I am a man of few and simple pleasures: my wife's company, a glass of wine, a thought-provoking film, etc. Among the highest of these pleasures is reading a good book, and, while merely reading a book is enjoyable, finishing it is even better. There are few things in this life that compare to finishing a good book! Here are the top four reasons why I love to finish a good book:
1) The sense of fulfillment. When you close a book for the last time, you feel this strange sense of accomplishment. I am not the most well-read person I know, but I have read quite a few books in my lifetime, and I still get that feeling every single time I finish a book. The longer the book, of course, the greater the sense of satisfaction you receive from finishing it. Short-term goals in life are incredibly powerful, and finishing a book is an easy way to feel like you accomplished something. Even if the book was mediocre, finishing it can bring a strong sense of fulfillment.
2) The sense of growth. Reading is not just about finishing books. It's about growing as a person. Reading is a cumulative process of gathering knowledge and expanding one's horizons. This is true whether you're a nonfiction reader or fiction reader. Finishing a book is a reminder that, if the book was worth reading at all, you've gained a greater knowledge of the world around you and a firmer grasp of your language, even if you didn't retain everything you read.
3) The sense of excitement of picking out a new book. It's easy to get bogged down reading the same book for too long, no matter what kind of book it is. The longer the book, the more difficult the last quarter of the book is to read. As I near the end of a long book, I begin to feel a sense of excitement and expectation at the prospect of starting the next book. "Maybe I'll read that book on Henry VIII that I've been eyeing for the last year!" I think. "Or maybe that book by Augustine!" Maybe I'm a dork (well, there's no maybe about that), but the opportunity to begin the process of learning something new is incredibly exciting. If I've been reading nothing but theology for two months, I get excited about being able to read history for a while. As Dan Wilson would say, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
4) The sense of organization. This one is for my wife. At any point in time I have two or three designated areas in my home where I stack the books that I intend to read "next." For every book I finish, that's one more book that won't be sitting around in one of my stacks. If I'm honest, however, this is really more of a nice idea than a reality because I have normally added more books to these stacks while working on the book I just finished. It's a nice sentiment anyway.
I've heard many people say that they don't read because they just can't make it through an entire book, especially a long one, but you can't finish a book if you don't start it! If you haven't read a book in a while, start one today! Choose something shorter and pace yourself patiently. Get through it, no matter how long it takes. You'll be glad you did!
1) The sense of fulfillment. When you close a book for the last time, you feel this strange sense of accomplishment. I am not the most well-read person I know, but I have read quite a few books in my lifetime, and I still get that feeling every single time I finish a book. The longer the book, of course, the greater the sense of satisfaction you receive from finishing it. Short-term goals in life are incredibly powerful, and finishing a book is an easy way to feel like you accomplished something. Even if the book was mediocre, finishing it can bring a strong sense of fulfillment.
2) The sense of growth. Reading is not just about finishing books. It's about growing as a person. Reading is a cumulative process of gathering knowledge and expanding one's horizons. This is true whether you're a nonfiction reader or fiction reader. Finishing a book is a reminder that, if the book was worth reading at all, you've gained a greater knowledge of the world around you and a firmer grasp of your language, even if you didn't retain everything you read.
3) The sense of excitement of picking out a new book. It's easy to get bogged down reading the same book for too long, no matter what kind of book it is. The longer the book, the more difficult the last quarter of the book is to read. As I near the end of a long book, I begin to feel a sense of excitement and expectation at the prospect of starting the next book. "Maybe I'll read that book on Henry VIII that I've been eyeing for the last year!" I think. "Or maybe that book by Augustine!" Maybe I'm a dork (well, there's no maybe about that), but the opportunity to begin the process of learning something new is incredibly exciting. If I've been reading nothing but theology for two months, I get excited about being able to read history for a while. As Dan Wilson would say, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."
4) The sense of organization. This one is for my wife. At any point in time I have two or three designated areas in my home where I stack the books that I intend to read "next." For every book I finish, that's one more book that won't be sitting around in one of my stacks. If I'm honest, however, this is really more of a nice idea than a reality because I have normally added more books to these stacks while working on the book I just finished. It's a nice sentiment anyway.
I've heard many people say that they don't read because they just can't make it through an entire book, especially a long one, but you can't finish a book if you don't start it! If you haven't read a book in a while, start one today! Choose something shorter and pace yourself patiently. Get through it, no matter how long it takes. You'll be glad you did!
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