My Reading Adventures With Heritage Youth

On Thursday, June 10, 2015, I led a Relationship Chat Session with the youths of New Heritage Baptist Church, Shomolu, Lagos. The session which was part of their 2015 Youth Week was quite interesting. During the session I shared that reading books is one of the ways by which we can equip ourselves for the success of our relationships. At the end of the program, a lovely young lady approached me and asked about my Group Reading Program. I explained that I Got a group of young people who would commit to reading the book, Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married" by Gary Chapman over a six week period, I will commit to coaching them.

 Source:Bookstore Quotes

Never underestimate the power of a determined mind. PrincessDee as her friends call her, responded, "I'll get back to you ma." She got back to me by email, having recruited fifteen of her friends to sign on to the Reading Program. The six weeks Reading Program kicked off on June 29, 2015.

Some expectations shared by the participants were:

1. For the fun of it. Never joined a reading group before. 

2. To grasp new knowledge that I may not have known by now with respect to marriage questions coupled with boosting my reading culture to grow in this area.

3. To be more prepared and enlightened to have and know what it takes to have a successful marriage.

4. A broader understanding of relationships and how to drive them towards a long-lasting marriage. The simple necessary actions to keep a woman and keep her happy. 

5. To find answers to questions relating to marriage and prepare for the marriage institution. 

6. That I may understand the basic and essentials of marriage for me to enjoy it to the fullest.

7. At the end of the program, I hope to have grown in my relationship with God and have a better understanding of his purpose for my life. Also, as a young Christian lady looking forward to the marriage institution, I want to gain a deeper knowledge of my roles as a wife and mother to be in order to have an excellent home. 

8. To get the most out of the book to help me develop healthier relationships with the view of a successful marriage. To also identify the major pitfalls in choosing a life partner.

9. To get knowledge on how to build a successful intentional relationship (not random dating) and avoid the pitfalls and mistakes made in previous relationships. 

10. I expect to have a better understanding to the concept of marriage, to understand my role and task as a woman in a relationship and eventually as a wife. I expect to be able to learn from other people and to generally learn new ideas and views to make myself better.

11. To choose the right man, to develop a healthy relationship with my spouse.

It was an interesting six weeks.

We had two 2-hour virtual meetings on BlackBerry - the first three weeks into the program and the second at the end of six weeks. The discussions were very enlightening for me as one who works with young people and also as a parent of young adults who are trying to figure out their way in life.

My young friends had a tough time finding the time to read the book and do the required assignments with their personal hectic schedule of leaving home early for work and getting back late. They found the time because of the accountability process of the Reading Program. At the end of six weeks, they appreciated that finding time to read was doable and greatly beneficial.

Were their expectations met? Here are the words they used to describe their experiences. Awesome and revealing. Enlightening. Refreshing. Revolutionary. Eye opening and educating.

And me, how did I feel? Astounded to say the least. I have once again experienced the significant impact that reading books can have in the lives of the people who read them. I first read Gary Chapman's book some years ago. I have since then recommended it to many people and sold it at Hidden Treasures Bookstore. This group is the second one I've done the six weeks Reading Program with. The feedback is the same - "Thank you for introducing this book to us."

And you know what? If I meet the fifteen young people I worked with in these past few weeks, I will not recognise them. I am yet to have a face to face meeting with them. *smiling* I look forward to meeting them all soon.

My takeaway? There's plenty of avenues for me to teach and encourage the love of books and of reading!

Thank you New Heritage Baptist Church and Heritage Youth for inviting me to your church. Thank you Likeminds Reading Group. Thank you PrincessDee for putting the group together and for being the Group Admin.

And now it’s your turn. You had any reading adventures recently? Share them..

I'd Really Love To Read Books, But...

I have read books all of my life. 

At my bedside, there is always a pile of books so that once I lie down on my bed, I pick one up to read. As I go about my work rounds, I have a book with me. On my way to a meeting, while I'm waiting for a meeting to start, I read. When I have an issue on my mind which I want resolved, but can't figure how to resolve it, I pick up a relevant book and read. When I need to learn a new skill I look for a book that explains how to do it and read.

