It’s only the second week of Fitness Friday, and I’m already using the topic loosely. This week, I’ve decided to touch on mental fitness through reading (I warned you it was coming) in a post that’s a bit more succinct than I’m used to. It’s tough to keep people’s’ attention for 800 words about something they want to know about, let alone something that’s my opinion. So, I’m going to hit you with some out-of-this-world advice in half as many words. Twice the wit. Double the kick. Half the words. All at the same great price. Welcome to The Point of Impact. Moving on.
I love reading. Right now, I’m in the middle of five books (see “Reading List”), and I’m going to chalk that up to my constant quest for knowledge and my tendency to get bored with anything short of constant spontaneity. My interests are all over the board—faith, leadership, relationships, entrepreneurship, sports. There are literally thousands of books on each of those subjects—and that’s just what I like. My “Planning on Reading” list is at least twice as long as my “Have Read” list. I love that. It keeps me motivated. There’s always more to learn.
There’s a book for everything. Love running but need motivation? [ultra] Like fiction and irony? Have a thing for sports autobiographies? Want to learn how to love people? Struggle making friends? I can go all day.
The smartest people you know are the biggest readers—I guarantee it. Challenge me on that. You don’t just better understand things by watching How It’s Made. You read a book by an expert on it and fill in the gaps to your own understanding. Anyone can sit through a movie, but not everyone can read an entire book. Look at it as an accomplishment.
You’ll be surprised at how a single book can change your whole life. Get to the library (yes, it’s still free), dig out that box of unread books in the basement, ask your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and roommates for the books they have and get your hands on the Golden Ticket to knowledge.
You don’t have a good excuse not to. You’re not too busy. You shouldn’t have a lack of motivation. And I certainly don’t wanna wanna hear this “I don’t read” nonsense. Take at where you are. I will literally buy you a book and ship it to you if the library doesn’t have it (if you promise to read it). Seriously. Just ask. I want you to find a passion for reading. It will do wonders for you.
Here’s a cool resource to manage the books on your shelf and to manage those you want to check out. Ask me for recommendations and tell me what your favorites are—I’d love to hear.