"READ A BOOK"

This song has been on repeat in my mind.lol. I remember hearing this song for the first time years ago. The song was so catchy, had a message, and our brother Bomani "D'mite" Armah had the famous Lil Jon "oookaayyyy!" ad-lib to assist the track. However, the message behind the song remains relevant in "til this day!!!!"((Deontae Wilder voice)).

After conversing with different individuals about this subject, it appeared to me that in this fast-paced, rat-race, hustle and bustle society which we live, wherein our attention is consumed by so many different entities, reading is becoming a "lost art". Just picking up a good hard/paperback book appears to be a thing of the past. Remember going to the bookstore? Picking up the book that you've been anticipating getting into your hands? Maybe you ordered the book online. Maybe someone referred the author to you. Or, what about being in the bookstore and browsing through books with titles that peaked your curiosity? Those experiences were/are PRICELESS. Those experiences were part of the yearning to know more. Learn more! See more! Be more! Do more! Mentally, the book of your choice took your mind on a journey that surpassed the current reality. Having the ability to read various books proved to have many benefits.

*Increased Vocabulary

*Sharpened Critical-thinking skills

*Healthy Development of Curiosity

and a long host of more.

STUDIES ON READING.

When picking up a book to read, we're learning principles such as patience, how to use inference and deduction, strengthening our minds to be analytical. These are key principles that are entrenched in individuals who hold successful leadership positions. I would like to highlight a few studies that were pretty interesting to me.

*Disclaimer, I'm not the person who always like to bring up what "studies show", and expect the person or people whom I'm communicating with, to take the "study" as the standard.

We must also study the "studies"! When we decide to do our own due diligence, we can conclude that this particular "study" on the lack of American reading is pretty accurate. Even amongst those we know personally. An interesting "perspective" was given in "Psychology Today" by a Mayanne Wolf. She stated "When we spend six to 12 hours a day reading on screens, we develop a tendency to read quickly and superficially. A book literally slows us down—we have to turn the pages—and encourages us to go back and reread. The words have more permanence." I found this to be quite interesting. What about you? Study yourself. Have you attempted to read a book after going through your social media outlets for a certain timespan. Were you impatient with the text? I admit, I have been found guilty of falling victim to the very question that I raised to you. Just think of how not having a desire to read books, as we get older, begins to affect the way we challenge information. As an educator on the elementary level, I come in contact with children who think that if it's on YouTube, and it's been supported by someone who has influence, IT' MUST BE TRUE! Not because someone who's influential to me supports the idea, I'm going to look further into it myself. No, because if he or she supports it, IT'S TRUE! Not because I know the influencer to be thorough with READING and STUDYING. Primarily due to the fact that the young boy or girl does not have the hunger to satisfy their curiosity through grabbing a book, or two, or three, with some help from google as well, to study. In another study, the Pew Research Center reported that nearly a quarter of adults had not read a single book, in electronic, paper, or even audio format, in the past year. A SINGLE BOOK!!

Leaders Are Readers

The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan stated years ago that "Leaders Are Readers". Oftentimes it appears that if Socrates, Aristotle, Einstein, etc. have made statements that are held as truths, there is a small percentage willing challenge "those truths". On the contrary, I find that when The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan makes/has made statements, while having an impeccable record of delivering truths, he is often questioned or challenged. So with the above statement that He has made, I would like to bring some witnesses to the stand that will bear him witness. Author/Real-estate investor Grant Cardone was speaking on having the "success mindset". He spoke about how, on average, the average billionaire or wealthy individual reads 60 books per year. While on the other hand, the average full-time working wage earner reads 1.5 books within the same time span. If you need to, re-read it. Pause....... an average of 60 books, in comparison to an average of 1.5 books. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, The teacher of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Louis Farrakhan, influential to Stokley Carmichae(Kwame Toure) Dick Gregory, and many more.., has given his thought on poverty. He stated that "poverty is not a lack of money, it's a lack of KNOW HOW." By looking into the "Know How", Know=knowledge and How=Application. So wherever we work, or conduct our business, oftentimes(not all of the time) the people who are ahead of us as our business superior aka. Leadership, is largely due to having more knowledge/know how. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad also placed such high value on reading. He once stated that the solution to every problem can be found in a book somewhere. The SOLUTION to EVERY PROBLEM can be found in A BOOK somewhere.

At the end of the day, audiobooks are great resources. Ebooks are great resources. And for certain, the oldest way of reading a book, the physical copy is a great resource. Whatever medium we choose to do so, let's engage in READING A BOOK.

As-Salaam Alaikum

Brother Thomas X-Williams, author of "Mountain Mover: the impeccable strength that will accompany your character"