10 Ways to Get Back to Your Reading Habit

We have published an article about how to read more books. Now this post is for those who used to read in past and now stopped it for some reasons. Recently a friend asked how he could start reading habit. When I asked him what kinds of books he liked to read, his answer surprised me that he couldn't remember the last time he had read an entire book but he read a lot of news and stuffs online. Another friend admitted her own difficulties with reading as much as she used to, especially fiction. According to her there is enough drama going on around the world, so she didn't feel to read fictionalized drama.

There was one who said he 'prefer to experience real life rather than reading about it in books.' As for this kind of people who think their lives are more interesting and so diverse to give them all the wisdom and emotional skills to direct them through our increasingly complex societies, then I cannot shatter their sweet illusion. So here I want to address those who really want to read but somehow they can't.

There is a difference in reading online news and articles and reading a book. I mean the long-form (books or novels) and shorter pieces (online news and articles). Our cognitive processes are such that we read quicker and with less comprehension and retention when scrolling through short online articles, blogs, and news and clicking on link after link. Though I also read a lot online (news, book reviews, author interviews, etc.), books remains my primary source of knowledge and thoughts. Reading is not only about improving quality of our lives but also the quality of the attention we pay to the things and people in our daily lives. It changes our ways of engaging with the people and being in the world.

Here I'm suggesting some approaches to rekindle and cultivate the habit of reading. It's better to find a way for a regular reading practice organically rather than forcing yourself to read.

Move to Books from Online Articles

If you enjoy reading online about some specific topics, look for the best books published on those topics online or at your local library or bookstore. Don't forget to check the writer's name of that article you liked reading online as they might have books published too. You will get a deeper and more considered dive into those topics in book-length works. Also ask booksellers and librarian about the book on that topic you liked as they truly enjoy engaging with readers and recommend specific kinds of books. If you're living where there is no library or a bookstore nearby, you can join online library and download books on an electronic device.

Move to Books from Movies

If you enjoy movies, look for those adapted from a book and then read that book. If possible (I insist) don't watch movie before you read the book. By a little search in Google, You can find the movies based on books which are already released or will release in near future. Once you are done with that book, try to watch movie adaptation, and you'll realize what you were missing while watching only movie and not reading book.

Read Literature on Travelling

If travelling is your thing, look for books written about or around the next place you are planning to visit. Read those books before, during, and after your trip. It will make the whole travelling experience richer and more satisfying. Often, travel books are about going down the beaten path and it not only enlighten but also encourage us to wander the unknown places.

Read Short Stories

If book-length fiction is frightening you, then pick a short story book. You can usually finish them in a single sitting but they can stimulate your appetite for longer book-length fiction works. There are so many wonderful short stories available online. These short stories can leverage your regular reading habit.

Read with friends

If you can't read alone or need company while reading, Join or start a book club. I personally prefer reading alone but I enjoy those odd book discussions with readers in Book clubs. If you can't find book club nearby you, you can find it online. I love to discuss the books online with the readers from across the world. It fascinates me how differently we all interpret the same book and I always learn something new. Another way is find a friend who likes to read, and ask him (or make him) to read the same book you want to read or read the same book he is reading and then discuss chapter by chapter. This will make you understand and enjoy the book at another level.

Buy an e-Reader

If you are strapped for time, invest in an e-reader or a good audiobook membership. Then you can read while waiting in the grocery checkout line, during daily commutes, or while doing daily chores. You will be amazed to know that you have this much time for reading which was wasted. So recuperate some of this time and use it in reading.

Start a Journal

Begin to write a books journal daily where you write about whatever you've read that day. This will help you to form your thoughts and reflections on the topics and themes you've read about, which is the whole point of reading after all. Write in a private journal or in an online blog, whichever suits you.

Set Reading Goals

If goal achievements and quantified self-hood drives you, then sign up on a website like Goodreads or LibraryThing to log every book you read by date, you can also add rating based on how much liked that book. I use one of these sites to keep track of my personal library and to read list. Set daily goals for reading. Achieving these goals will encourage you to set bigger reading goals and achieve them.