For a long time, I have assumed that this way of reading books works for everyone. When I started this blog, I purposed to write about the books I read, reviewing them with a view to encouraging others to read too. This has shown me that I have a very haphazard reading pattern. I look at various books at the same time. I start one and read a few pages, maybe chapters and then move on to another. I now realise that I have in reality read bits here and there of many books.

In my post, I'm at the Starting Block...,I made a public commitment in 2014, to read for 15 minutes each day starting from August 1, 2014. I do long to really keep this commitment. My desire is to blog about the books I read. Nine months later, I am still struggling with finding the "appropriate" time to read books in a structured disciplined manner. I am also still struggling with picking up a book to read and staying with it to the last page. So instead of blogging about the books I've read, I am writing about my journey to establish a regular habit of reading books. In a way, this journey is helping me to understand that, perhaps, many people who appear not to read books do read. It may be that, that as it is with me, they have a personal style.

Source: Wright Thurston

It's not all gloomy news. Blogging reminds me of the reason I made the commitment in the first place - to share my love for reading and the lessons I learn as I read books. As I sit to write my posts, I have an opportunity to review my progress towards the achievement of this objective and to revise my strategy for doing so. I recognise now that I need to be more intentional about my efforts if I really want to get to my desired goal.  Nana Fredua-Agyeman's "A Reader's Tips to Cultivate a Reading Habit" has provided me some insight into the steps I should take. Some of these are:

• Identifying a specific area of interest for my reading habit
• Developing a specific strategy to drive my reading habit.
• Being disciplined and consistent in implementing that strategy
• Keeping company with other people who have or are cultivating the habit of reading books.

I am renewing my commitment to read books. I will persevere until I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I invite you come along with me on this journey. 

Did You Really Read That Book?

We buy a book and read through it once and then put it away on the bookshelf. But, did we really read that book? How many times should a book be read? 

Source: Oh, The Books!

About a fortnight ago, a friend invited me to join a Mastermind group to study "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell. I had always wanted to participate in a Mastermind group. Plus, I was examining my life to identify areas that need improvement or adjustment. So I promptly committed to the ten-week group.

Now my first contact with this book was in 2003 when Hidden Treasures Bookstore opened for business. In that season, it was one of our best sellers. As a bookseller who wanted to be on top of her game, I read the book at the time. But, did I really read that book?

I received the first pre-meeting assignment and purposed in my heart that I would be a diligent, focused member of the Mastermind group. I set out to get a new copy of "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" and discovered that it had been revised in 2007. Once I got the revised edition, I commenced reading. Again and again, as I read on, I asked myself, "Did I really read that book?" 

You must be wondering why this question kept coming up. The question arose because although I had vague remembrances of the knowledge I grasped when I first read the book in 2003. I had forgotten much of what I read. As I turned the pages, I noticed some important information for the first time. In addition, with the experience of passing years, I reckon that some information also became more relevant to me. I wasn't the same person I was twelve years ago. I've grown and had varied leadership experiences. I look back and assess my performance as leader in the years gone by. All of these changed how I now view the book, "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership". Perhaps, I now appreciate the book as I didn't do in my first reading. Perhaps things I glossed over then, now have meaning in the light of my experiences.

I ask the question again, "Did you really read that book?" when you read it just once. There probably are various reasons why you don't re-read books. Some would say, with so much to do, who has the time to re-read a book they already read? Some others would say, I have read it once, and I already know what's in the book, why re-read it? I'd say, don't dismiss re-reading a book you have read. Re-reading can be a useful tool. Think of how you will request a teacher to go over some material you really want to understand. Why not take the same desire to understand a little further and re-read a book once in a while?

Now it’s your turn. Did you really read that book?

Why I Love Reading Books About Other Peoples' Experiences...

