Reading Challenge

I am writing this note to you on Memorial Day.  This is a day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their life in the service of our country. However, in a far less significant way, Memorial Day has also become the “unofficial” start of summer.  So, among other things, it is now permissible to begin wearing those white shoes and clothing. Summer makes me think ….school is out, it is almost watermelon season, the beach, the mountains, the value of air conditioning, finding a tree to park under, you get the point.  You can construct your own list.  

One activity that has become part of my summers is reading. Traditionally it has become a time for authors, especially fiction writers, to release their newest work. I have a challenge for you. Make the summer of 2018 the summer of reading.  I will even give you a target. Read three books over this season. 

Here are 3 suggestions.  In June reread a book that you enjoyed.  It made you laugh, cry, remember, contemplate a topic, want to “dig” deeper on a subject, inspired you.  It will be like reconnecting with an old friend.

July is the month you will finally read that book you purchased awhile ago and it has been resting on your desk or night stand waiting for you to explore her.  That book represents a $25 investment you made. Now is the time to reap the benefit of that investment.

Throughout June and July, you are actively searching for that book you will read in August.  You can ask friends, colleagues, family members, searching the internet for ideas and suggestions.  Ask people what they are reading.  Solicit from people books that had an impact on them.

I realize some of you are voracious readers, a book a month is already your habit.  Doing this is no big deal. But the reality is, many of you simply read very little or not at all. This challenge sounds like climbing Mount Everest. I know you can do this.  Let me show you this is very doable.  I will give you a path. Here is the math.  Can you knock out 10 pages a day?  Can you devote 15 minutes daily to this endeavor?  Sure you can. The average book is 300 pages.  Well 10 pages per day for 30 days (a month) is 300 pages. There you go that is a book a month. See you can do this.

Please accept this challenge. Then let me know what you are reading and what you learned. I guess I am asking you for a mini book report.

My intention is to communicate with you every couple of weeks.  If you have friends you think might be interested in receiving these musings please invite them to email their contact information to Sharon at sharon@prioritylivingaz.org. She will add them to our mailing list.  

We will “talk” again soon.