tawandamusarurwa
HUNT FOR GREATNESS
Milton Kamwendo
Those who cannot read will always depend on those who can. Those who do not read will always depend on those who do.
Those who stop reading start decaying mentally. A nation or community will rise or fall depending on what it reads and its reading habits.
Nations without a reading culture parade shallow thought, near-term plans and lack appreciation of context.
Some people desire to read but find the exercise a challenge. A number wish to read but do not want to invest in quality books. Other people will only read if there is an examination or if it is a work- or school-related assignment.
After school, some people only read social media posts and others read newspapers only in search of vacancies.
Regrettably, this is myopic. Others will argue and say that there is no need for reading when they can watch television and keep alerts on for incoming social media posts. Really?
Reading stimulates and feeds the brain. It is an essential brain exercise and health tonic.
Reading entertains, informs, challenges and stimulates thought.
What makes a book “great”?
Professor Rufus Fears of Oklahoma University wrote a book titled “Life Lessons from Great Books”.
He states that a great book has four characteristics. It focuses on great themes such as love, courage and patriotism. Its composition is a noble language and it has the ability to speak to readers across the ages. Finally, a good book has the ability to speak to readers not as groups, but as individuals.
The reading habit, like any other, can be developed.
The more you read, the more you will want to read.
Reading is like food; no one food group is adequate on its own.
A good blend is good for a healthy mind.
Current affairs
Good newspapers give us a scoop on current affairs and issues of human interest happening around us.
Newspapers are known to take an angle. To gain a broader view, consider reading different newspapers. Apart from reading local newspapers, consider reading monthly or weekly regional or international newspapers, magazines or news digests to develop a wider view of issues. When you can make sense of the context, you are able to understand issues and human behaviour better.
Technical books
Whatever your occupation, it is important to periodically read books that help you grow your expertise. These help you keep abreast of developments in your area of competence. It is helpful to define your areas of interest and then collect useful books along your line.
Relying on your qualifications is never adequate in our ever-changing world.
Literature
A good story has power to inspire, challenge, raise awareness and inform. Reading literature informs, entertains and educates. Reading a good book is entertaining, broadening, shaping and intellectually gratifying. Good novels help you see the world through the eyes of other characters and bring to light issues and struggles that are difficult to confront.
Books transport people to worlds of wonder, times of intrigue and unlock deep emotions.
Wisdom
Some books contain wisdom for life. Chief among these spiritual books is the Bible. The Bible is itself a collection of 66 books that cover history, statistics, prophesy, wisdom, song, narration and correspondence. The book is a wealth of spiritual resources to teach, inspire and guide. Spending some time daily reading the Bible is a good spiritual and mental exercise.
In addition, there are a number of books that address the spiritual arena of life. These cover a variety of subjects like giving, prayer, fasting, worship and every other dimension of the spiritual life.
Life stories
Biographies are life stories. Other people’s stories are not meant to diminish us and make us look small and useless.
These stories are meant to inspire us and help us see what is possible and what can be done. By celebrating other people’s success, we position ourselves for greater success. Biographies make success look possible and help us to see that the path of greatness is not magic. People live through different experiences — which, when told — become powerful motivators.
Those who do not tell or write their stories are selfish.
Leisure
Some light-hearted materials like magazines, novels, comics and journals make for leisure reading. These usually inform and entertain, usually in graphic form, and bring followers of certain hobbies, lifestyles and other life areas together. These are rallying flags for enthusiasts of all imaginable fields.
How do you read?
Our world has created many options for reading.
Paper-based products are the traditional medium for reading. These include physical paper-based books.
Tablets and phones have also gained momentum. Traditional computers and laptops are also important reading tools. In fact, most people find themselves staring at computer screens the whole day, reading or writing some document or the other.
I also know that 98 percent of people reading this article are doing so on some computer.
Audio reading is also an important method, particularly for those who commute or drive long distances. It allows one to drive, bake or exercise while reading. There is never an excuse for not reading. Failure to read is a choice, but, regrettably, a poor one.
Unless we become readers, the world will pass us by while we wonder where we are, what we are doing and why we are not developing. Ignorance is an unwise choice.
What will destroy us is usually what we do not know and where we are is always a result of what we know or do not know.
What are you reading this week? Refuse to only know what you knew yesterday or last week. Expand your reading and you will extend your life.
*Milton Kamwendo is a leading international transformational and motivational speaker, author and a virtual, hybrid and in-person workshop facilitator. He is a cutting-edge strategy, team-building and organisation development facilitator and consultant. He can be reached at [email protected] and his website is: www.miltonkamwendo.com
Online Reporter