Autobiographies and biographies, that's what books about the life experiences of people are called. One such book is "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa. Another is "Gifted Hands" by Ben Carson, the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins at the head.

Source: First Grade Blue Skies

I love reading books about peoples' experiences. There is nothing that happens to me that is not common to man. Someone somewhere has walked that path before me. Through the pages of these books I walk with and share their experiences. I learn from them how to handle different life situations. I discover ideas and approaches which I can use in my own life. 

(Auto)biographies allow me to see the world in new ways. As I read about someone from a different era, a different background, even a totally different set of experiences, I gain a new perspective about my own life situation.

When I read books about other peoples' life experiences, I get a glimpse into their minds and now have the advantage of knowing them. As I think about what they might do in the situation I am facing, they become my mentors from a distance.

I recently had the privilege to read "Miracle on the Hudson' by Chigozie Udemezue, founder of Healing Hearts Widows Support Foundation. Chigozie who is my friend, wrote about her experiences after her husband died. Her exuberantly healthy husband was snatched by death and while she was still reeling from that painful loss, she had a baby who the medics said would survive only by a miracle.Her baby survived, demonstrating God's mercy and astounding the medics who declared that they had indeed seen a miracle happen before their very eyes. 

Life handed her a lemon and a very bitter one at that, but she chose to make lemonade out of it and then serve it as a refreshing drink for others. She wrote about her experiences to encourage others along life's way.

Source: Gozie Udemezue

Since reading the book, whenever I encounter what I consider a tough situation, I find myself thinking, "What would Chigozie do if she were in my shoes?" I have gained a new perspective on how to respond to life challenges.

Choosing to read (auto)biographies is a great way to expand your horizons, find new mentors and learn vicariously from others.

  

Now it's your turn. What (auto)biographies have you read and what impact have they made on you? If you haven't read any, I encourage you start, perhaps with "Miracle on the Hudson". You'd be glad you did.

Discovering Myself...

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” ~Henry David Thoreau

A few months back, I decided to write a blog post every week. My commitment was public and because I pride myself as one who keeps her word, I have since then kept that commitment in my face. At first, it was a struggle to even remember to put writing the blog post in my weekly schedule. And when I did remember, it was yet another struggle to write it. I chose to keep my commitment.

My blog was to share my journey as I build my life by learning from books. I am not sure there is any time in my life that I am not reading a book. I always have a pile of books beside  my bed. I do not leave my home without a book in my handbag so that if I find myself waiting somewhere I have something to read. I will rather read a book than watch TV. So I felt blogging about my journey with books will be a breeze. Alas!!! That has not been the case.

In these few months, I have discovered a few things about myself. One discovery that has surprised me is this: Though I have read portions of very many books, I have completed only very few. And so I know bits about many subjects because I have skimmed many books, but I am not sure I can have a rich conversation about these books and their content.

Do I hear you say, "What does it matter?" I ask myself the same question.

Prior to blogging, I would have responded that it does not matter. However, the goal of my blog is to encourage others to develop a reading habit and enjoy books. To do that I have to read books to and not just skim through them.

Last week, I made another public commitment. I decided to start a 15 Minute A Day Reading Challenge from today August 1. I will choose a book, read it for 15 minutes each day, and stick with the same book until I complete it. All through this week, I have struggled with the choice of which of my many books, I should read. I have concluded that it doesn't matter which book I choose. What matters is that I stick to the plan. Arriving at that conclusion made it easy for me to write today's post.

And so starting from today, I will read from from 6pm to 6.15pm every day. My first book is Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman.  If I read for just 15 minutes a day - every day, for one year - I can complete 20 books! I am excited, just thinking about it.

Hmmmmmmnnn! I set out to write one blog post a week. I am steadily approaching the achievement of that goal. But look! See what I am becoming by achieving my goal.

What goals have you set for yourself? What are you becoming by achieving that goal?

I'm at the Starting Block...

There is no elevator to success…you have to take the stairs. - Zig Ziglar

With an elevator, you can close your eyes and be taken up to a higher level. With taking the staircase, you have to focus on where you are going, you have to exert yourself to get to the higher level .

