I’ve discovered an amazing place! Inside you will find the most terrific treasures you’ve ever seen. There are sights, sounds and people from all over the world.
Like the depths of the ocean, there is no beginning and no end. The more you explore, the more you find. Once inside you can unlock the secrets of life, happiness, success and more.
The doors are open to everyone, but few venture inside. It’s a place where you can go back in time or travel to the future. There is no place like it on earth. But don’t worry, you won’t need to go far, you can experience this place from where you are.
What is this magical destination? The inside of a book.
Whatever I want to know, where ever I want to go, whoever I want to meet, I can find it in a book. Whatever problem I have, somewhere in the history of mankind, I know someone has written about it. Today, I save myself a lot of trouble and learn from those who have already figured it out.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that successful people never stop learning. One common trait of the world’s most successful people is that they read…a lot. They’re not looking for entertainment, they are looking to educate themselves.
When Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, and a few other companies, decided he wanted to start a rocket company, he read. A man that had no previous rocket science experience, used the simple act of reading to figure out how to build rockets!
Charlie Munger is the second greatest investment mind of all time. His partner Warren Buffet, is number one. Combined, they are worth 82 billion dollars! I’d say they are pretty good at what they do. Here is Charlie’s take on reading
In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time — none, zero. You’d be amazed at how much Warren reads — at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I’m a book with a couple of legs sticking out.
Warren Buffett makes another great point about reading and gaining knowledge.” It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will.”
And he is right. The world at large will not bother. According to recent research, 33% of U.S. high school graduates will never read a book after high school. Never!? That number is worse for college graduates at 42%.
Part of the reason is that everyone believed you went to school to get an education, so you could get a job and then enjoy life. When I set off to college, this was my thinking.
Somewhere along the way, I figured out that getting an education and a degree are not the same thing. In fact, it’s been 19 years since I graduated and I am still getting an education. I’m learning how to be a better husband, father, leader and professional.
One way I keep learning is by reading. When I face a new challenge or have some problem, I start seeking out experts that might have insight to share. According to Google, in 2010 there were 130 million books available in the world. The chances are good that I will find an answer in a book.
Beyond success, there are countless health benefits as well. Studies show that reading increases empathy, self-confidence and satisfaction with life. It can also ward off problems like stress or depression. Books may be the best medicine ever created!
Like all things, getting started can be a challenge. After college, I didn’t set out to read 30 books a year. I picked up one. That one multiplied to 2, then 4 and so on.
Today, I listen to most of my books on Audible. I could spend my 30 minute commute listening to music, but this is a chance to expand my thinking and create time. One of the best features of Audible is that I can speed it up. Today, I listen at 2x speed, sometimes faster. That’s twice as many books in the same amount of time.
My only regret when it comes to reading is that I wish I would have read more as a kid. Since I can’t go back and change history, I can at least try to catch up.
Today, I read all sorts of books. One day it might be the biography of Albert Einstein, the next might be a book on building great products and after that it might be a book on cryptocurrency.
While I’ve read hundreds of books in the last 20 years, there are a handful that stand out. I recommend these to everyone I meet. These are the few books I’ve read more than once and plan to read again.
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How to Win Friends and Influence People
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Stop Worrying and Start Living
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Rich Dad, Poor Dad
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Seven Habits of Highly Successful People
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Lincoln the Unknown
These books helped change my life. While there are no shortage of great books to choose, if you ever need one to grab, start here. Whatever happens, keep reading, I know I will.
This post is part of a series of letters to my kids. My goal is to reflect on and capture as many life lessons as possible. Here is the current list I am working from.
