by DJ Schofield |
Last Updated:December 26, 2016 Well 2016 is almost a wrap and boy has it been an interesting one. Everything from Pokémon Go to the death of Harambe (RIP)… I don’t even know where to begin.
I don’t think I ever wrote about it, but I actually did set a 2016 “New Year’s Resolution.” As much as I hate the term and philosophy behind it I did. It wasn’t anything crazy, I didn’t even right it down. I remember just saying it to myself… “I’m going to read 52 books this year, one book each week.” I did indeed finish the 52 around December 1st. With a month left I read 6 more throughout December.
I get asked a lot is, “why reading?” I remember listening to a YouTube video by Jim Rohn (it’s a throwback but give it a chance.) He spoke about how nearly every “successful” person he knew read a lot. As I have read more and more books I have found that to be true… Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, and so many more all read daily. Warren Buffet says he reads for 8 hours a day. While that may be a little extreme, maybe it has something to do with him being the most successful investor in the world? This doesn’t only apply to rich businessmen. Read about Waka Flaka Flame, LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, and many more. Find me a successful (however you define success) person that has NEVER read or self-educated in some form. You will probably have a tough time finding one.
Point blank, give reading a try. If you need suggestions, ask! I promise I have a point to this article, so I’ll get started… here’s a few things I’ve learned from 58 books in one year.
Open Your Mind
This is broad, but applicable in almost every facet of life. The first thing I began to look into is taking things that I believe and reading/learning about the contrary. I think this is the only way someone can create an educated opinion or view of something. I used to just read or hear about something and if it sounded good then I’d believe it. I’d think, “well he/she said it so it must be true.” One of the first things I noticed his year was even if the author had the same philosophy as another, there would always be some beliefs that varied. Not one person’s beliefs are identical to another.
I first began with seeing the other side of Christianity. I actually didn’t do this on purpose but being the psychology nerd that I am, I read a lot of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and many other scientist. All were outspoken atheist that were famous for their research in psychology or other scientific field. It is interesting to hear the thoughts of someone that is outspoken with opposite beliefs as myself. But how can I have my beliefs if I don’t know the contrary? At the beginning of this year, Christianity was the only religion I knew. I wanted to know what others believed and why they believed it. But at the same time, not forgetting to build a relationship with Jesus.
I know many people will read this and be completely opposed to it. I’ve already heard it from many… “it’s damaging to seek out things that aren’t strengthening your relationship with God.” However, I disagree. First, I think it is short sighted to think that one thing that damages a relationship with Jesus for one person damages it for another. Obviously this is subjective and only applicable in certain situations, but I think you get what I mean. Second, opening my mind did everything but weaken my relationship with Jesus. It actually built a better foundation for why I believe in Jesus and put my faith in him.
So in opening your mind, give things that oppose your thoughts or beliefs a shot. If you are on a paleo diet, go try a vegetarian diet, Mediterranean diet, Atkins diet, etc. The can you know if the paleo diet is best for you if you haven’t tried other diets? How can you dislike other diets if you’ve never tried them?
If you’re a Democrat, grab one of Donald Trump’s books. If you’re a Republican, grab a book by Hilary Clinton. Learn about both sides, how can you like one if you know nothing about the other except what you read on social media?
Change in Perception
This goes with opening your mind a little, but as you read more (assuming you read the right books) you will notice a change in your perception. You will learn others stories, thoughts, opinions, and outlooks on topics. I learned this changed my perception on many topics. It will likely do the same to you.
My outlook on perception is pretty simple: no matter what your perception will be influenced by something. Some examples of influences are: TV, social media, friends, family, drugs, etc. People choose to have different things change their perception. I choose to let books be one of the top on my list of influencers because it’s fascinating to learn from some of the world’s most successful.
This doesn’t mean there is no place for TV, social media, friends, or family. Surely there is, it just comes down to priorities. Books should be priority.
Books are an Asset
I never understood this, until a friend of mine broke it down. It is exactly the same as why buying a house is an asset and buying a car is a liability. Go read Rich Dad, Poor Dad for a full explanation of this. Books being an asset is a much simpler explanation though.
Let’s say you buy the newest Jordan’s (shoes) for $160. What will those shoes be worth in one year? $0… maybe a few bucks, assuming you actually wore them. Then you buy the book above, “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” for $7.43 (that’s the price of it as I write this.) How much is that book worth in $7.43? Many would say $4 or $5. But it isn’t necessary what you will be about to sell the book for, but the amount of value you will be able to get out of the book.
See the shoes bring you nothing but maybe a little attention and some compliments… maybe even some likes on Instagram (let’s be honest, this IS important haha.) But, the book can bring more than just some words written on paper. If you apply the contents of the book it may teach you how to use money efficiently, saving or making you $1,000. Now what is the book worth?
This is obviously a simplistic example of how a book is an asset but it’s valuable. Once I learned this I looked at other purchases differently and I look at books and other self-education formats differently.
Meditation
I debated writing about this one, only because I feel like it has kind of gone viral as the “cure to all problems.” Do I think this is true? No. Do I think it is beneficial? Yes. Here’s why… I’ve learned three things from meditation: 1) patience 2) how to control my thoughts and 3) how to slow down and be in the present. All these have led to an increase in strengthen in my walk with Jesus.
So, a couple things about meditation. I’ve found that many people do occasionally meditate without knowing they are meditating. Have you ever laid in your bed, in silence, and just thought? That is a form of meditation. I would randomly do it every once and awhile before I began meditating regularly.
Here are the various types of meditation I use:
Jesus time mediation – just spending time with Jesus, praying, reflecting, etc.
Guided visualization- this is exactly what it sounds like. Go on YouTube and find some guided meditations (there’s thousands of them.) I also use guided visualization to envision how a certain situation or scenario in my life will happen. I’ve found it to be helpful.
Mindfulness- if nothing else, DO THIS. Just lay on your bed, crossed legs, and flat back. Then simple focus on your breathing. There are more variations but start with that. Focus on your breathing for 5 minutes per day and progressively increase to 20 or 30 minutes.
How to read a book per week…
After posting on twitter that I hit 58 books and posting books on snapchat each day, I get the same question a lot. “How do you have enough time to read so much?” It’s a simple answer… it just comes down to priorities. How much time do you spend on social media? Take an hour of that time a day and read. Start by reading The Compound Effect. Dan Hardy teaches an idea of making minor changes to your everyday routine and over time those will compound into life changing habits.
Another huge time suck is TV… I don’t even want to look up the stats on how much time people spend watching TV. I think that most of the time watching TV or Netflix is the easy way out. Not saying I never watch TV but I limit my time watching. So what is the “easy way out”?
The “easy way out” involves low input and high output. And since we are programmed to be efficient (we want to expend minimal energy to gain the largest reward) that’s why we tend to take this route. Watching TV takes no energy most of the time and yet most of what we watch produces dopamine (large reward.)
Here’s how I read over a book per week. The best way I’ve found is to set a schedule. Mine is 30 min. when I wake up, 15 min. at lunch, and 30 min. before I go to sleep. These times aren’t exact, sometimes I read for an hour in the morning and sometimes 15 minutes, it just depends. The best way to just get started is to start small. Start by reading 5 minutes per day… I KNOW you can do that.
In final thought, stop being cynical or making excuses for why you shouldn’t read. Give it a shot. I’ve never met a person that read a book I recommended and said “that was a waste of time, I wish I hadn’t read that book.” If you choose the wrongs books, yeah it’s possible to waste time.
Do me a favor and comment below your favorite book you’ve ever read! And any other thoughts, opinions, or questions!