Last week, I renewed my commitment to read for 15 minutes everyday. Start date for implementation is August 1.  In preparation for taking action on this commitment, I have all of this week been looking at my activities plan with a view to choosing the specific 15 minutes of the day in which I will read.

Its amazing how very cluttered my life is that to find just 15 minutes to spare is tough. However, because my decision is public and because I like to be accountable, I have not given up on finding the time to read for 15 minutes daily. I realise now, that it is good that there is some time lag between when I made the commitment and when I am to start its implementation. The last one week and the remaining days of the month of July are affording me the privilege of thinking through my commitment and how best to implement it. If I were to have implemented the decision last week when I made it, I probably would have given up by now. I hear you asking me "Why?"

I'd have given up, because, I had not yet answered some important questions that are critical to helping me achieve the goal. Some of these are:

1. Which time of the day was I considering?

2. How would my current daily activity plan be affected by using this time differently?

3. What adjustments do I need to make to accommodate the expected changes?

4. Which book do I want to start with?

Not having answers to these questions meant that I was already falling down right from the starting block. I have learnt an important lesson. When I set a goal, that is just the first step. My current activity plan will require some adjustment to accommodate the steps that I will take in order to achieve the goal.  I need to ask and answer the questions:

• What are the small steps that will help me to achieve the goal? 
• How would my current daily activity plan be affected by implementing these steps? 
• What adjustments do I need to make to my present activity plan?

I have chosen two 15 minutes segment in my day for reading my book daily one in the morning and one in the evening. I chose two so that regardless of the pressures on my time, at the worst, I'll have 15 minutes daily, at best, I'll have 30 minutes daily.

If I read just 15 minutes a day - every day, for one year - I can complete 20 books! I am excited just thinking about it. 

Will it be easy? I'm not kidding myself that it will. But  I will give it my best effort. 

Will you join me in the 15 Minutes a Day Reading Challenge? Click here to find out more about it. Let me know in the comment box if you're accepting my invitation.

I'm Taking My Own Advice...

Advice is very easy to give to others but quite tough to implement in one's own life.

As a bookstore owner and a lover of books, I very often dish out advice to others with a view to encouraging them to give time to read good books. In 2013, I read a blog post on Lifelong Learning by Jen Harris and learnt that:

• If you read just one book per month for 12 straight months, you will be in the top 25 percentile of all intellectuals in the world!
• If you read five books on one subject, you are one of the world’s foremost leading authorities on that subject!
• If you read just 15 minutes a day — every day, for one year — you can complete 20 books!

Based on this discovery, on Hidden Treasures Bookstore's Facebook page, we invited our fans to  join our 15 Minutes A Day Reading Challenge. Here's how the challenge worked. Participants were to:

1. Choose a book to start with and get the book;

2. Choose a specific time in the day when they'll read the book EVERY day for 15 minutes, e.g.     6.00 - 6.15pm;

3. Start reading the book every day at the scheduled time;

4. When they finished reading the first book, take a second book and repeat the cycle;

5. Share their experiences (if they like) with us on our Facebook page as they go on this journey;

6. Invite their friends to do the same.

Since I resumed blogging about my experience reading books, I have done some self assessment and found that I have not taken my own advice. I haven't put in my daily schedule time for reading as advised in the 15 Minutes A Day Reading Challenge. Invariably, my desire to read regularly is not realised as other activities overwhelm any efforts I make to fulfil that desire.

The time has come for me to take my own advice. I really do want to share my experience about reading books. To do that I have to read books on a regular basis. So I have come to the place of a new commitment. I commit from August 1, 2014 to take the 15 Minutes A Day Reading Challenge.

I invite you to join me in this challenge.  Let me know in the comment box, if you're accepting my invitation.

Keeping My Promise....

It's two weeks and one day since my last blog entry. I had reasons to postpone writing an entry but I remembered the commitment I have made to you all, my friends. When I restarted my blog in April, I committed to writing one blog post every week. So here I am, keeping my promise to you.

