Why do I read?

Why should you read?

part of my office library.

As we can see from this photo in my office books are hugely important to me. They influence me and ground me. They give substance to points. They help me articulate and formulate dialogues and discussions with my business partners and associates.

Books educate me every single day. They always have. They always will.

I can remember reading in my younger years “The Twits” and “Fantastic Mister Fox” by Roald Dahl, the “Lord of the Rings” of Tolkien, and these days “The Road”, “All the Pretty Horses” and “Blood Meridian”, by Cormac McCarthy, my favourite author.

Cormac McCarthy

Fiction was always a part of my life growing up. Books were. It was a wonderful gift bestowed upon me from my parents. I can never thank them enough for giving me the love of reading. I can’t even contemplate how many books were bought for me by my parents or book-devouring uncle in these early formative years. What I do know is that it lit a light that will never burn out. This light I have now passed onto my two year old son Michael, who loves diving into books like “Paw Patrol”, “Peppa Pig” and the “The Wizenard Series”, written by the late Kobe Bryant, to name but a few.

a book for the ages, created by the late Kobe Bryant

Epictetus once proclaimed “Isn’t reading a kind of preparation for life?”. To echo Ryan Holiday, who I greatly admire, reading gives people so much wisdom dating back the millennia. Why would we not want to devour all this information, absorb it, digest it and use it when we need and want to. Whilst I now read more non-fiction than fiction they both give me so much value and a timeless educational resource.

I signed up for the daily stoic reading challenge created by the aforementioned Mr Ryan Holiday and what it is doing is crystalizing the essence of what reading can do for us all. Check it out. Reading levels up my business meeting discussions, gives me insight and anecdotes for my podcast interviews, educates me on topics I’ve never formally studied, and so much more.

For me, reading builds your character, not just credibility in areas of interest that you’ve read in or studied, like physiotherapy for me, as an example. It fills up your “passion jug” I like to call it when you take in the energy of areas of interest that you are enthusiastic for.

The Italian scholar and poet Francesco Petrarca , he of the Italian renaissance era of the 14th century said that “books give delight to the very marrow of one’s bones.”

Francesco Petrarca

James Kerr, the author of “Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life” wrote “Create a learning environment. Leaders are teachers.”

*Have a look at the nice article written by Raz Bachar on “Legacy”.

I have created a learning environment in my office by having so many influential, diverse and interesting authors near me to look to for inspiration, insight and education.

a top-10 of my life book

My unit of mentors and role models help inform many of my professional and personal decisions. Big hitters include @James Clear, Lewis Howes, Robert Greene, Tim Ferriss and Alan Stein Jr. These guys are masters at their trade and the wisdom they have shared is special. Who do you look to?

You should read to learn.

You should read to teach others, share stories and wisdom.

You should read because it really is enjoyable, immersive and deeply embodying.

A close friend recently said to me that on-going education and coaching is crucial for success. This is similar to what Lewis Howes recently said when he said at his ‘Summit of Greatness’ that education, relationships and coaching have been vital for him to be successful. Reading gives you education; it gives you coaching by the best of the best; it helps with your relationships. Books can give you other opinions, context and cognitive diversity. In fact, I cannot think of anything books don’t give you. Get up and grab a book, and read. You will enjoy it. You may learn something too!