"When people ask me, 'What should I read?' I always ask them what they're struggling with.’" ~ Jay Shetty 

Dear Ty, 

My Journey to personal growth began with reading Facebook posts, which led to me to discover nonfiction books. 

In 2021, Facebook recommended Lengdung Tungchamma  to me. It was one of the most amazing thing to happen to me: as a bibliophile, connecting with someone who has dedicated his time to making the world a more bookish place is life-changing. 

His love for books was infectious, and I wanted to read every book he reviewed. 

But as I devoured book after book, I realized I wasn’t learning much. I was focused on finishing books than learning from them.

A quote changed my mindset: 

"It's not the number of books you get through that matters; it's the number of books that get through you." 

Wow! I wanted then to read, learn and apply. But how?

This question led to my discovery of the concept of “reading your need” in Nick Hutchison’s book, “Rise of the Reader”.

It’s about having a REASON for picking up a book, an INTENTION or a PURPOSE

- What am I struggling with? 

- What do I want to learn?

- What do I want to improve on?

I’ve learned to pick up books that addressed my needs, goals and the desire to grow. 

I’m reading, learning, taking notes and applying , so my next ten years will be better than the last.

Try “reading your need” next time you want to read a book. 

Sincerely,

Amos Bani 

Bibliophile/Writer