Listen to Book Podcasts

Listen to some good book related podcasts, where they invite authors and discuss their books. I have, many times, bought a certain book after hearing its writer speak about it. There are many podcasts you can choose from. For short stories I like The New Yorker Fiction, The New Yorker Writer's Voice and NPR's Selected Shorts. And for authors' interviews, I prefer BBC World Book Club, CBC's Writers and Company, BBC Radio 4 Bookclub and The Guardian Books.

Attend the Literary events or Festivals

If there are any book related literary festivals near you, try to go there at least once a year. Every year we have a book fair and literature festival for a week, I never missed this event. I can't go there for whole week but I find time on weekend. Celebrating books with other readers is an exceptional delight.

Bonus Tips

Mix up your reading list with different genres and topics. There are many book recommendation websites out there and ours is one of them. Subscribe us for getting regular book recommendation and get yourself a book interests you most. You can read one book at a time or can pick multiple books from different genres and read few pages or chapters from each book every day. Do not try to keep reading the book you have lost interest in. It will kill your enthusiasm and passion for reading. There are so many books out there on every imaginable topics and themes, so drop that book and pick another one.

Reading book is a personal investment that will pay off in long run. The Best books go beyond the education, entertainment, and altering perspectives. It helps us to develop and strengthen our cognitive and emotional muscles to deal better with whatever comes on our way.

This article was published on https://www.bookishelf.com The Bookish Elf is all about the passion for books and reading, knowledge and perception. We are a small group of readers who want the world to know what we read and what they should read.

We'll love to hear pieces of advice, appreciation or criticism. You can send us all your queries and suggestions by filling the form on the Contact us page or mailing us on: contact@bookishelf.com. We'll be grateful for each word of feedback received from you.

10 Ways to Get Back to Your Reading Habit10 Ways to Get Back to Your Reading Habit

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What To Do When You Feel Stuck In A Life You Don't Love By: Melissa Quiter

What To Do When You Feel Stuck In A Life You Don't Love By: Melissa Quiter

When you read the title of this article, did you immediately think, "That is me?" Does your life feel like you have two legs submerged in a pit of quicksand and the more you push and pull and attempt to "get out," the more submerged you get and the more tired you feel?

You are not alone. In fact, the next thing I tell you may sound less than inspiring. But read on, as you will soon find, the most challenging truths are actually the greatest opportunities for amazing joy.

The truth is that humans are destined to feel stuck at various points in their lives. There is no way to avoid it and no way to ignore it. Feeling stuck is an absolute given condition of human beings.

So, you may be asking, "Why is being stuck a given?" It is because humans are always growing, always changing and always evolving. There is never a moment when your body, mind or spirit stops recreating itself. Humans are always desiring (wanting something) - even if it is simply a breath of air. When you achieve a goal you have strived toward for years, that goal ceases to be a goal the minute it is attained. And just like you don't get rid of bad thoughts or bad habits-you replace them with better thoughts or better behaviors - what you desire is constantly being replaced by what you desire next. This doesn't mean you are not momentarily happy with where you are. However, your mind seeks expansion. There is only so long that humans can stay satisfied with where they are before new desires pop into their heads. Desiring is what continually evolves the universe and the human spirit.

Another thing to be aware of is that you have multiple areas of your life that are happening simultaneously. I call these the Nine Environments of Holistic Living. In each of these environments you have different goals and different intentions. You may be focused heavily on one or two areas, and after achieving amazing things in those areas, "suddenly" become aware of another area that is lacking in some way. You are now focusing on that neglected area. Regardless of how satisfied you are in the other areas, the neglected area, you are now focused on, feels stagnate and stuck. For example, a person who achieves a long-worked-for goal in her career may then shift her focus to relationships and feel stuck in a bad relationship or stuck in not having a relationship. It doesn't take away from her career achievements, but the feeling is still there because the focus has shifted.

The feeling of being stuck is simply you telling yourself that there is more that you desire in a given area or areas. The frustration of being stuck, and what may create negative emotions around it, is often caused when you aren't sure how to make the changes you want to get unstuck. Thus, being stuck may create a panic inside of you that the situation will never change. The degree to which you feel the stuck-ness and how quickly you respond to this feeling often determines how being stuck affects you.