In the last fortnight, I paused reading Dr. John Townsend's "How to Be a Best Friend Forever". 

What happened? I hear you ask. 

First, I went on a business visit to my bookstore, Hidden Treasures Bookstore in Enugu. Because I had not visited for some time there was quite a lot to do. To accommodate all that I had to do, I assigned low priority to reading my book. Since I didn't do any reading that week, I felt I didn't have anything to share with you, my friends.

Sometime during my stay in the bookstore, my eyes rested on a book "When I Lay My Isaac Down" by Carol Kent. As I moved about in the bookstore, I was intrigued by the subtitle of the book, "Unshakeable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances".  At some point,my curiosity got the better of me and I picked up the book from the shelf where it was and looked through it.

The book outlined transformational principles that Gene and Carol Kent learnt  in the process of facing the news that forever changed their lives. Their twenty-five year-old son, a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy with an impeccable record shot and killed his wife's ex-husband. Long recognised for his exemplary character, their son, now walks a path no one could have predicted - and his family lives in the aftermath of a devastation most cannot imagine.

To say that I was shocked as I read the book is putting it mildly. I wondered again and again, what would I do if I found myself such an unthinkable circumstance? At first, my reaction was "God forbid!!!" as we would say in local parlance. Then I recalled a number of people around me who had in recent times found themselves in unthinkable circumstances. I decided to read the book not just for reading sake, but to walk with the author, Carol Kent, and learn with her, the transformational principles she wrote about in the book.

A week ago, I copied this from the book,

 " All of us have circumstances that produce varying degrees of personal loss and devastation. Will we maintain our grip on hope in the process of defeat? Will we live our lives with passion and purpose even, if in this lifetime, we are not permitted to have an answer as to why something has happened? Will we choose unshakeable faith, or will we give up on God? I believe God's great invitation is to engage us in the process of discovering the power of choosing faith when that decision makes no sense.There is hidden power in our unthinkable circumstances."

In less than twenty-four hours after I copied this quote into my journal, I received news of an unthinkable circumstance that shook me and made me to ask God "Why? How did You allow this?" As I struggled with my thoughts and emotions on receiving this news, I recalled the quote copied into my journal. I recalled the story of the Kents as they walked with God in their unthinkable circumstance. I realized that I was being presented with an opportunity to choose faith when the decision made no sense.

I found that reading a book had become the means by which I received advance preparation to cope with my unthinkable circumstance. And so I have gone back to the book, "When I Lay My Isaac Down" for now.

Have I given up on my earlier book, "How to Be a Best Friend Forever"? No. I have only paused for a while. I will return to it shortly.

And now it's your turn. What book are you reading? And what are you learning from it?

A Pause Along the Way...

Another week has rolled away into history. 

This week, I did not do much reading. 

Every one who makes an effort to read books experiences this. For some, they have many activities in their schedule that crowd out the time they have allotted for books. For others, it may be that the activities they have been involved in tired them out. And for some others there may just be no desire to pick up a book to read.

The difference between the habitual and non-habitual reader is this. The habitual reader understands that this is just a passing phase. Here is where having a commitment to follow a reading schedule pays off. By a reading schedule, I mean, a commitment to read a certain number of chapters a day, or to read for a some set time, (fifteen, thirty minutes, sometimes one hour). As their hectic schedule eases off, they return to their commitment.

The non-habitual reader, on the other hand, reads, when they have time, or when they feel like it. Once the pressure of a hectic schedule or a calendar full of activities hits them, their reading plan goes into a spin. Recovering from that spin is an uphill task, because there is no prior commitment or plan for the recovery phase. Frequently, it's at this point that the non-habitual reader gives up on reading.

A new week is dawning. I'll be on a road trip for most of tomorrow, Sunday. I plan to catch up on my reading of Dr. John Townsend's "How to Be A Best Friend Forever" while on that trip. Already,from the book, I have learned that to deepen the attachment of the relationships I have with my friends, it's important to act in ways that foster trust and openness to each other.

