22 July 2021, Somewhere in the Metaverse - UplandDood (@Just1Dood)

Have you heard of this phrase before? What do you think? Do you think it is a true reflection? Are you a reader? If you are, are you a leader? Maybe for some, it is a little difficult to answer. I mean it's easy to answer if you are a reader or not. If you read and like to read, then you are a reader. But a leader? For that, you may need to define what a leader is.

The Oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com defines a leader as "a person who leads a group of people, especially the head of a country, an organization, etc."

I put it simply as "if you move, are you in front and when you look back, are there people following?"

But as we all know, people do not follow someone blindly. There has to be a compelling reason for them to do so. That compelling reason, in my humble opinion, and amongst other factors, is greatly dependent on how much a person knows. This in return is the result of how much this person reads.

Actually, the correct phrase should be "Leaders are Readers". Using some common sense, we can come to the conclusion that not all "readers are leaders".

Makes sense? Okay then. We can proceed. I just wanted to get this out of the way, in case you think that I'm some sort of a leader though I used to read a lot.

Once upon a time...

Long, long ago, I used to like to read and read a lot. It started with comic books. Back in the time that if I mentioned Marvel, you'd think that it's just a verb describing bewilderment or astonishment and DC is some kind of current that you learned from school.

Yes, it was the golden years of comic reading for me. It was the bronze age of comic books. I was reading and collecting so many titles that it'd take too much of your already precious time.

The reading and collecting carried over briefly to publications from the Modern Age of Comic Books.

I looked forward to each monthly copy of The Amazing Spiderman, the Uncanny X-Men, Teen Titans, Justice League to name a few. My appetite for more drove me to explore other non-mainstream comic books like those from Mirage Studios (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and some obscure knock off of TMNT called Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters (bet you haven't heard of that one) from Eclipse Comics.

I'd admired the art from these comic books. Each artist has their own style. In fact, most of them combine the talents of a few - the writer, the penciler, the inker, the letterer, and the colorist. A collaborative effort of a few individuals to put out a story each month.

I love reading comics. In fact, I'd partially credit the reading of comic books in my learning of English. Those dialogue bubbles helped me in conversing. I memorize some and use some expressions for my high school essays. E.g. Aarrggg, Cowabunga...and with great power comes great responsibility. LOL. Just kidding.

I was so into it that at one time, I'd drawn up a short one-page comic and another that was a few pages long. If I can find them, I'll make that a future article. I kinda doubt I still have them buried somewhere at home.

A moment later...(maybe around 5 years later, maybe not)

Comic books were becoming expensive and if I continued, I'll have to fork out money on a monthly basis. Coupled with the time demand of a new work life, I'd stopped my comics reading habit. Though, I still have many in my collection.

Work-life is another story. If you think that you'd stop reading and 'studying' after university, you're in for a rude awakening. One can never stop being a reader.

I found out that despite the lack of time, I need to continue reading. Regardless of whether my work required it or not, I need to continue to cultivate a reading habit. I know that by reading, I can equip myself to be a step ahead of non-readers! Hahaha...if you don't read, be warned.

If you're curious, here's a sample of the books I read:

• First, Break All the Rules - Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

• The New Gold Standard - Joseph A. Michelli

• The Leadership Handbook - John C. Maxwell

• The 7 Habits of Highly Disgusting People - Sorry, I meant to say, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey

• A Taste of the Orient - The Complete Book of Eastern Cooking

I have no idea how the last one got on the list!

But those were just a few of the many books I had read and now display on my bookshelves gathering dust.

In my reading years, there is one book that I have read that changed my life completely and altered the course of my life. And that book is called "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki.

This book was responsible for turning my mindset of being an employee into not being an employee. LOL. Truth be told, it was just that. A turning point where I entertained the idea of doing my own thing.

Another moment later...(undisclosed years later)

The books that I read over these years have evolved. It has shifted more to self-improvement books. I have no idea why. Maybe subconsciously my mind is thinking that time had taken its toll on me. Some improvements (much like those DIY home improvements) are needed.

I then started to read books like "Put more time on your side". Now that I think of it, I have no idea how that is possible. We all have to live with 24 hours. How to put more on my side? I may do another article where I share all the books I have in my possession.

Anyway, here's another one and it's called "The 9 Dimensions of the Conscious Success". I don't know why it's 9 and not 8 or 10. If you ask me what I have learned from it and if I recall anything...the sad answer is NO. But the mind is a strange thing. I may have gems tucked in some corner of the mind as a result of reading this book. And my mind may recall this at the most opportune time. I can hope.

Back to the present time...

Looking back, I'd say that despite the fact that not all readers are leaders, the amount of reading has at least helped me to be a leader when the time called for it. The volumes of reading have created a "muscle memory" that kicks into action when the time is right.

At the present time, my reading habit continues. I read fellow writers' articles. I do some research reading when needed in order to write. Whenever I get a chance to visit bookstores, I may still grab a book (or two) if it catches my attention. Reading has become a habit for me. I feed my mind when I read. I know that I'll never stop reading. Why? Because I cannot afford to stop learning.

Happy reading and stay safe and see you in the next article.

Sources:

Header: Unsplash.com - Adam Winger

Image 1: Unsplash.com - Vlad Tchompalov

Image 2: Unspladh.com - Erik Mclean

Image 3 Unsplash.com -  Shiromani Kant

Thank you again for dropping by. Have fun with English. Remember to share your experience in the comment section.

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