avatarAldric Chen

Summary

An avid reader and writer shares their personal journey of how reading, particularly in the genres of self-improvement, personal finance, and effective communication, has profoundly shaped their life and understanding of the world.

Abstract

The author, self-described as a reader first and a writer second, recounts their lifelong love affair with books, detailing how this passion began in childhood and continued to influence their personal development through adolescence and into adulthood. They credit books with satisfying their insatiable curiosity and providing guidance during challenging times, such as navigating the complexities of adolescence and mastering complex subjects like accounting. Key influences include Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich," which empowered them with the belief that hard work could lead to achieving their desires, and Robert Kiyosaki's "Rich Dad Poor Dad," which made learning about finance engaging and accessible. The author also reflects on the importance of effective communication, drawing inspiration from Steve Jobs' presentation skills, and acknowledges the need for continuous learning and adaptation in communication styles to capture shorter attention spans. The article concludes with the author's recognition of the luminaries who have illuminated their journey and a commitment to ongoing reading and self-improvement.

Opinions

  • The author believes in the power of reading to not only gain knowledge but also to find solutions to personal problems and to enhance one's quality of life.
  • They hold a strong conviction that self-help literature can be instrumental in personal growth and self-improvement, particularly during formative years.
  • The author values the ability to communicate complex ideas simply and engagingly, as evidenced by their admiration for Robert Kiyosaki's and Steve Jobs' communication styles.
  • They emphas

Confessions of an Addicted Reader: I Loved to Read before I Loved to Write.

I am a reader first, writer second.

Yes, I love to read.

I think I am addicted to reading.

I forgot exactly how and I forgot exactly when I started.

I don’t recall when I became addicted to reading either.

All I remember is having a book clipped beneath my armpits wherever I go.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I was labelled a bookworm since young. I don’t know how exactly it happened. It seemed that the “sociopathic” side of me was pretty dominant during my younger years and I was infinitely curious about things around me. Taboos included. I annoyed many people immediately around me with my never-ending “why” questions. That was just me and I continued to behave this way today. I felt the compelling need to understand why magnets stuck to themselves and why they refused to do the same the next morning.

I think I learnt the Natural Force of Electromagnetism only in Middle School, probably 8 years later from the time I asked my parents the magnet question.

I also asked many relatives of mine to explain why the Auto-Teller Machine spits money whenever they stand behind them.

Trust me, I tried to do the same only to be chased away by the friendly auxiliary police at the Bank Branch.

I wondered what went wrong and what was the difference between my dad standing behind it and having me to stand behind it.

I only learnt the miracles of the bank account debit card when I had an account at 12 years of age.

Even by then I was curious about the word “debit”.

“Go check the dictionary” was all my mum muttered.

I did and I stumbled upon the next word which is “Credit” as both “Debit” and “Credit” are fundamental records of accounting.

Every point of curiosity brought me to the next, and the next, then the next.

I wish to say it is an infinite loop but I think the better description would be a never-ending journey.

Indeed it is.

It started since I had recollections of my younger self and it hasn’t ended 30 years in.

I was in love and still in deep love today.

Self-Improvement was the genre of my choice during middle school and high school.

Adolescent years was terrible for me as I had to grapple with raging hormones, relationship issues in school, academic progression and the search for self-worth. I couldn’t really explain myself then, and all I told my teachers and parents was that I am perpetually frustrated. It felt so. Then my Aunt intervened.

“Don’t make your problems other people’s problem.”

She was right.

I acknowledged her admonitions.

I was 15 and behaved like 5.

“Worse than a kid”, as they would say in this part of the world where I grew up.

So, I did what I always knew. I went to the bookstore seeking salvation from those who are more intelligent than I was. I figured that book authors were more intelligent than I am, which was why they published books while I read them.

I went from aisle to aisle, having the edge of my fingers brushing through the books on the shelves as I walked past. I think I whistled as well, much to the dismay of other readers who stared daggers at my back as I passed them.

After multiple hairclip zig-zags trotting, I stumbled into “Self-Help”.

I paused and I heard a voice.

“Okay, maybe Aunt is right. I have to help myself.”

Then the next problem came along and hit me like a ton of bricks.

The same voice whispered, “Which book is the right one?”

An alternative voice responded, “Who the heck knows? I don’t know!”

After some toss-up between echoes, I decided to do what I always have. I started taking books off the shelf and I flipped them. My eyes scanned from Prologue to Table of Contents to Introduction to Conclusion. Book after book.

As I was relatively young and what I knew was way less than what I didn’t, I only had a couple of relatively simple purchase criteria where: -

  • I must be able to understand (It is an obvious no-brainer but bear with me, I was a teenager then.).
  • I must be able to execute on the insights (Once again, l was a teenager…).

As much as I attempted to stick to the above pointers, I did the reverse. I started cherry-picking books for visual scanning. Sometimes, it is because the book cover attracts me. Sometimes the title attracted me and in particular, one classic did catch my attention.

That was Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”.

Photo Contributed by the Author.

In a way that I am unorthodox, I didn’t start reading from the beginning. I reviewed the Table of Contents and was looking for the Chapter brief that would hit me. One chapter actually did and I finished reading that chapter in the bookstore. It was Chapter 3, “Faith: Visualisation of, and Belief in Attainment of Desire”.

