In brief: 7 ways books can change your perspective, without boarding a plane, getting entangled in a deep conversation, or sitting on a psychiatrist’s couch. I encourage everyone to take a minute to give this article a read. See if any of the benefits of reading resonate. Ask yourself how these 7 ways may make you a better contributor to the world.
Book Reading in the Digital Age
According to a 2016 Pew Research Center survey, the typical American adult now reads only four books a year. Twenty-seven percent didn’t read a single book in 2015, and a 2016 report from the National Endowment for the Arts found that reading had dropped, as the Washington Post summarized it, “to at least a three-decade low.” UGH, I say!
Why Reading Books Change Perspectives
Who’s to argue with Oprah! I, too, find books to be a cathartic and a mindful escape. For me, reading is about self-exploration. What do I want to read? Why, and what do I want to learn. Yet this theory can be thrown right out the window because so many books I’ve read have flown off the shelf and into my hands. It’s as if they called out to my soul to feed and nourishes it when it was most needed. Conversations with God, by Neil Donald Walsch, was one such book. That book got me through so much pain; it was a life raft when I was literally drowning from the overwhelm of my life. I’m forever grateful that this book and the subsequent books in the series exist.
7 Ways Books Can Change Your Perspective
#1. Stimulate Your Imagination
Reading books can expand our imaginations. think about how these books have forever changed the world; Tom Sawyer, Harry Potter, and I bet you didn’t know the Star Wars book was published six months before the movie release.
#2. Self-Help
I don’t know about you, but I’m addicted to self-help books. It seems that whenever I’m facing a problem, there is always a book ready to be devoured. Their words are wise and sometimes sting, but they are helpful nonetheless. As I read a self-help book, I always come away renewed and happier knowing, I’m not the only person on the planet dealing with issues.
#3. Stillness
Reading helps me slow down and become still. I’m a print girl. Yes, I do read digital books, but there’s something about holding and feeling a print book that just gets me. The idea of wrapping myself up in a cozy blanket in my favorite chair, and a delicious beverage at hand, brings me joy. It also slows my mind and helps me focus on the pages that are before me. I step away from the worries of tomorrow, the #todo lists, and the digital world. It’s about being still and committed to this time with my book.
#4. Mico Digital Detox
As said, I often choose to read a print book vs. a digital one. I like the idea that all of my digital stuff is powered off. I do not like being distracted when I read. So in the two-three hours that I spend reading, I’m gifting myself with a micro-digital detox.
#5. Builds Knowledge
Yes, this is obvious, but reading does build knowledge. Yet long after you put the book back on the shelves, that knowledge stays with you. A book premise could be discussed in a social setting giving you opportunities to make new acquaintances. This knowledge can also be used to teaching your children, business associates, or even your spouse a lesson or two. Knowledge gained by reading a good book is priceless.
#6. Reading Changes Perspectives
Reading has the power to change perspectives regardless of societal constructs. I love that about books. I also love the conversations that follow. When I come to a book, I open the pages with my storied past. What’s so wonderful is when we use the time to study the words and the why’s behind the words, we can come away with a new perspective. A new chapter in our life story, different than when we started.
#7. Becoming a Better Writer
As they say, everyone has a book inside of us just waiting to be published. In today’s digital world, publishing doesn’t mean going to the big guys to see your book realized. Hell, you can even write a blog using the idea of a book format. Every week a new chapter is born. If anything, a person who reads is bound to become a better writer. You’ll be known as the person with the snappy text replies!
7 Ways Books Can Change Your Perspective
A quick recap for all you scanners out there on the 7 ways reading books can change your perspective:
- Stimulate Your Imagination
- Self help,
- Stillness,
- Micro-digital detox,
- Builds knowledge
- Changes perspectives,
- Becoming a better writer.
Thanks for Taking the Time
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed this post and it sparks you to read a few more books this year. I’m a bit of a book nerd. I love traditional print books, and reading is one of my habits I won’t ever throw away! For now, happy reading.
Feel free to sign up to get blogs as their published, and I’m going deep this year on Unpack Your Personalty. Stay tuned for the free quiz, a podcast, and more. For now, follow me socially on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook.
Photo Credit: Pixbay: Photographer Silviarita
