It is a secretive club. The members rarely advertise their affiliation in public. They recognize their peers when they meet, and something passes between them, a nod, a smile, a bond. We are people who read. Research seems to support the conclusion that brilliant individuals, the ones who affect the world, read. They expose their minds to diverse subjects, and submerge themselves deep into a topic, knowing the exercise will propel them to higher standards of personal and professional excellence.
When avid readers meet, their conversations move with ease, covering their preferred genres, recent reads, classics, excellent reads, transformative books, and the hallowed ground of life-changing tomes. Details aren’t necessary. We know the feeling of reading a story that alters our chemistry, transforming us from the inside out. Words lift our mood by confirming we are not alone. Memorable characters have lofty aspirations and impossible dreams. They struggle to do the right thing and become better humans.
Good books are mirrors reflecting our inner truths and revealing the pathways which connect our past and present to our hopes for a brighter future. As we turn the pages, we laugh, cry, tremble in fear, and rejoiced in the protagonists’ victories. We increase our intelligence, develop our brains, improve our imagination, and boost levels of concentration and focus. If we are lucky, exposure to knowledge changes not just our life, but the lives of those around us.
What is on your reading list?
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Keep on writing.
Jo Hawk The Writer