Read + Know + Grow + Smarter = Stronger Voice

“The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the smarter you grow. The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice when speaking your mind or making your choice.”

I memorized these words from a bookmark I found at the library when I was 12.

Whenever people tell me they don’t like to read, I recite this poem to them. Often they ask me to repeat it a few times and agree there is merit to my message, but they still don’t like to read.

I understand. There are ways of learning that don’t appeal to me either.

Reading books or references works can be cumbersome. Reading instructional texts can be torture. Reading something you are interested in can change your life.

Books like You are a BadAss (Jen Sincero) and 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life (Cami Walker) helped me to find my voice in creating my blog. In the Meantime (Iyanla Vanzant) got me past the greatest heartaches of my life. The Holy Bible is a centuries old guide of how humanity has time and again been called to serve God and one another. I find a lot of advice in its pages.

The written word is a gift. We should accept it as such and find ways to enhance our lives with the scribblings of those who have gone before us or who have valuable messages to share today.

I encourage you to seek out a book, magazine, website, reference guide, or blog that gives you guidance in the things that interest you or in areas that you are particularly troubled. Sometimes reading the words of others helps us feel less isolated and creates connections in our hearts that allow for healing or growth to begin.

If it is fiction that you find refuge in, go for it. Give your heavy heart and mind a break from everyday trials and tribulations. Expand your imagination. Who knows, reading might just lead to the discovery of talents and experiences that you never dreamed would be a part of your life.

Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell), The Book Thief (Markus Zusak), Animal Farm and 1984 (George Orwell), and so many others have taught me lessons about humanity and how we must find the strength to do and be good.

There are other books, like the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich, that I read strictly for their humor and adventure.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is created with bringing an entire generation back to reading, while sharing a story about how good can conquer evil. Give any of these a try and I guarantee you will find a new perspective.

As the poem says, finding your voice becomes much easier, when you read. Having knowledge makes you a more reliable source when speaking on the things that inspire and excite you. Rarely have I met someone who did not get a spark in their eye when discussing a topic  or hobby that they were knowledgeable about.

Excitement created by knowledge runs deep in all of us and flows out in our successes. Confidence finds its way into our words and actions because of those successes resulting in a strong voice. Give your voice strength with what you read.

Remember, the more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the more you and your life have to offer.

By: Melanie A. Peters