The decision to let you, my friends know how I am doing has been a great help. Choosing to be accountable to you, makes me to keep my decision to read this book in focus. That's another important factor that habitual readers understand.

I invite you to join me in this journey of learning from books.  Tell me, what book are you currently reading? And what was your experience with that exercise this past week?

A New Beginning in Friendships

Wow! This is week number four. The excitement about writing my blog posts is still strong.

Having stated last week that I will read Dr. John Townsend's "How To Be A Best Friend Forever", I included it in my list of things to do for the week. I purposed that I will read the book for 30 minutes each day. 

Come Monday, I started reading the book. It has been an easy to read book.

As I read, I couldn't help but underline portions of the book. I learnt that friendships are critical. Friendships should be about: people we go to with our deepest dreams, needs and questions, and who are lifelines to us; people who bring us life. Longing for friends, real friends was stirred up in me.

  

"Research keeps pointing to the conclusion that all aspects of our lives are deeply affected by the presence or absence of friendships."

I do not have many friends. I am beginning to understand why. Even though I am always looking for more good relationships, I do not know the path to accomplish that. 

Dr. Townsend suggests that a friendship must have three elements:

1. Knowing. This is having objective information and personal experience with the person you are considering for friendship. Knowing provides a foundation of whether or not the relationship will be a friendship and how deep it can go.

2. Liking. This is wanting to spend time with each other. You want them to know about your life and you want to know about their life.

3. Presence. There is mutual commitment to be with each other, and you gladly pay the price for its benefits. Friends spend time together. That''s how knowing and liking happens.

I pondered on these words. I reflected on my experiences of friendship.

In some situations, I considered people my friends without having objective information and personal experience with them. As I found out more about them, I was disappointed and hurt. 

In some other situations, I met people that my knowledge of them made me want to strike up a deep friendship with them. However, I allowed perceived obstacles to prevent me from spending time with them to build the relationships. The potential for friendship was not realized.

After a number of such experiences, I decide not to venture into friendships again.

What has your experience been? Have you found and nurtured friendship opportunities? Have you been disappointed by 'friends" who, if you'd taken time to know some more about them, should never have been called friends? Have you met people who could have become good friends but did not realize the potential of such opportunities? Have you given up on finding good friends?

As I read the book, "How To Be A Best Friend Forever", I am inspired again to look for friendship opportunities. I encourage you to do the same.

A week ago, I had memories of friendships that did not work. I was unwilling to repeat such poor experiences. Now, a book has opened the door for me into a new experience of friendships. 

That's what books do.  They open doors into worlds you didn't know about.

Friendship...What does it really mean?

Today, I'm saying thanks to you, my friends who read my two recent posts, and who are cheering me on in my renewed efforts to keep my blog active. 

I have friends, you have friends, every one around us has friends.

Friendship is a part of life that is as old as mankind itself. And yet, its something that we don't quite understand.

Who are my friends? What makes them friends? How did they become my friends? Do they consider me their friends? What are my expectations of them? Are they aware of those expectations?  Do they have the same expectations of me, or different ones? Am I aware of my expectations of them?

These and many more questions often run through my mind when I think of the subject friendship in general, and my own friends in particular.

As I share thoughts with others, I hear these words, "I thought she was my friend. How could she have done this?" 

I want to make my friendships real. I want them to last a lifetime. I want them to be impactful for those I call my friends and for me too.

I went out to the book-store this week to buy a gift for a friend. As I browsed the shelves in the store, voila! a title caught my attention. "How to Be A Best Friend Forever" by Dr. John Townsend. Trust me, I picked it up, looked at the back and read these words,

"Friend. It's a word whose meaning is confusing, and whose usage is overdone in our fast-paced world. Increasingly, our circles of "friends" are a mile-wide, yet the relationships are paper-thin. Even so, there's nothing like the sustaining strength and life enriching power of true-blue, forever friends. And we need them now more than ever".

