Reading is an intellectual sport

People are are bored with all of their whims and do not know the comfort that comes from reading books. Your first choice should be books that are spiritual and free from dogma, languages, science, music or astronomy are some good examples.

Read a good science periodical every month.

Reading books are so good for you because it keeps your mind busy and exercises your intellect. Don't damage your mind by reading trashy books and magazines.

You will find new power and inspiration to help humanity, reading the books written by honorable and gifted people. Bookmark great, insightful passages. Discuss what you discover with intelligent like-minded others.

When you are worried or anxious invite a great book to sit with you. Dive deeply into your new friend and hear the great words, close your eyes and meditate on the wisdom of the ages.

Slip inside, between the pages and breathe the words.

I've always loved reading, the library was a place my mother took me to visit every week, before I could even read. I passed the library and reading books to my own children, by always reading to them. Waiting for them to pick up the habit for themselves and take off with it.

There were times in my children's lives that reading was not fun any longer, mainly at the hands of school by way of forced, mandatory reading assingments, book reports and essays.

"But you love reading, you've read hoards of books already at your young age." I would exclaim in surprise when I found out they had this particular school work due and they would not be taking advantage of the time reading the book.

Reading on their own was and about topics they loved was one thing, but to get excited about books the teacher had on a list for history or enlgish was a whole other thing altogether. With book titles they'd never heard of, they assumed they were boring school topics.

"Let me see the list."

No, at a glance the titles were not about how to make dirt, or grow pocket lint, but they were not ones that a child would pick for themselves to read on their own, unless it was well recommended by a friend.

But there were stories to get excited about just the same, or stories they would be able to relate to: it could be a story about an underdog, social acceptance, a "David and Goliath" type of story, standing tall against all odds, to inspire or one that simply tugged at their heart strings.

If you have watched the movie, "The Blind Side," you know where I am going with this already. The father of the movie, played by Tim McGraw, was able to get his newly adopted son, interested in a book on his list from school, in the same way that I used to do with my children.

I went down the list and gave them the gist, or a summary of each story, they'd narrow it down from there and actually read the entire book and then be able to give a great report told in their own words.

Even if my children did not follow their teachers book report outline to the "T," and include everything the teacher asked for. The teacher gave them at least B+, if not an A. Because she could tell they actually read the book, and did not rely on those "cheat" books or bull crap their way through the report with vague, watered-down sentences that said nothing, or sentences that said too much and were written by their parents for them.

These exact words were told to me by each teacher at parent-teacher conference time, and I was so proud each time the subject came up. Reading assignments take time, and lots of effort in today's "short attention span" generation. It is tough for the child to stay on task and complete the assignments with all of the distractions, and parents both working or being homeless with the economy.

Just one more thing. If you find your child is running late on getting started reading, ask the teacher for more time to complete the assignment. My children worried and didn't admit defeat until I saw notes in their take-home folders that said the reading assignment was coming up due by a certain date.

I then took up the agenda and approached my already anxious child and began the task of "The List." That is when I sent a "heads-up" note to the teacher and said my child had just begun to actually work on the assignment, and what their feelings were before we had our own parent-child conference and got them inspired to produce a good work of their own.

Most of the time they did not even need the extra time, but the teacher appreciated being in the "know" and part of the gang, instead of the usual absentee-ism that takes place the day the book report is due and the day after.