Never Read Alone
Never Read Alone!!
How many books did you read this year? Which book really was impactful? What are you still practicing from that book or books?
Something I learned several years now, “Your life is a reflection of your thoughts. If you change your thinking, you change your life.” Of course, the author could’ve been; Jim Rohn, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, and Dr. Joseph Murphy. It really doesn’t matter does it… but is it true? The results from my research showed that over 50% -67% of American adults didn’t read a whole book over the past 12 months or finish the whole book. And that younger generations read less compared to GenX, Y,and Boomers.
This young mind individual named, Nicholas Rizzo and his team surveyed 2,003 American adults in order to better understand the reading habits of Americans in 2022. Nearly a quarter of adults have not read a book in 1-2 years. Another 11.18% haven’t read a book in 3-5 years. Does this surprise you? What do you think those numbers are today... In fact, The Pew Research Center survey from January 2024, it found that about 65% to 74% Americans read a book in the past year. However, the study didn't express the type of content. If didn't provide the fact if those individuals actually finished a book.
So, how's the thinking of the person you’re sitting next to right now? Maybe your on an airplane, the bus, or at your favorite five start dining restaurant. Take a moment and look around. Is everyone actually diving into the conversations with deep thinking or are they consumed by their phones? Our actions stem from our thoughts. Let's take for instances the Walmart shoppers who raged after waiting hours to buy a bulk box of Kraft Mac & Cheese designed to look like a flat-screen television, only for it to sell out within seconds. No self-control. No self-management. No accountability or mental capacity whatsoever to do what is right versus wrong. You can't make this stuff up - the worldwide web is filled with videos like this today.
After waking-up at 3AM with curiosity and hunger for insight for the past 10+ years. I have come to a conclusion of my own; our life is a reflection of the information we consume. That’s right, we are the sum of the thoughts and action we feed our mind. Those thoughts can be fears, worries, or doubts. Those thoughts can be dreams, goals, desires, or feelings. If you change your thinking habits you change your life habits. We must be the change from within to have the positive impact on outside influences of life. This also include ourselves. We certainly can wait for schools, mainstream media outlets, or social media influencers to paint the picture for us. Henry David Thoreau once said, “The world is our canvas to the imagination.” So, where does this imagination stem from…our very own mind.
In 1837 Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke to The University of Harvard's Phi Beta Kappa Society. Emerson addressing an audience of newly graduates, he gave one of those inspiring pep-talks that commencement speakers have been giving ever since. The result became one of his classic essays, "The American Scholar," which offered a roadmap for a life of the mind that moved beyond the worship of books and a life of un-reflected reading. Ralph W. Emerson understood that reading is crucial to a person's intellectual well-being, but it's not the only thing we should be doing, and far from it.
He wanted us to know there was more to life than books. We must find time to live as well and share what we read with those willing to listen with intention. Books are best thought of as tools used to kickstart our own creativity. We read to write. We write to create and create so we can tap into something larger than ourselves. The inspiration and insightful people still get from reading Emerson's essays comes from his contagious optimism, enthusiasm, and passion that our potential goes far beyond what we end up settling for in this life.
In the vary end... We are a sum of the actions we feed our mind. If we don't feed the mind the right nutrients of thoughts. Our mind will become stagnant and filled with weeds that grow.
So, what book will you finish this year with? Or what book will you finish this month and share with others?
Respectfully,
Coach Frank Sagasta
CTE Business Management & Leadership Instructor
Coachingbeyond LLC,
(c) coachfranksagasta 2025
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