I knew immediately that book was going home with me. I got the gift for my friend, completed my shopping and left the bookstore.

As I write this post, I have Dr. Townsend's book with me. It's my book to read in the coming weeks. I intend to read it and practice the things I learn from it. 

I will let you know what my experience is as I get on with reading the book.

Now, the floor is yours. For you, friendship...what does it mean?

Reading Books...Creating Memories

Some years back, I had just graduated from the University. The next thing on the agenda was to have a young man ask for my hand in marriage.

Leventis Store on Marina was still in its hey days. They had some great books in their book section. I bought quite a few titles from there. I cannot for the life of me remember these titles. One or two of them were about marriage.....

I read the books as though my life depended on it. As I look back now, I wasn't deliberately reading to prepare for married life. I just enjoyed reading books. I recall this story from one of the books.

"Tunde and Tolu (I don't remember the names now) were newly married. As they finished eating dinner one evening, they had some left over meat. Tolu remarked that her mum would have cooked some beans with the left over meat. Tunde, with a smile, said, "That's what my mum would do too!" They agreed that, the following evening, they'll have for their dinner, beans made with the left over meat.

The next day, all day at work, Tunde imagined his wife cooking beans just like his mum would do. Tolu, on the other hand cleaned the house and in the evening, lovingly prepared beans, just the way her mum would have done, She set the table, with a song on her lips, delighted that she had a pleasant evening with her husband to look forward to.

She heard Tunde arrive and went to the door to welcome him. Tunde, on arrival, was a bit perplexed as he walked in to their apartment. He couldn't perceive the aroma he had looked forward to all day long. He saw the table set and asked Tolu, "Didn't you say we'll have beans for dinner tonight?" "Of course, yes" she replied, opening the dish with flourish.  Becoming irritable, Tunde looked into the dish and snapped, "This isn't beans!" Close to tears, Tolu replied, "What do you mean? This is beans!"

They exchanged a few more sentences and then paused and sat down, not wanting to quarrel. As they asked each other questions and listened carefully to one another, they learnt that though they had used the same words, they meant entirely different things. What Tunde's family referred to as beans was completely different from what Tolu's family referred to as beans."

I tucked this story away in some corner of my mind.

Fast forward some years later, I got married to my fantastic husband. Ever so frequently I found myself recalling Tunde and Tolu's story from that corner of my mind. It saved us some massive misunderstanding when we used words which we thought we both understood, only to the discover that the words meant different things to my husband and I!

That's the power that books have in building lives. I don't remember the title of the book or the name of the author. Yet, the lesson I learnt from it is still so fresh in my mind as though, I read the book just yesterday.

Many times ,when you're reading a book, you don't deliberately set out to learn something. However, some of what you read, stays with you, tucked away in some corner of your mind. Ready to be recalled and put to use when the need arises.

So will you pick up a book today, and start reading, just for the fun of it?

It's Now More Than Two Years.....

A little over two years now, I started this blog and posted two entries.

I was full of enthusiasm. I love books. They have impacted my life positively. I was going to share my experience as I read books and saw their impact on my life.

What happened since then? Did I stop reading books? No, I didn't. I have read many books since 2012. Did they impact my life significantly? Yes they did. Did I blog about my experience? No I didn't.

Why didn't I blog as I had planned? Since the beginning of this year, I have given quite some thought to this  question. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that a desire remains a desire, if I do not have a plan for bringing that desire to pass.

In 2012, I created a blog. I desired to share my experience about how books build my life, thereby encouraging others to read books. I was excited.....but I made no plans as to how my desire will become a reality. As the days passed, my desire remained a desire. I promised myself, I write something tomorrow. Tomorrow came and I didn't write a word. My blog remained empty for over two years, twenty four months, seven hundred and thirty days...Not a word did I write.

Today, I awoke from my sleep. I really want my desire to become reality. I am taking the first step in writing this post. I commit to writing a post a week for a start.

A week from today, I will have another entry. I'll see you then....