I would say “READING” is like “INTIMACY OF LEARNING”. 

My first intimate relationship started with the book.

If I have a book, I would forget what’s happening around me. It gives me pleasure and you can’t measure that with anything.

Suppose, the author transferred “the pleasure of the text” to me, that AUTHOR is going to be my MENTOR.

I started reading books at the age of 11 (During my 6th Grade/Standard). At that time I have been attracted by comics. I have read all types of comics (Of Course, in THAMIZH only).

In the 1980’s IRUMBUKKAI MAAYAVI, LION COMICS, MUTHU COMICS, etc. were popular and I was a regular reader of those books.

And then my reading habit switches over into pocket novels and that time I was not attracted by those pocket novels. In fact, I have been attracted more towards the family stories.

I was not sure why I was like that but that’s how I am. Still, I am not attracted to pulp fiction instead I always wanted to read life in reality.

Slowly I moved over to all the famous writers in Tamilnadu. In My library, I had all sorts of books and I had given them to one of the libraries in my hometown (Close to 2000 books).

Why this topic is now an important one?

I have interacted with a lot of youngsters/young minds these days, I can see common characteristics among them is that 99.7% of the people don’t have the reading habit.

Even a single newspaper!

However, they all have SMARTPHONES with them. They can read online too but that’s not happening.

We are not poor by money. We are poor with knowledge.

Let’s take a look at what are the benefits I am getting because of READING a book. (We have to talk like this because everything is consumable these days and we have to promote each product like “how to become a millionaire within 30 days”)

1. We will start asking QUESTIONS for ourselves. This is the most important thing in everyone’s life.
2. We can get to know the life of others so that we can implement the right one with respect to our lifestyle and situation.
3. For example, We just read one of the books of an entrepreneur and he’s / she’s saying about how he/she became a star in his/her field. We can apply/implement those principles and we can grow faster than him/her.
4. We will get the CONFIDENCE that we can also achieve something.
5. We will be happier than before just because of reading books. Is it TRUE? How? – Please start reading and then you will realize it.
6. We will get companion (This is very scarce and costly these days. Nobody is ‘free’ to talk) and it drives our life very smoothly.
7. Tom Clancy said it best: “Life is about learning; when you stop learning, you die.”
8. LEARNING starts from when we start READING.
9. These days we are not getting enough chances for the new challenging environment to get the new experience. So, we have to start reading to get the other’s experiences.
10. You will get nice DREAM. Trust me. DREAM is very powerful. It will happen in REAL if you are REAL.
11. It will give more AUTHORITATIVE for your personal and professionl life.

If you search for online “what are the benefits of reading a book”, You will get this from most of the websites or from the people:

• Improves brain connectivity
• Increases your vocabulary and comprehension
• Empowers you to empathize with other people
• Aids in sleep readiness
• Reduces stress
• Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
• Fights depression symptoms
• Prevents cognitive decline as you age
• Contributes to a longer life

If I say, reading a book improves brain connectivity, you immediately asks what to do with brain connectivity?

You will all get all the information like theoritically these things can happen, practically those things can happen.

In my experience, I would say, You will be HAPPY because of READING a book. In mid 40’s, everyone knows that what is HAPPY means.

For getting that HAPPINESS, people are spending like anything.

You can spend lakhs and lakhs to be happier but the problem is we are looking outside to get the happiness.

That’s something resides within us inside. But we have to work hard to find that one.

Lot of people believe in the following. Sometime, I am also in this group.

• We are happy by seeing a MOVIE.
• We are happy by going/eating at a great RESTAURANT.
• We are happy by going a long DRIVE.
• We are happy by seeing the long beach.
• We are happy by looking at our bank balance

But, These things will get bored.

How long you can watch a movie?

How much you can eat?

How long you can dirve?

How long you can watch a beach?

How much money you can spend?

Once after started reading books,

• We are happy by looking at the EMPTINESS.
• We are happy by looking at the ONENESS.
• We are happy by looking at each and eveyone.
• We will make others be happy.

The perception of reading book in this soceity:

1. Whatever you read, they simply say “oh are you reading some story books?” Is there any benefit?
2. Our people are always in bond with the benefit. It will bind with the offer or money or in terms of free gifts.
3. They never buy any book without benefit. They buy you a text book with the benefit that you are going to get a job and salary after that.
4. Once you sit with the book, your family members will easily say that “Do something useful”.

My DEAR Young Minds,

Forget about all those things. Benefits, money , etc.

Forget about what your family members will start commenting on your reading habits.

Forget about your friends.

Just try start reading GOOD BOOKS. Learn new things/skills. And “LOST YOURSELF” .