Classic Zig Ziglar

Studies validate the fact that readers are leaders and that those who enjoy reading become students with creative imaginations. Via books, you can go all over the world in your imagination. Your dream capacity increases dramatically; your imagination grows as you read about faraway places with strange-sounding names. Unfortunately, the average American does very little reading of significance.

The typical American reads two books a year. In my own reading, I seek information that will inspire, instruct and encourage other people when I make my verbal presentations. I also pick up ideas for future writings of my own. If an average reader (that's 220 words per minute) reads 20 minutes every day, he or she will read 20 200-page books each year, giving them a huge advantage over the competition — and all of us are in competition for jobs, promotions, ideas and so on.

But the biggest benefit is the enjoyment we gain and the way reading develops our imagination. Fact: The more you know about any subject, the more useful additional information becomes, because you combine what you already knew with what you just learned. Result: More creativity.

One of the wisest things parents can do is start reading to their children when they are very small. Read good, age-appropriate books to your children with joy and excitement. If they want to hear you read the same story over and over, go ahead and read it "one more time." Repetition is the mother of learning, and that makes it the father of action, which is the architect of accomplishment. In addition to reading to your children, make certain they see you reading good books.

When the kids see Mom and/or Dad with a bookshelf full of good books and watch them read regularly, the children generally become readers as well.

We are grateful that all of our children, who are now mature adults, are enthusiastic readers. They saw their parents reading and followed suit.

One of my favorite statements is that the person who doesn't read is no better off than the person who can't read. Reading can take us to new heights in our lives. The neat thing about reading is that you can continue it for as long as you live, and in our fast-paced, fast-changing world, we need to be constantly learning just to stay even with the information curve.

Perhaps one of the greatest things about reading is that you can learn many things that generally are not taught in formal educational systems. Formal education is extremely important, but to supplement that formal education, reading after your school days are over will teach you about actually living the life you've been preparing for. You can learn why you must have goals; how to set and reach them; how to build winning relationships; how to develop the qualities that are necessary to enjoy balanced success; the importance of having integrity and character; how to build and maintain the right attitude; and how to get up when you've been knocked down.

In formal education, while relationships and even hardships might be referenced, they are seldom specifically taught. And as any employer will tell you, the individual who arrives in the work force with the ability to handle both is a true asset to his or her company. As a matter of fact, 70 percent of the people who lose their jobs do so because they do not fit in and/or get along with the other people there.

The benefits of becoming a reader for life are extensive, and I hope this message is an encouragement to you to either develop or expand your own reading habits. If you read extensively, you will not only have more fun in life but, in all probability, more financial and community success as a result. Pick up a good book today.

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.

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