How to read more?

Just do it!

I read somewhere that authors are voracious readers. I would imagine so. When I read, I also feel the urge to create something of my own. Likewise, I don’t think I’ve ever come across a writer who doesn’t read. Come to think of it, reading and writing are one and the same.

Off the top of my head, I can already think of three similarities. First, unlike TV or video games, you don’t get instant gratification. That’s why you rarely hear of people who get into writing or reading overnight. It takes time. The more we do it, the deeper the joy. Such happiness isn’t a passing shower, but a steady drizzle.

Second, many people talk about wanting to write or read, but not many actually do it. In Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life, writer and Zen practitioner Natalie Goldberg talks about how most people spend their entire lives circling around the idea of wanting to write but the difficulty puts them off . And her advice is: just do it. The same applies to reading. Instead of stopping at the thought, turn it into action. Do it.