As you pulled away from the distractions you probably began to feel freed up to think and ponder new ideas of your own. Instead of constantly consuming news, social media, tv shows, and other low levels of entertainment, you began to think more about things that are truly important to you. Clearing your mind creates space for the consumption of quality materials. This newfound time and space for internal processing lead us to our next step in creating a clear mind.
One of the activities that I find leads me to deeper thinking and creativity is reading books. Unlike reading news, emails, and watching tv, books lead me to think more about topics that are important. Books are generally much higher quality resources than other sources of information. I heard once that the amount of time invested in the creation of books vastly eclipses the amount of time that it takes to create a blog, magazine article, Facebook post, or tweet. Nonfiction books contain hours of research and use citations to credit other authors for their research and insight. I think that is why books create more value, learning, and lifelong benefit. Another way of putting it would be that books are the meat and potatoes rather than the snacks and dessert. The content is richer, more nutritious, and sustaining.
As our minds are freed up to think and create, books can become valuable resources to continue the process of developing significance to our lives. Pick up a book on a topic that will help make you a better citizen, parent, spouse, and worker. Read historical resources about people that have gone before you in whatever endeavor you may be interested in pursuing yourself.
Earlier this year, we posted a list of books that our guests have recommended on the podcast. These are the resources that have shaped and guided their lives. If you need a good place to start, I suggest checking it out. Although I continue to look for ways to eliminate physical things in my life and home, books are one exception. Physical books serve as great reminders of what I have learned, and I like referring to them when needed for insights that I may have forgotten. I like collecting books and see value in creating a personal library.
Reading books also provides the opportunity to engage others in what you are learning. When I read something impactful, I naturally want to share it with people I know, and I often find opportunities to share those facts and insights soon after I learn them. This encourages great conversations with friends, coworkers, and family members.
My challenge this month is to read a book. Make sure to find a book that you are interested in and can easily apply in your personal or work life. If you get a few chapters in and find that it is not what you were looking for, do not feel pressured into finishing it. This should be enjoyable. Find another book that is worth finishing and then find ways to talk about it with your friends and family. Enjoy and reward yourself for creating space in your mind to consume a quality book or two this month.