First, I think it useful to define what being stuck really means. Being stuck may not mean what you think it means, which can be what makes being stuck feel so hopeless and frustrating. Being stuck is not a destination. It is not a life sentence. It is also does not define who you are, just where you are at any given moment. Being stuck is simply a notification-a sign if you will-that it is time to start making something new and different happen in your life. When you are feeling stuck, it is simply another part of you tapping you on the proverbial shoulder saying, "Hey, I am no longer satisfied with where I am or what I have in a particular area and I need something else."

Just like if you have ever driven a car and you stop at a red light. When the light turns green, that is your sign to get moving. Being stuck is a simply a green light-a sign saying, it is time to get moving. The key is knowing how to get moving. This is where being stuck can feel like a horrible condition, a limiting circumstance and a trap. If you don't know that pushing on the gas pedal will get you moving in your car, you can't move. If your car is in the wrong gear, you can't move. And if you resist that the light is green, you cannot move. If you resist that you feel stuck (which means you don't welcome the emotion, but instead get caught up in the feelings of being trapped and hampered), you actually put your focus on the being stuck, instead of your focus on the sign to get moving. If you embrace that the sign is there, you then have the freedom to explore the options for how to get moving. When you have the freedom to explore, you can usually create change pretty quickly.

This may sound a bit confusing, so let me be as clear as possible given this is a critical piece for allowing yourself to get unstuck. By acknowledging that you are in a place you don't want to be, but not delving into the emotions of being there, you free up your energy to focus on where you do want to be. You free up your energy to focus on what you do want, not what you don't want. This is the foundation of the Law of Attraction, which says that which you focus your energy on is what you attract to you-wanted or unwanted. Learning to use being stuck as a positive sign that you are desiring more, opens you up to asking how to get it, instead of delving into the emotions of being where you don't want to be, and fearing you are always going to be there.

No matter what question you ask yourself, you will get an answer. If you ask yourself-Why am I stuck here? What did I do to deserve this? Why does this always happen to me? Am I going to be here forever?-you will get an answer. And, most likely, you will get an answer that won't assist you in pushing on your gas pedal or figuring out you are in the wrong gear. If you ask empowering questions, like-What do I want that I don't have? How can I get it? What have I been doing and what can I do differently?-you begin focusing on answers that will propel you forward.

Getting unstuck can be an easy and smooth process. The key is using the proper tools to assist you. Using tools-questions, exercises, programs, processes, other people, etc.-is the number one way for re-directing your focus. Tools are how humans create in the universe. Learning and using the tools of notes and instruments are what allow you to make music. Learning and using hammers, nails and engineering are what allow you to construct buildings. Learning and using the alphabet, grammar and paper or computers are what allow you to write novels and poetry. Getting unstuck, changing your life, manifesting your desires is done by learning and using the natural tools of creating-the Law of Attraction, the Nine Environments of Holistic Living, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, the Process of Deliberate Creation, the Prosperity Process, the Power of Intention, the Universal Laws, Law of Attraction Coaches, Messages from Abraham or Seth, etc.

No one has to stay stuck. No one has to live a life they don't love. It is simply recognizing the sign that it is time to make a change. Then, assessing what tools will assist in making that change, and beginning the process. Embrace the feeling of being stuck so you can get moving, seek out the tools you need and start today.

Here is to your freedom!

Author Bio

Melissa Jean Quiter is an inspirational life and business strategist with Provocative Communications. She is the author of the 4-phase, life and business-changing program, "Being Spiritual Doesn't Mean Being Poor! How to remove what blocks you from making money & creating happiness," based on the Law of Attraction and the three required elements (the universal laws, Neuro-Linguistic Programming and the Nine Environments of Holistic Living) to ensure your success 100% of the time. To get started, visit: www.ProvocativeCommunications.com/takingcontrol.html. Melissa also teaches a simple, yet profound, daily process for deliberately creating your life in her book, "My cat made me a millionaire… (and how yours can too!)," available here: www.ProvocativeCommunications.com/cat.html. E-mail: Quiter@Texas.net or call: (512) 341-0556.

Russell Brand On Holding A Grudge & Letting Go!

