Why Read?

It's been said that there are three kinds of knowledge:

? What you know ? What you know that you don't know, and ? What you don't know that you don't know.

What you know is an asset.

What you know that you don't know isn't too difficult to handle. You can go out and find out!

But what you don't know that you don't know could be dangerous -- to your life/health/career/business etc. It's information that you don't know exists. It could cost you your job, promotion, business, or something worse.

What you don't know can, and often does, harm you. In fact, unknown to you it could be holding you back this very minute.

However, if you develop the habit of reading for self improvement, you set yourself up to be "found" by such knowledge. It comes to you each time you open a book, even though you never knew it was there.

Imagine this: you're walking along innocently, "in the line of fire" of some great information, and all of a sudden you are "hit" by a new discovery! If you will just stay in the line of fire (by reading, reading and reading some more), you will keep on getting "hit". And there's something about this habit that causes you to attract just the information you need!

I am an avid, voracious reader. I read anything that's written in English, online or offline! A while ago, I needed some info about marketing one's services. I set a weekly goal to read up on the subject, though I had no idea where I would find the material, or the time to read it either! Lo and behold! Being a habitual reader, all week long I was "found out and followed" by books, articles, pop-up boxes and spam mail on marketing your services. Every where I turned, it was there!

If you develop the habit of reading, you will never be at a loss for information. You will either know what you need to know, know where to find it, know some one who knows it, or it will come looking for you!

Over time you will become a resource person and a magnet for information. Now how beneficial could that be to your career or business?

I once worked with colleagues who often came to me when they were looking for information. If a problem defied solution they made sure to ask me. I didn't always have the answers, but if I didn't, I knew where to find them! My boss wrote in my appraisal that I was "an asset to this establishment." To get ahead in today's world you must develop a reading habit; stay in the line of fire of good, wholesome information, and get "hit" each time there's an update!

Is time a problem for you? Here are

10 tips for finding the time to read:

1. Take a book with you wherever you go, make use of time in the traffic, waiting in receptions, even time in the loo!

2. Cut back on TV viewing. What does it profit a man (or woman) to watch TV all day and suffer from a dearth of information?

3. To find time for new things you must throw out some old ones. What pastimes are no longer profitable? Or less profitable than reading? Ditch them!

4. Make friends with people who read. Their good reading habits will rub off on you.

5. Join a reading group. You'll be kept busy with reading assignments, and will somehow have to make the time. No reading groups near you? Create one!

6. Delegate as much work as you possibly can, whether it's office work or house work. Use the free time to "get in the line of fire" of some good information! 7. Set goals for self-improvement. Make reading part of your strategy. Then you will read to reach your goals.

8. Set up a corner of your home to be the perfect reading corner ? rocking chair/reading desk and chair, good lighting, peaceful and quiet, soft colours, gentle on the eyes, out-of-bounds to kids ? you know what I mean! Just looking at the place will draw you to sit there and read!

9. Block out 30 minutes to one hour of your day (or whatever suits you) for reading. Tell everyone you cannot be disturbed. Switch off all phones. Go where no one can find you. Do whatever it takes to have that time uninterrupted and just read.

10. Get organized; be a better time manager. It's amazing how much time we throw away chatting on the phone, hanging out with friends, lingering after a meeting or waiting around for one thing or the other. You could kill two birds with one stone by reading while you're at the hairdresser's or the mechanic's. Examine the way you spend your time. You'll find plenty of it not properly utilized.

I hope you are inspired to begin reading, whether for pleasure or self-improvement. There is no such thing as spare time. If you need time you've got to create it. And now you have no excuse! So go on out and get some books, and get "hit" with some new information!

Copyright 2005 Oma Edoja

Oma Edoja is a writer, motivational speaker and infopreneur. She writes on a variety of topics, but mainly motivational/inspirational/self-help. She is looking to work with editors and publishers who need writers. Oma may be contacted via her motivational ezine at http://up-mobile.blogspot.com