To Do It Is Common Sense

Not every one does it, or likes to do it or wants to do it but, to me, it is an essential part of growing. I am not talking about doing the supper dishes, or walking the dog, or fixing or repairing anything broken around the house. What I am talking about is reading.

The Brain Needs . . . .
I know that may sound a bit ordinary and certainly doesn’t appear to be provocative or unique, but it is an essential part of continuous growth. The brain needs food just like any other part of the body relies on you eating so that it may function properly.

In recent weeks, I heard a news item that made me sit up and take notice. The news story basically said that the mind starts to go down hill around the age of forty-five. I was shocked. I was under the impression that we started to lose some of our cognitive function much later in life. But, they also went on to say that keeping the mind active is one way to help slow down this process.

We all know the devastating consequences of dementia and especially Alzheimer’s. My father suffered from Alzheimer’s for the last two years of his life at the age of ninety. It was a terrible ordeal for all of the family especially since my dad was such an active man right up to the age of eighty-eight and was engaged in both dancing and teaching guitar lessons. He was also an active reader. I guess the point is that at least his mind was very active well into his late eighties so there must be something to be said for reading and reading often. At least I hope there is.

A Love of Reading
Not to dwell on the later aspects of life, though, I must confess that I love to read. To me, it is a common sense activity as much a part of health as it is a part of a healthy life to keep the physical body moving. I do not really enjoy reading too many articles on the computer or a techno reader but I will if it is convenient or a must do requirement. I much prefer to sit in a comfortable chair or couch with my book in my hands and read for hours. I find that reading keeps my mind active and the more provocative or interesting the book or article, the more my brain wants to understand and sort out the information and store it into my memory cells for later use.

The beauty of the written word, a book that requires one to turn the pages is more to my liking than any new gadget. However, I am not suggesting that reading on these new gadgets is wrong, I just prefer to read a physical book.

Keep Learning
Part of life is continuous learning – gaining knowledge, and part of life is to conduct an activity that one enjoys whether that is in a form that everyone else is now using or doing is quite immaterial. The same applies to reading quotes that are inspirational or motivational, or reading books that describe how some people have overcome tremendous odds on the way to success. The point is to read these quotes and place them in your active memory, think about what they mean to you, to your life, and then store these thoughts away for later use.

Keep learning, keep growing and keep reading.

Inspirational Quotes for Reflection:
“Book: A garden carried in a pocket.” Arabian Proverb

“You can lose your job, you can lose material items, but you can never lose your knowledge. The money we invest in ourselves to further increase our knowledge is truly an investment in our future.” Catherine Pulsifer

“All literature on self-improvement and professional development is based on research, studying what successful people did and identifying key factors common in all of their success.” Laszlo Kovari