The High Cost of Doing Nothing By: Daniel Sitter

The High Cost of Doing Nothing By: Daniel Sitter

Cost is sometimes a difficult term to define. Here, we are not simply discussing cost as it relates to selling price, but rather opportunity cost. The web site, "Mentors, Ventures and Plans" defines opportunity cost as "The loss of the next best alternative whenever a decision is made involving two or more options". "Investing in Options" defines it as "Choosing the best alternative means that you can't choose the next-best alternative. Opportunity cost is the next-best alternative that must be sacrificed in order to get something else you want. Opportunity cost can be thought of as the road not taken." Inactivity, or doing nothing, is usually the highest price paid and is often associated with great opportunity cost. Inaction is usually the worst decision one can make, made from a base of fear.

Many of us freeze when facing decisions. For some reason, decision making becomes complex, paralyzing and even painful for many people. It should not be this way. Making a decision is simply the act of choosing between alternatives. You must learn to weigh the implications of each possible decision and choose the outcome that is best for you and all others involved. For example, when your telephone bill comes due, you may choose to pay it or not. There are real obvious consequences for both actions. The situation becomes more complex however, when our human emotions enter the picture. For instance; you are offered a new job and must decide to leave your current position and move your family to a new location, hundreds of miles away..

What we often fail to realize, is that delaying important decisions or simply not making a decision at all, are actions that often impact us with the highest opportunity costs and worst case scenarios. Inactivity, or the lack of a decision, is actually a decision made, although one seldom made in our best interests. In this case, we unfortunately transfer over control of our lives to external forces and circumstances. We are now positioned to be at the mercy and decision-making of others. This is not your best scenario. There are often unusually high costs associated with doing nothing.

Decision making is actually a skill set that can be learned and refined. Like all skills, entering into a new area as a novice requires practice and application in order to improve. Keep in mind that you will indeed improve! Start small, with less important decisions involving less than crucial outcomes and gradually make more decisions on matters of greater importance. Soon, you will have few if any issues with making decisions. Learn to start small and work your way up, gradually extending your comfort zone in this area. A by-product of learning these new skills is that your confidence will surely improve as well.

Decision making need not be frightening. Think of it as a process that is your own, shedding any external pressure that others may be applying. Take your time, get your facts and choose the outcome that works best for you. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the high cost of doing nothing.

Author Bio
Daniel Sitter is the author of the popular, award-winning e-book, Learning For Profit. Designed for busy people, his new book teaches simple, step-by-step accelerated learning skills, demonstrating exactly how to learn anything faster than ever before. Learning For Profit is currently available from the author's web site www.learningforprofit.com and a variety of online software and book merchants. Mr. Sitter is a contributing writer for several online and traditional publications. His expertise includes sales, marketing, self-improvement and general business topics.

PSTEC Negative - The Belief Eraser

I met Tim in about 2015 in Barnard Castle where I grew up, in our local recording studio. (I used to sing and write songs back in the day!) One day I was in there recording a song, I hadn't sang or performed for about 10 years so was feeling really anxious and couldn't relax in the recording booth. So Tim said would you like a bit of Hypnosis or would you like to try one of these click tracks? I said well hypnosis seems a bit extreme! But what's this click track?

So he handed me his phone and headphones, and said it'll only take 5-10 minutes, just listen to this. So I put the headphones on, closed my eyes and listened to the click track. I had to do a tapping rhythm with each hand as I heard a particular tone, whilst focusing on the emotion and listening to his voice talk me through the process. I had to rate how I felt at the beginning from 1-10 and then again at the end. It was quite hard to stay focused on the emotion whilst multitasking with all the tapping and listening, but that's the point!

Afterwards I felt so calm I just went back into the studio and sang! It was amazing, I felt complete relief!
Tim explained that the process re programmed the synaptic connection in your brain to that emotion or memory or fear that causes you distress. Honestly it was incredible!

The next day in my studio, it was the lead up to Christmas so a crazy time of year for me, and I had loads of orders to make. (I'm a jewellery designer and goldsmith!) Usually I would feel so stressed, I would feel really tight across my chest and would notice I was holding my breath, rushing around finding it really hard to focus. But this felt different, today I was calm, I was working efficiently, breathing normally and getting things done with ease! It was unbelievable! I was just gliding around the studio and got everything done without any stress at all!!!!!

