How Reading Can Change Your Life
August 5th, 2009
Despite the overwhelming feeling that comes along with the need or desire to learn a new skill or make an important decision, there’s almost always someone we can learn from who has overcome the same challenge. Between books, video, and the internet, we have more access to useful information than ever, but few of us take nearly as much advantage of it as we could.
Almost everything we do in life requires the knowledge of how to do it and this is especially the case when pursuing an important goal. As such, getting what we want out of life often requires a genuine commitment to learning.
If Knowledge is Power, then Books are a Blessing
Many scientists and other types of researchers spend much of their lives chasing down the answer to a single question. If we had to go through this much effort every time we were faced with a significant challenge, chances are that we wouldn’t accomplish much. Fortunately, many of the worlds most intelligent people share their many years of wisdom in books that cost less than what most people earn in a single hour.
This is a tremendous opportunity for personal advancement. No matter what you want to learn or accomplish, there’s most likely a variety of excellent books and other resources that will help you do it. Furthermore, reading will introduce you to new ideas that may change the direction of your life and open the door to fulfilling experiences that you wouldn’t have considered otherwise. The fact that more people don’t take advantage of this is a mystery to me.
How Reading has Changed My Life
I’ve always had an inquisitive mind and a need for logical answers. Despite this, I wasn’t always the avid reader and learner that I am today. Reading has provided me with an advanced level of knowledge on a variety of topics including fitness, tennis, software development, website development, reef aquariums, personal development, blogging, and obviously health. Some of these topics represent my deepest interests, and without the knowledge I gained from reading, I wouldn’t be getting half the fulfillment from them. In fact, if I had taken more of an interest in reading and learning earlier in my life, I’m sure I’d be well ahead of where I am today.
Clearly, the most significant impact that reading has had on my life is in regard to my health. I spent more than a decade pushing through life exhausted, irritable, and withdrawn and had a long list of symptoms that I unfortunately rationalized as normal. After finally complaining to a doctor about one of my more annoying symptoms and subsequently discovering I had a major susceptibility to hypoglycemia, I read a book about it, and by doing so, had a revelation that I’ll never forget. Nearly every complaint I had was listed in this book as a symptom of low blood sugar and I suddenly recognized my potential to experience life in a much more vibrant and happy manner than I ever thought possible.
Although I didn’t realize it back then, hypoglycemia was the least of my worries and was merely a symptom of larger underlying problems. However, it made me realize that I had some health issues to address and it ignited a passion within me to learn everything I could and make myself as healthy as possible. Since then, I have literally transformed my health, and in turn, my life. Without the initiative to pick up a book and start learning, I may have never realized this opportunity for improvement, and without the persistence to continue learning, I could very well still be pushing through life exhausted. The only regret I have is that I didn’t do it sooner.
Transcending the Mainstream
Although it’s easy to assume mainstream information to be the most effective and logical information available, this is often far from the case. Unfortunately, money and political influence have a lot more to do with the spread of information than it’s credibility or usefulness. As such, some of the best answers to the most significant questions and problems are only accessible to those who are willing to search for them, and reading books is one of the best ways to do it.
Even before I started learning about natural health, I always had an intuitive feeling that the symptom chasing approach of modern medicine was flawed in a fundamental way. My intuition turned out to be right and reading helped me understand why conventional medicine wasn’t doing much for me. It also helped me to further realize the significant need to take responsibility for my health and continue learning which is what enabled me to do much more for my health than the variety of doctors and specialists who I had sought for help.
Start Building a Better Life
As valuable as I consider reading to be, it’s worthless unless you take action. One of the reasons why I think that people don’t get as much benefit from books as they could is because they don’t do anything with the information that they learn. If you’re motivated to find the answers you need to improve your life, start reading and take action! To help you get started, here are some of the books in my library that have left a lasting impression on me.
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Vin, I’m a life long reader and that is my #1 hobby, pleasure, activity. However, I got so bad in my rat race sickness that I went several years without reading more than a book a month or so (instead of a couple of books a week). The more you learn, the more you are able to bring a broad range of knowledge to your choices.
I was thrilled to see Atlas Shrugged in your list. I discovered Ayn Rand about 30 years ago and her books had a major impact on my life. I chilled out over the years, but she was a major influence.
Thanks!
I had an ultra liberal humanities professor in college that uttered this unforgettable quote:
“Reading for pleasure is a sign of the illiterate masses.”
Funny, I always thought it was a sign of the opposite. I dropped his class that day.
Hi Vin. I come here to get your insight on health but I have to admit this is my favorite post. Reading is the doorway to a different existence. You open so many other possibilities when you open your mind to a book. Yes you are right. Reading without taking action is worthless. I honestly have to say that I fall into this trap far to often. Knowledge will not change your world. Knowledge applied with action will transform it.
Thanks for sharing your reading list. I have read some of them but I am very interested in reading some others. I may have never encounter them without your suggestion. Thanks again, Vin.
Hi Vin,
First of all, I love your site design. It makes me feel good just being here! And I enjoyed this article. The point I most agree with is the symptom-chasing approach of conventional, and may I add, Western medicine. I like much more the holistic approach taken by say, traditional chinese medicine or osteopathy. And your site seems to be contributing to that growing trend. Great stuff.
