Finding Time to Read
A frequent item in the top ten goals for individuals is to “read more books.”
(Did you know that in our Internet age there are several sites where people post, for the entire watching world, their personal goals?).
Such a goal, in the estimation of your humble blogger, is a worthy one.
But where to find the time? And why would “reading more” be considered a valuable aspiration?
Answering the second question goes a long way toward answering the first. Why would a person view the reading of books as a personal goal of great importance?
Francis Bacon’s oft-misquoted phrase, “Knowledge and human power are synonymous,” may hold the key. A desire for knowledge that will enable one to better one’s self and to positively influence or help others is a noble desire. If we know more good stuff we can do more good stuff.
The origin of the phrase well-read dates from the end of the 16th century, a time when one could master all of the books on any given subject. In fact, one was able to master the important books on ALL subjects! Today, if you narrow your scope, you can become expert at almost anything. You can choose any topic relating to your business or personal life and soon excel at that thing because of your personal study. You will become more valuable as an employee, or more competent as a parent or friend, or more skilled in any aspect of your daily life.
In another place Lord Bacon said, “Man is but what he knoweth.” This desire to improve WHAT we are, to progress in moral or intellectual maturity, is the steady object of a healthy mind. As long as we put to use what we learn, and do not merely store up facts without using them, we may increase in mental and moral stature through careful reading. We want our mind to be a working garden and not a file cabinet full of seeds. Choose a book that will challenge you to improve some area of your life, and follow through with it.
The reading of books is also associated with leisure. Our choices about “free”time are at the heart of finding more time for reading. It isn’t necessary to carve out chunks of time from our work or family, but merely to make different choices regarding what is leisure. Analyze your habits in this regard, and see if you can choose spending time with your favorite author, or with a collectible book, more often.