I suddenly realised that for years I'd actually been suffering with pretty intense anxiety and all of a sudden I experienced life without it!!!!! I was so excited I rang round my family and sent links to my friends to tell them all about it and to try it!

After that I went home and made a list of all of the negative junk from the past that I wanted to get rid of, resentments, anger, stories that would play on repeat in my mind that would make me feel really mad. Things from past relationships that were upsetting me and holding me back. Preventing me from moving on and healing!

And one by one I worked through them. Some things needed to be worked on a couple of times, looking at them from different angles or perspectives. And after each one I felt so much lighter! I felt free, it impacted areas of my life that I hadn't even realised were being effected.

I was so excited because for years I've tried so many processes and techniques for self help and non of them worked so quickly and easily! It was absolutely amazing!

Every therapy, tool and technique has helped me in different ways, but this one I cannot recommend enough!

Don't be put off by the look of the website, or the amount of clicks you'll make before you download the track, because the content is incredible and the best bit is that it's free for personal use! Therapists have to pay but we can just use it for free! I've shared this with so many friends and family, and they've used it to over come anxiety, fear of flying, stop smoking, all kinds! Try it go for it! Let me know how you get on?       

here's the link https://www.pstec.org/ you never know it just might work for you too!

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Why Forgiveness is Crucial to Your Happiness By: Sonia Devine

Your ability to forgive those who have hurt you in the past is a crucial stepping stone to your spiritual and emotional growth. Throughout the course of our lives, we collect emotional baggage. This is unavoidable, and even though it can cause us a great deal of pain, it helps us to define who we are as people; the result is, we grow even more and learn valuable lessons along the way about ourselves and others.

So there you have it - emotional baggage is an unavoidable part of all of our lives - but it's not actually this that is the real cause of unhappiness in your life. What's really important is how you choose to deal with that baggage, because what you do here will determine the success or failure of your future relationships.. Now, there is another very important point I want to make:

People come into our lives to teach us lessons

It's what you do with these lessons that determines how your future will be. Think of all the people you have encountered in your life. Isn't it funny to look back and think about the last time you saw a particular person; it may have been several years ago, and it's quite possible that you will never again see him/her in this lifetime!The reason? Because this person has served their purpose in your life. So now that you know this, think about this; what did this person teach you? Some relationships or encounters that we have with other people last only a few days, and some last a lifetime. But either way, each experience serves a specific purpose and is extremely relevant to your life!.

Now, given that every experience we have is a lesson for us, think about the people who have hurt you in the past. Have you allowed yourself to forgive them? Or are you still holding into the emotional pain? Do you find yourself conjuring up scenes of "sweet revenge" in your mind, or worse still, acting out those scenes? Are you able to forgive and let go? If you are not, then who holds the power - you or them?

Don't let people who have hurt you in the past have any control over your future!

When you make a choice to forgive others, you are NOT lying down and becoming a doormat, nor are you admitting that person who hurt you is in the right. Forgiveness is about taking back control of your life and not allowing your negative emotions to rule you. And forgiveness is also about letting go of all those debilitating emotions that could be responsible for sabotaging your current relationships! So ask yourself this question: Do you want to feel good? If you are still carrying feelings of resentment and anger towards someone who hurt you, then what are you getting out of it?

Hanging on to feelings of resentment, hatred or anger, will ensure that these destructive feelings WILL spill over into your current life and stop you from enjoying positive, successful relationships with other people.

The fact is, your subconscious mind never ignores negative energy and emotions. It will remind you every day that you need to deal with them, and until you do, it will manifest your unresolved emotional pain through insomnia, chronic physical pain and in extreme cases, through life threatening illness. So there it is; make a decision today to take back your life by practising forgiveness. Your energy is extremely precious so don't allow yourself to give it away to those who don't deserve to have it it! Move on with your life today, and you will experience miracles.

Author Bio
Sonia Devine is a qualified professional hypnotherapist and success coach with a caring and committed approach to healing, who lives in Melbourne, Australia. You can find more of her information on attracting wealth, self image, love, relationships, phobias and much more on her website Manifest Your Success

Hypnosis for Releasing Anger and Resentment with Guided Forgiveness