Addiction, meaning getting used to something so much that it's hard to go a day without it. It's common to hear about and see people addicted to alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes. But have you ever thought that some addictions could be good too?
Well, I am addicted to one of the good things. Reading!. Maybe I'm exaggerating by calling this habit an addiction, but that's what it feels like to me. My day feels incomplete without reading at least a paragraph of something I'm currently reading.
A few years back, if someone would’ve told me that I would want to spend the rest of my life reading books and writing stuff, I would've laughed in their face and told them to stop thinking such ridiculous things.
When I was in high school, I hated even looking at books. Could you blame me? I'm terrible with numbers. Only the English subject felt somewhat bearable.
Whenever some elder talked about the latest novels they'd read, I used to cringe and think, 'have they gone mad or something? Their life must be so dull’.
Now, when someone asks me about the things I like to do to pass the time, I say reading, and most of the time, the reaction I get is flat and monotonous expressions saying, 'seriously?'. See how the table has turned.
I get it. It's not everyone's cup of tea. Everybody knows that reading is great for personal growth and wants to make it a habit. But for many, it's not easy. They struggle, and I don't understand why because reading got me hooked when I first tried it so effortlessly.
Let me share how I started my journey and how it eventually became a habit. A habit so addicting I'm thinking of ways to make money from it.
The first time
It happened in my first year of college. One of my close friends told me about a fictional story she was reading and how good it was. She told me to give it a try. 'You'll like it, she said.
I had never read anything out of our subject books. I declined and said that our college books are tiresome and painful enough. I hated studying. But my dear friend opened a chapter of the story she was reading in an app, handed over her mobile phone to me, and made me read it right then and there.
After reading a few paragraphs, I didn't like it. I loved it. It got me thinking, 'how can someone's mindset be so deep, mature & beautiful?'.
I got curious and wanted to read the whole story because the chapter ended with a cliffhanger like those daily soaps on TV our moms like to watch.
So, I got the app on my phone, found the book, downloaded it, and started reading. I was beyond happy because I had discovered a new world that was much more interesting than the real one.
After the story ended, I went to the author's profile, hoping to find some similar stories, and started downloading every completed book like crazy.
It's been more than six years now. I never stopped reading. I've read so many novels that I lost count. Now, I'm addicted to it.
I discovered that I’m a fiction lover. I've tried reading some self-help, inspirational and educational books too. But after a few pages, I always get bored. Maybe it's because they are not in a story format. But I know they're filled with some precious life lessons. I don't want to miss anything, so I read book review articles and listen to videos about them online.
In my opinion
The way we do the reading at school/ college and reading something out of curiosity are not similar. There's a difference between studying and learning and doing something because you want to, not because you have to.
If you are a new reader, I would recommend starting with fiction. What kind of movies do you enjoy watching? Action, supernatural, romance, science fiction, comedy, historical, adventure, suspense & thriller, or horror. Start reading books of that genre. Let the world of imagination consume you.
I find reading more enjoyable than watching movies or drama series on-screen because words are the tools that allow me to paint pictures on my invisible canvas and bring my imagination to life. It'll change you without you even knowing it.
So, what are you waiting for.? You can get started right now! And for that, you can borrow a book from someone you know or download reading apps and start reading for free as I did.
I hope it helped.
P.S- I've written a poem on reading to express what it means to me. Check it out.
Tags- reading addiction, reading habit, good habit, start reading.
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