According to much research, people who read on a regular basis are the ones that achieve success, do better in their life, and have a higher intelligence quotient compared to those who don't read at all. The results have been backed up by many studies as well as long-term observations, so there's no reason not to believe it. Unfortunately, I'd been neglecting reading for quite a long time, limiting myself, my knowledge, and my personal development. I hadn't been reading at all for a couple of years and only recently I've taken to reading again hoping to catch up on it and join highly successful people. Let me explain what made me stop reading and what kindled my passion again.

When I was young I didn't like reading at all. I thought that was a boring activity and a waste of time. I wasn't getting much out of it or at least I couldn't see any benefits. When I think back on it I come to the conclusion that the problem wasn't related with reading as an activity itself, but rather I didn't like to be forced to read particular books. In Polish school, every student is imposed to read a bunch of required readings and it seems that I wasn't interested in those books whatsoever. Feeling the pressure to read was a huge discouragement for me and it completely put out my passion for reading. Obviously, I was reading a lot at that time because I had to in order to pass my exams, but once I graduated I totally stopped. I wasn't reading at all. I hadn't read any book for a couple of years. I didn't even start any book, let alone dived into it. I became completely deprived of interest when it comes to reading and that state lasted at least 4 years. Then I started reading some books about software development because I decided to become a software engineer. Even though I liked the topic it didn't sparkle any enthusiasm. It was still boring and I considered it a duty, but obviously this time I could get out of it whenever I wanted. Anyway, I carried on studying the development from books and once I finally reach my objective I gave up reading again.

Fortunately, when I started my English learning journey again in August 2021 at some point I decided that I need to start reading in English to acquire more vocabulary and broaden my circle of interests, so I have some topics to talk with people about. That was a pivotal moment in my life. I regained the enthusiasm for reading almost immediately. No matter how hard it was to read in a foreign language, especially at the very beginning, I was always striving to find the time to read at least for a moment. I felt so much determined to read new books. I even created a list of books I wanted to read and started tracking the ones I'd already read. It was very motivating and satisfying to see the progress, to see how many books I managed to read in just a couple of months. The outcome of reading was twofold: firstly I've been acquiring the English language and secondly I've been learning new stuff. If I didn't feel up to reading I did it to improve my language skills, so there was always something that made me want to read at least for a moment. It was extremely important for me at the beginning to find that why, that reason to read, but once I've established a habit it wasn't necessary anymore.

I've explored different topics and discovered new interests. I've gained the knowledge that I could use to my advantage. I've never thought that biology is interesting, but once I've read a book pertaining to that topic I realized it's captivating and extremely practical. I still want to explore that subject as I find it helpful to understand how my organism function and how to tap into that knowledge to improve my life. My list is still growing. I don't think I'll ever be able to read all the books that are on the list and in my mind, but I know that'll do my best to stay consistent with reading. It shouldn't be a big deal since now I do it for pleasure. There are still so many books to be read and so many topics to be explored, but that doesn't scare me away. I'm enthusiastic about reading and looking forward to it.

My resolution for this year was to read 10 books. It seemed very optimistic at the beginning of the year, but I've already read four and I'm starting the fifth one, so my goal is definitely attainable. It appears that it all happened by a chance and if I'd chosen different books at the beginning I wouldn't have been able to tap into the power of reading. I'm grateful that I got back to reading and the door to explore the world is open now.