In the “Self-Confidence” formula Step 1, Napoleon Hill says that,

“First, I know that I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in Life, therefore, I demand of myself persistent, continuous action towards attainment, and I here and now promise to render such action …”

This blew my little convoluted mind.

As far as I can and as much as I could comprehend — This guy is telling me that I could have whatever I want so long as I am willing to work hard for it. The idea of achieving whatever I want in Life is seductive and rightfully so. I remember feeling empowered. And if it doesn’t sound crazy enough, I was feeling empowered by a book.

I clipped that book under my arms and went straight to the cashier.

I devoured that book that night and kept re-visiting those chapters which energised me.

Whenever I felt that the path ahead of me is arduous and the people around me aren’t supportive, I would take that book out and start reading Chapter 3 over and over to pump myself back to motivated.

I have the ability to achieve the object of my Definite Purpose in Life …

I just have to keep drumming it into my head.

Then there was Personal Finance.

This is easy to explain.

Everyone has to learn the ropes of money management, right?

This time, Robert Kiyosaki came to my centre-stage.

I read “Rich Dad Poor Dad” when it was first published in 1997. Then I was a Middle School student and I had to study and master Principles of Accounting. Debits and Credits started coming back to haunt me and my understanding or the lack-there-of. I wasn’t the only one struggling to stay awake in class. There were obvious loud pig snores that my subject tutor must have learnt to ignore, much to the dismay of the diligent ones.

When I started reading “Rich Dad Poor Dad” — The funny thing is I actually enjoyed reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book even as he was explaining the basic financial terms such as income, expense, assets, liabilities. It was miles ahead in terms of “edu-tainment” compared to my textbook.

I finished reading his book in one seating.

In the bookstore.

I thought that was the light-bulb moment and I was going to ace my Accounting papers.

So, I clipped that book under my arms and went straight to the cashier.

Strangely enough, good results continued to elude me.

And it baffled me.

What was strange and beyond my reconciliation was the fact that my understanding experienced a moon-shot moment in class and my results didn’t reflect that. I decided to dig in the details. I found that that “Rich Dad Poor Dad” teaches the fundamental tenets of Accounting and it wasn’t all of them. The right side of the Balance Sheet should an arithmetic aggregation of Liabilities AND Equity. The book didn’t explain it.

Right there and then, a lightning bolt hit me.

There is a difference between teaching to understand versus teaching for practical execution.

Robert Kiyosaki’s book has made a profound impact on me and I don’t think his teachings are flawed like how some people think it is. It proved to me that the ability to communicate complex ideas has to be presented in a simple, digestible manner. His style suits that purpose and I use that style of his in my presentations where I keep my delivery simple and engaging.

Of course, I didn’t become an Accountant.

I thank God for that.

Today, I read a ton about effective Communication.

It is strange that after 20 years of public education — Communication skills are always inadequate.

There is probably more depth in the area than I thought.

I remembered that academic writing is about structure. As a Research Assistant in College, writing papers for Journal was never meant to be a creative act.

It was an act of “expected presentation” of facts.

Unlike non-fiction where conclusions of a murder can be the introduction and where the finale chapter of any Trilogy could be left hanging at the cliff-edge without an end (paving the way for the next Trilogy to be released), academic papers must have a set structure.

Introduction, hypothesis, sampling data, assumptions baked in and tested for, experimental methodology, statistical analysis and logical conclusions are must-haves for academic papers.

As far as I remember, even Economic essays at Junior College levels should be as boring and factual as possible in order for the examiner to grade thousands of scripts.

The rule of thumb is simple.

The easier it is for them to browse and have no qualms of us being an ‘A’ student, the more likely we will be an ‘A’ student.

It sounds weird now that I am typing this, but it was the maxim we held dear.

Today, communication styles like those above aren’t sufficient.

Shorter sentences are the Gold standard as attention span got shorter. Pauses between oral delivery got more frequent so messages could infiltrate and percolate into our brain matter.

Steve Jobs is a master in this.

Image Contributed by the Author

He understands the magic of modern day captivation. Shorter, water-tight presentations peppered with the occasional transition of slides meant for support purposes plus deliberate pauses to awe his audience?

That is an Art.

And I am have been captivated by Steve Jobs ever since he made a presentation on the iPhone in 2007.

There is so much more I have to unlearn and learn when it comes to communication and presentation.

A heavy dose of humility is required.

So I have to continue reading.

In Conclusion

Truth is, there isn’t any conclusion.

My life journey will be littered by books that I pick up along the way, which in turn illuminates the path ahead.

Every stage of my life has been elevated by luminaries showing me the way.

Napoleon Hill, Robert Kiyosaki, James Rickards, Grant Cardone, Ray Dalio, Warren Buffett, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris, Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene, Michio Kaku …

The list goes on.

And I am certain this list will grow even longer.

These days I am wondering how Space and Time is the same fabric of the Universe.

I guess … only Albert Einstein can explain that to me.

Related Stories from the Author.

About the Author:

As a Consultant by training, I believe in making the complex simple.

Because simplicity adds value.

Simplicity helps us gain clarity, and clarity helps us to grow.

And if we are not growing, then what’s the point of anything else?

What do you think about the article? Comment Below!

This is more about me as a Content Contributor on Medium.

Do reach out and say hi on Linkedin!

Books
Reading
Writing
Self Improvement
Philosophy
Recommended from ReadMedium