Thank you all for your comments!
Stephen – Wow, I’d love it if I could read a few books every week! One of my goals is to simplify my life, and when I do, perhaps this will be one of the outcomes.
LittleMissGrok – How unfortunate for a professor (or anyone) to say something like that! Is learning supposed to be painful? Personally, I find it to be very enjoyable and fulfilling.
Don – I’m glad you enjoyed the post! To be honest, I almost abandoned writing it half way through because I thought the message was too obvious. I’m glad I didn’t! Check back on the reading list in a few months. I have a number of great books that I didn’t include because I haven’t had the chance to read them yet.
Daphne – Thank you for the compliment about the design – that’s exactly what I was trying to accomplish with it.
Yes, conventional and western medicine are one in the same for the most part. Although conventional medicine does have it’s strong points, I too prefer a natural and holistic approach. I also think it’s much more conducive to vibrant health, and in turn, the potential to get more out of life, both of which represent the primary intent of this site.
I read constantly. I ALWAYS have a book in my car and read anytime I eat out, even if it’s the same book several times. My friends always joke that you can tell how much I like a book by how many food stains there are in it lol
I’ve been reading since childhood. And I must say, it’s surely changed my life a lot.
First of all, reading all kinds of different books (fiction, thrillers, children’s etc) has opened up my mind to a whole lot of possibilities. I’ve become more broad minded, and I can think differently, or “out of the box”.
Secondly, I can read anything that’s closest to me (cookbooks, pamphlets, ingredients’ lists … ). This is a great way to pass time, and also increase my knowledge.
Great post
LittleMissGrok – Too funny! I guess eating is as good of a time as any to read as long as you don’t get food stains on the important parts.
“If you read an hour a day, one book per week, You will be an expert in your field within three years. You will be a national authority in five years, and you will be an international authority in seven years.”
I think it’s possible to develop a very advanced level of knowledge on a particular subject and be well ahead of a large majority of the population with much fewer books than this, but it’s still interesting nonetheless.
Muhammed – An open mind is a great thing to have and reading frequently definitely helps to promote it. Thanks for sharing your experience!
These could be the requirements for reading the best things in life: each have an impact rating {max: 10}
• open mind – at the cost of your ego (understood) {10}
• activity management – find your time! {9}
• being healthy enough to read (but you have to read for that anyway) {7}
• ability to filter bad information (again you have to read for that or so [that is why you can't depend on one book for one topic]) {8}
• good language vocabulary and skills (but reading improves it) {6}
• disliking unnecessary things (example: most video games – the #1 thing that impeded my ability to be interested at better things through reading) {9}
• having music for reading {3} [Mozart's music maybe]
• the ability to organize information as it registers in your head {10} hmm… books that help you improve reading must exist!
• ability to be at the very moment as you are reading (mindfullness = concentration + patience + what else?) {11}
(extreme rating because it means a lot to me. I focus on the very end of what I am reading when I was a child. Thanks Steve of rat race trap!)
• the interest and initiative to read {12} (extreme rating because this is very very important!)
Vin please feel free to add more because you are more experienced than me (I was born 1991.9.13). I think I have a problem with my comments being long (reminds me of a earthworm lol…)
2009 is the the best year of my life because I became more interested in reading ( the Internet is the medium I’m using most of the time)
Hi Ægil! Out of all the aspects you mentioned, I think my favorite is being able to filter “bad” information. Anyone can publish a book and you shouldn’t believe or agree with something simply because it’s in print. Critical thinking is an essential part of learning regardless of whether it’s from reading or any other form.
Your progress is quite obvious and it’s encouraging to hear how enthused you are about it. Keep up the good work!
Hi Vin, thanks for continuing to send me your great letters..I especially like this one about reading .. I’ve always loved to read, mainly to learn something new, to be self taught in many things I guess. I wouldn’t bother with novels etc. Lately and finally, I have included reading for entertainment. I find it very relaxing.
I agree with you and others here that symptom chasing can be counter productive. Researching to find alternatives to the many pills, or surgeries etc. used in our society today, has been an answer for a problem I had with arthritis. I found cold lazer treatments for my knees and I am not using a cane to get around anymore. Praise God! He has provided us with many natural resources that are being overlooked by the medical society today. Keep your great advice coming. thanks again
Hi Geri, thank you for your kind feedback!
It’s great to hear that you’ve found an alternative for dealing with your arthritis and it’s an excellent example of how empowering reading can be.
Vin, You have alot of great insights to share with us. Thanks to you for your curiosity to know more. I am so pleased with what you are doing to help others, like myself. I am glad to know that your health is in fact back on the right path. The saying ” Reading is fundamental” is quit an important phrase and now I am able to experience it all. I love reading now, before it was just something that I had to do for school, but now its something that I find fun. I have been going out there and finding the answers to my questions and I must say it has been one of the most amazing experiences.
Thanks.
Blessings to you and your family!!
Hi Natasha, thank you for your kind feedback and for sharing your experience!