Leaders are readers - and listeners.
That means that they also spend a lot of money on books and audio and are
always looking for ways to save.
Tell me I can't read and watch me shrivel up and die.
And I need fresh material. Many of the great stories and essays have already been written, but many more are being written daily. I crave the old and the new. Principles never change, but challenges do and so do strategies for applying principles. We need to be grounded in the past, present in the present, and alert to the future so that we can be one step ahead of change.
We spend a great deal of time in our cars these days. For that reason, as it has often been said, we need to turn those vehicles into universities on wheels. If we are valuing our time behind the wheel as learning time, we wil be less stressed about traffic jams and less likely to be dialing our cell phones. Audio boks are an excellent option for those hours of driving.
My reading comes in waves where sometimes I am finishing a book a day and
sometimes reading very slowly and digesting what I read. However, balanced out
over the years of my life, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on books
and audio. Now I am looking for ways to save money without cutting back on consumption.
I shop for used books sometimes. There are numerous sources - online and in
real time and space.
I use the library, but it is difficult to get the most current titles. No
problem, there are thousands of classics I have not yet read. Get a library
card.
I actually do buy new books and shop for the best deals I can get.
I borrow books, but I am at the mercy of the reading habits of my friends.
Just today, I discovered a new source - at least new to me - a subscription
paperback and audio lending service. Check it out for yourself and see if it
meets your needs. I am intrigued and intend to subscribe myself.
Reading through The Power of Full Engagement, I have started making applications to every area of my life - including my reading. I want to read during times when I am mentally alert and receptive. I want to read until my mind starts to wander and then take a break. And then, for me to cross reference and cross polinate ideas and concepts and hold my own attention, I must be reading several (at least) books at a time on a variety of subjects and for a variety of purposes. I will read some in each daily or at least every few days.
So, I require stacks of books.
And I must write about them and on them (or in the case of borrowed books - on accompanying notebooks).
I need the right places to read effectively - not necessarily quiet and alone, but comfortable and stimulating.
Reading time is feeding time. we feed our minds, our imaginations, our emotions, our dreams, andour spirits. We even feed our bodies as we change pace and recover physical energy.
Whatever you do, keep reading.
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