Embrace reading

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life,” wrote W. Somerset Maugham. The whole world lies ready to bloom like a flower before your gaze as you journey into the heart of a great book. New people, new worlds, open before your bedazzled gaze as you explore the world through the eyes and heart of a literary genius.

Choose your books carefully, as you have limited time. Take steps to make reading a daily perk. Each of us has the same amount of time — 24 hours. Find a one hour period when you can read. It can be in 20 minute modules. Set apart a non-digital time, when you don’t answer the phone, or access computer.

Have a book on hand; keep it at your bed side; leave some in the car; use a bookmark. Read as you travel (if you are not driving!)

Start a book discussion group which meets once a month. Keep a record. Make a note of the books you are reading: your comments will be helpful to others in your circle. Record the time it takes to read. Listen to great audio books as you do your chores.

Introducing structure
Set apart a space to read in. A good book can change the way you feel. Identify a place in your life meant only for reading. Furnish it with pillows and a lovely blanket. Let it be cool and breezy. A small bookshelf and a notebook for your comments will complete the picture. Reading enables you to enjoy and explore the soul and life force of a genius. It gives you the opportunity to experience a different, adventurous, even a dangerous life, with no consequences. It is a means of learning, enjoying and feeling.

The writer is the author of Everyday Happiness Mantras