An Open Book

Imagine yourself going through a dense rain forest. 

You keep hacking away with your machete, but you just can get through. 

You keep getting tangled up in vines, swatting insects, and bogging down in quick sand. 

Is your mind sometimes like a jungle? 

When someone is talking, is your mind so full of your own thoughts that you just can't hear? 

During a conversation, do you sometimes focus on what you're going to say next; therefore, you miss what the other person is saying? 

We've got to learn to clear out our minds, so that we can really listen. 

A full mind is like a dense jungle. It's hard to get a good idea in or out. 

Our lives also can be filled with meaningless activities. 

For example, I used to spend 30 minutes a day just reading the newspaper. 

It usually contained a lot of depressing news that didn't pertain to me. Now, I just read the headlines to stay informed. 

Next, I'll read the 1st paragraph, and then the entire article if I'm really, really interested. 

In this way, I can usually scan an entire newspaper in about 5 minutes. There's nothing wrong with reading the paper, but I've chosen to invest my time in other ways. 

Now, I've emptied out 30 more minutes a day to do something more worthwhile, so my life and mind won't be so full. 

I'm learning to replace good things with better things. 

In the past, if I read a book a month, I was really doing well. However, I've come to understand the importance of improving myself. 

I now get up early every morning and block out an hour or so just to read in a quiet place. In the evening, I pick up the same book, and read it if my family is watching TV. I can usually keep up with a show if I want to, and read at the same time. It helps my reading to mute the sound during the commercials. 

When I was a kid, I hated reading, so avoided it. I think it was because I read a really sad book about a couple of hunting dogs dying. I started to avoid reading. 

Furthermore, I disliked reading because I read too slowly. I felt like I was wasting my time. 

Now, by spending more time reading, I'm getting better at it. It helps me to use a bookmark to underscore each sentence that I'm reading. 

Lately, I've been knocking out about 100 pages a day. I've read as many as 5 books in one week. I now enjoy reading. 

I read to learn more about God, 

simplify my life, 

gather new ideas, 

and improve my circumstances. 

When I really like the book, I've read it, and listened to its audio book up to 10 times. If I own the book, I highlight the parts that I want to remember. 

Recently, my reading habit became so expensive that I've started getting books out of the library, so I could read them for free. 

Another benefit that I've noticed is my 10-year old son has had a renewed interest in reading. In fact, it's not unusual for him to read a book or more a week. He doesn't particularly like the types of books that I like, but that's okay. I figure if he can improve on his comprehension and reading speed, it will give him an edge. 

It can do the same for you. Are you trying to overcome a problem, and find some answers? You might find the answer in a good book. 

Simply go to the bookstore and read the titles in the desired section. 

Ask yourself, has the author earned the right to be read? 

If one book seems interesting, pick it up, and read the back cover to see whose recommending the book. 

Then, read the names of each of the chapters, and then, if you're still interested, read the introduction. 

Think of this like reviewing a resume before hiring an applicant.

M. H. Dennis