I am a slow reader. It's taken me a long time to embrace this fact. I remember times in elementary and secondary school when teachers would give the class time to read a paragraph of a story. I would be halfway through the paragraph when the teacher would ask a question to the class testing our comprehension of the section we'd just read. Most times, I would continue reading the section on my own, while the class discussion was going on, so that I could contribute to the discussion once I'd caught up with everyone else. Since I did enjoy participating in class discussion and was a competitive child, I would try to read faster so that I could finish the passage and contribute fully in class. Reading faster made things worse because I wasn't giving myself the time I needed to process the information I was reading. I was just reading the words. Sometimes, teachers would give us time in class to read a text that the class was studying. I remember having informal discussions with classmates after reading time was finished. Most if not all my classmates had read considerably more than had I. I would try my best to catch up on my own time at home if the text was of interest to me. Having said this, you must keep in mind that I was a boy and going home to read after school ranked next to going to the dentist on my list of "Things I Enjoy Doing With My Free Time". At University, the combination of reading slowly and my own ego (which made me feel like I was competing with those around me) continued to be a challenge for me when it came to reading. I would prefer to study alone because I wouldn't have to deal with my own frustration of always being behind the group when it came to reading speed.
I've come to realize that I was more focussed on the destination than the journey. I used to approach reading in a linear fashion. Start book. Finish book. Success. I can probably say the same for other aspects of life. I've since reconnected with my love of learning via reading. I've commited myself to appreciating each letter, each word, each page. I taste and savour the prose like a favorite dish. This process has enhanced the journey. The journey is something that I failed to appreciate for so long. Always focused on the finish made me self conscious about my reading. I loved to read. More than the process of reading, I love the journey of information and experience I take when I read. I have started to appreciated different ways of reading books. I'm currently reading 4 books. The one I read at any given time has all to do with my mood. If my mind is fresh and I have the focus for a textbook style read, I pick up "POSITIVE LIVING SKILLS: JOY AND FOCUS FOR EVERYONE" is a comprehensive guide to experiencing increased joy every day. When I've been inspired by some music I'll continue from where I left off in "THE MESSAGE", a compendium of real wisdom that has been distilled from the all-time greatest hip-hop songs. By incorporating her experiences and reflections with the rappers' messages, I focus on the positive, motivational influence hip-hop has had on its audience. This is a great "put-down" book because the chapters are super short, so you can just pick it up when you're in the mood for a quick fix. "HAND TO GUIDE ME" is a collection of the stories of more than 70 of America's leading personalities in theatre, sports, business, and politics as they tell their life-changing stories of mentorship. It's another good "put-down" book that you can pick up when you're in the mood for some inspiration. I just finished "THE LAST LECTURE" about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think”.
It's interesting how a change in your approach or your outlook on something can change so much. I could never imagine reading 4 books at the same time a few years ago because my focus was always about the outcome, finishing the book. Now that I more appreciate the journey of learning I simply enjoy the process and as such put myself in a position to read more than ever before.
