Ayisha Qureshi

I stopped reading fiction about 7 years ago. I just stopped. I have always read. Some people write reading as a hobby. For me reading is and always has been a way of life- a very important and integral part of my day, every day. But about 7 years ago, I just completely shifted to non-fiction and that also mostly self-help books.

And now about 7-8 years later, I look back at all the self-help books that I have read and analyse whether they have been any help. Well, I am rather pleased to inform you that they have been an enormous help. I have a voice in my head that constantly tells me not to believe everything I read. So I have this filter where I very cautiously allow or not allow some thoughts to permanently alter my synapses and become part of my long-term memory. In spite of all this caution, all the targeted reading has affected me and in so many ways. Here is my take on reading self-help books:

1. Start off by reading simple, all time classics by authors such as Napoleon Hill, Anthony Robbins, Dale Carnegie (to name a few) and you will not feel bored and/ or over-whelmed. Books by these authors have stood the test of time and have been loved by generations. If you start off with something really heavy you might not be ready for it and loose the essence and wisdom being imparted.
2. Try to read categorically- so if you have started with decluttering, for example, continue reading books on decluttering, organizing and so on. This helps in forming a schema in your head. It is like a skeleton on a specific topic that materializes in your head, and then as you add more information of the same, it gains tissue, then muscle, then skin and so on. This is, however, just a recommendation. Let it not complicate things for you and take away from reading. Just don’t stop reading.
3. Don’t lose sight of the forest for the trees. Take care to take the message home after you finish reading a book. The true accomplishment is not to finish the book but to remember what it was about- not the details but just the take home message.
4. Self-help books are just that: books that help you help yourself. So complement all the reading with practical application of what you are reading. No use reading about decluttering continuously while you sit in a dirty, cluttered and unmanaged apartment. Apply what you learn as you learn it. If that is not possible immediately, at least reflect on it and absorb it.
5. There comes a time when all the reading becomes akin to organizational and self-help porn (pardon the use of the word!). It means too much superficial reading and just reading. It is not fiction and it should not be read that way- a good self-help book should be savoured and enjoyed much like a good, home cooked meal that leaves you satisfied and healthier. It should leave your mind charged, tingling and awed by the revelations that you have just come across.
6. Finally, I truly believe that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Your reading will find its own trajectory, guided by what your soul, not your mind, craves.

So, stop being scared of big, complicated and dry books. They will change your life and that too for the better. Give them a chance. Increase your concentration span and reap the rewards. Read and join the wonderful world of the thinkers and sages. See you on the other side!!