families did not buy or read a book in the past year! If you commit to reading just one book before you die, you’ll be in the top 50% of all Americans. It’s unfortunate but true.
If you want to deepen your knowledge on a subject, influence the people around you, and be successful in a certain area of your life, start reading books. According to the statistics, you have very little competition in the area of reading, so go ahead and do it.
This is my challenge to you: turn off the television for the next two weeks and read a book that interests you. Only one. You will be surprised how much you enjoy it and how much you learn.
Oh, and besides, if you have children, read them! My wife and I are diligent in reading to our 2 year and 8 month old son. You may think her kids are too young to read to, but believe me they’re not. Our two children love to “read” books with us.
Hopefully you’ve figured out the one thing you need to do to be successful, but if not, read.