Reading as a Lifestyle

I used to wonder what illiterate people did on the subway until I became one. There is so much to learn about a city while riding the train! Advertisements peeking out from behind graffiti can you tell you about the commuter populationSpanish-speaking, collegiate, professional, etc.

Reading is fundamental to self-empowerment but I don’t think people realize the power of words. They can make you rich if you write that bestseller and they can make you poor if you send that wrong memo. To the business owners out there, read every published word you lay your eyes on, with discretion of course. You never know where you are going to obtain valuable information that will set you apart. I was perusing Southwest Airline’s Spirit magazine and read an article about urban marketing. It became the cornerstone of a presentation I created for a client. You may miss out if you constantly reach for the TV remote.

I am on the perpetual quest for knowledge so I read whatever is in front of me. I still believe one of the biggest contributions to my poor eye sight, aside from sitting too close to the TV, were the countless nights under the covers with a book light. I loved traveling to different countries and time periods when I read books like The Good Earth and The Wake of the Wind. With corporations influencing news and other media outlets, books are among the remaining forms of free speech and independent thought.

Back to my original thought. As much as I gravitate to the printed word, I was frustrated when I studied abroad in Spain and became illiterate. I had to make assumptions based on the few phrases I could stitch together and depend on others for directions. Reading is a necessity that gives you freedom to explore, to ponder, and to converse with others. Reading is essential to communication so invite an author over to talk.

~Melanie Rae, author of BizExpress Plan: Write your business plan in 15 hours and Managing Director of Guided Business Plan