| p>We all face challenges in life that we can either | | | | the ability to absorb most of the material without |
| allow to stop us from getting what we want or | | | | needing to focus a great deal on the reading. |
| work around and not allow those challenges to | | | | College was a little more difficult with the more |
| get in our way. Here is one of mine and how I | | | | complex text books that required a lot of |
| am able to work around it. Perhaps you can | | | | rereading on my part. However, I made it a |
| learn something from my experience even if your | | | | practice of learning HOW to read text books |
| challenge is not the same. | | | | effectively by skimming first and then reading |
| Most good personal development sources tell you | | | | second. |
| to start on your journey by reading at least 30 | | | | About a year after college, I began reading |
| minutes of inspiring, positive material every day. | | | | personal development books. I didn't read them |
| That's a fantastic idea that I agree with 100%. | | | | regularly but tried to read at least 2 a year. I |
| They go on to talk about how many books per | | | | read more and more and soon made it a priority |
| month or year you should be able to consume by | | | | to read at least 30 minutes a day. I wanted |
| reading daily. This is where my head tends to | | | | what all those people who read regularly had and I |
| sink just a little. An average reader can read | | | | was willing to go get it no matter what obstacles |
| about 200 words per minute (wpm) while a | | | | I faced. It is a challenge to me. Here are a |
| regular daily reader can read more like 600 | | | | few things I have done to manage that challenge. |
| wpm. Although I have been reading daily for | | | | - Make reading a morning priority because that is |
| several years, my speed is still only around 200 | | | | when my brain is functioning best and if I try to |
| wpm. | | | | read in the evening when I'm tired, it is more a |
| You see, I have dyslexia. I was diagnosed when | | | | lesson in frustration. |
| I was in the first grade. I don't really remember | | | | - Read daily to stay in practice. If I don't read |
| the actual process but I do remember bringing | | | | regularly, it gets harder again. |
| home books to read that were supposed to help | | | | - Give up thinking I can be like the average |
| me get better at seeing things clearly. Dyslexia | | | | reader. I may never get to where I can read |
| is a reading disorder characterized by the inability | | | | 24 books a year but I can be happy reading what |
| to process graphic symbols. A common | | | | I do read. |
| example would be that I often see the word | | | | I am a better person for not allowing my |
| "was" as "saw". This makes the reading process | | | | challenge to get the better of me. But what are |
| dramatically slower as I must allow my brain time | | | | a few things you can take from this to face your |
| to accurately interpret the words on the page for | | | | own challenges? |
| maximum comprehension. If my brain sees | | | | - Decide what you want and commit to it. |
| something as incorrect and the passage doesn't | | | | Challenges are just ways of making us stronger |
| make sense, I must go back and read it again. | | | | along the path. |
| Despite my dyslexia, my mother instilled in me a | | | | - Practice. Whether your challenge is fear based |
| love of reading fiction at a pretty young age. I | | | | or practical in nature, you can practice the skills |
| can still remember the days that I finished my | | | | required to overcome it. |
| first 100 page book and when I completed my | | | | - Grow to face the challenges rather than allowing |
| first Steven King novel. I was overjoyed! My | | | | the challenge to get bigger than you. |
| dyslexia was not treated as an excuse when I | | | | - Accept your greatness at whatever level that |
| was growing up. It was just something I had to | | | | may be. |
| deal with. | | | | Don't be a victim. Look around you, there are |
| I was able to skate through high school with good | | | | plenty of people that have bigger challenges than |
| grades because I paid attention in class and had | | | | you do. |