"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies"

books

“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” - Albert Einstein

I was decluttering my desk at home. In the process, I waded through the books set aside in piles on top of the desk.

Once every few months, the titles shuffles as I proceed from one book to another.

To keep myself inspired (and for my brain to stay active) on a daily basis, I have a habit of picking up just about any book from my desk, leaf through the pages and read whichever chapter that I happen to lay my eyes on.

Whenever I come across a line worth sharing, my hands will automatically reach out for my smartphone to either tweet or publish as a post on Tumblr. With that I hope what I read will inspire others too.

To me, a little reading a day proves to benefit not just the mind but the soul. We will never know when the new knowledge gained from daily light reading might come in handy. More importantly, I noticed that reading does help to organise my thoughts more efficiently.

Whether you are a fan of fiction or non-fiction, there are unlimited content that can both broaden your perspective of the world or give you a push to the right direction to get through a sticking point in your life.

Reading helps unlock our imagination. When was the last time you think that a movie adaptation from a novel is better than the book itself? How many times have you heard a fan saying “the book was way better”? Our mind is a creative powerhouse, we are only limited by what we can imagine. When we are reading, we relate to a story and understand it in such a way that is personal to us. While we read, our mind pictures every scene and finer details as an author describes the imagi-nary world in a string of chosen words.

In the world where we are constantly distracted by push notifications from social media and a vari-ety of mobile apps, reading is the type of activity that enables us to “get offline” while enhancing knowledge and sharpening our brain power.

And who knows, “have you read Good to Great by Jim Collins (or insert any book titles here)” may be a good conversation starter.

Research has shown that a lifetime of reading habit might help keep your brain in shape as you aged, and it is also a good way to de-stress and wind down before bed for a good night sleep. When was the last time you read a book, or a substantial article?

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons

“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.” - Oscar Wilde

-- by Cherish Leow @Astro Awani