How reading impacts your life

Writing weekly for the past two years has been a bit of an experiment.

Every time I sit down to write, I try to find a fresh angle or explore a new idea that feels unique. It is a constant search for something worth saying.

Yesterday, I took a trip back in time.

I revisited some of the articles I wrote when I first became a father back in July. It was a strange experience.

The words on the screen captured my thoughts and feelings from that summer so perfectly.

As I read my own words, the emotions came rushing back.

I could feel the exact mix of love, anxiety, and pride I was dealing with at the time. To be honest, it was probably even more complex than that. It felt like I was holding a mirror up to my younger self.

The notebooks of a genius

I am currently working my way through a new book about Leonardo da Vinci.

Like most people, I knew he was a genius who painted the Mona Lisa, but I did not know much about his actual daily life.

It turns out that people recovered many of his personal notebooks.

Researchers are still trying to decode his thoughts and understand his process.

One page might show a complex mathematical theory, and the very next page is a detailed study of human biology.

He did not see boundaries between subjects. He just followed his curiosity wherever it led him. Seeing how he recorded his life makes me realize how much we lose when we do not put our thoughts into words.

Why the interesting people read

It struck me recently that almost every person I truly admire is an avid reader and writer.

There is a connection there that I cannot ignore.

Words matter because thoughts are what make a person interesting in the first place.

When you read, you are not just consuming information. You are computing it. Your brain starts to develop critical thinking and creativity by interacting with someone else's perspective.

It is like a workout for your mind.

The value of what we consume

Does it matter what you read? Probably.

I cannot imagine anyone getting much smarter by reading complete nonsense.

However, it seems like most books have some level of value tucked away inside them.

I remember people praising a particularly controversial book once. They did not like the message, but they said it helped them understand the difference between good and bad behaviors. It sharpened their moral compass by showing them the opposite.

Reading allows you to experience lives you will never live and mistakes you do not have to make yourself. It builds a foundation of empathy and understanding that stays with you long after you close the cover.