The Worst Thing Our Generation Can Do To Ourselves Is Forget The Value Of Books

According to research, 42 percent of college students will never read another book after they graduate. Let that statistic sink in... Well, it's not totally our fault. Most of us can remember a time when we loved reading (it was likely before high school).

But then, something happened: Our high school and college years involved the required reading of uninteresting books.

So many of us couldn't stand the idea of having to pick up another book once we finished our formal education. It's understandable, but it's destroying the one thing we should value most: our minds.

It's time that things start to change because books are among the best resources of which you can take advantage to improve yourself. When someone asks me how I learn best, I say, "I listen."

Listening is the most powerful tool we have for increasing our knowledge and understanding the world around us. It's what allows us to be innovative and removes the excuse of not knowing how to accomplish something.

I read every day because I know it is among the healthiest things I can do for my mind, body and soul. It helps my memory, my ability to be attentive and sparks great conversation pieces. Moreover, I know that it is the best way to listen.

The thing about reading that is so powerful is that it's like having a conversation with someone, despite the fact that all you're doing is listening for hours upon hours without saying a single word.

Imagine if someone took months to prepare the perfect speech to present to you. Wouldn't you listen? This perfect conversation is available in your everyday book.

When reading, it's just like listening to someone in the most beautiful way. There are no mess-ups in the presentation, no bad questions other people are asking and every sentence is carefully thought out.

Think of all of the conversations you've had during which you went through monotonous and boring details in order to get to the jewel of the conversation. All that time you would spend listening to things about which you don't particularly care doesn't happen when you read books.

Moreover, books are the best way to increase your knowledge in areas where you are looking to improve. If you need to learn a certain topic, it's as easy as buying an eBook, which won't require shipping and will be immediately available.

There are no excuses anymore for not improving your ability to execute what you want to accomplish. Still, these excuses find ways to persevere.

Fifty percent of US adults are unable to read an 8th-grade-level book, which is not acceptable. The fact that so many people are uninformed and refuse to educate themselves through reading is not just bad, it's a crisis.

People don't even know what type of drugs they are putting in their systems, as 46 percent of American adults don't understand the labels on their prescriptions.

Though this should come as no surprise, reading is also a crucial element to being successful. It allows you to be stress-free, expands your imagination and takes your mind to places you never thought existed. It drives creativity and allows you to look at situations from different perspectives.

It gets better: Reading gives you the ability to hold more intelligent conversations because you're able to relate to different topics in a much more in-depth manner. To boot, you can source where you got your information.

Benjamin Franklin noted,

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

Franklin did leave one thing out of his quote, however: In order to be good at writing, you must be an avid reader.

The benefits don't stop there. Rather than spending money at the bar or on other methods of entertainment, you can buy an eBook for less than half the price of a movie ticket. Saving money and increasing your intelligence at the same time? Can't argue with that.

Furthermore, if you're an avid reader, you will recognize, time after time, reference points when going through life. For instance, when you need inspiration, you might remember a story about someone who overcame huge obstacles to achieve his or her dreams.

Books help you prepare for success. You never know when the right opportunity to show off your hidden skills will arise, which makes it important to have a broad range of knowledge readily available..

Without a doubt, the benefits of reading make books important enough to incorporate into your everyday schedule. It’s just as simple as starting to read.

Photo Courtesy: Tumblr