What You’re Missing Out On When You Speed Read

I’ve always had a love for comic books. Reading the stories of the X-MenWolverine, Captain America, and Daredevil brought me to a whole new world.

The world of comics brought stories alive like I’d never seen before. Pages splashed with colors and beautiful images. Those images showing movement and energy.

Words and pictures melded together to engage me. Turning every page, I wanted more. I wanted to see what happened next.

Speed reading is awesome. But it makes you miss out on this.

But then I stopped reading comics. For years I didn’t pick up a comic book. Then, a couple of months back, I began visiting local comic book stores.

The local comic book store opened my eyes to epic events that happened during my separation from comics. Captain America had died. So did the Incredible Hulk. Wait, Captain America is back? And he’s a bad guy?

So much to keep up with. So much to take in.

What You’re Missing Out On When You Speed Read

As I began reading through these comic books again, I realized I was doing something wrong. I was missing out on a huge part of the story I used to enjoy.

Sure, there are words on the page. Those words tell a gripping story. They share the inner thoughts of the characters. The words even clue you in on events the main characters know nothing about.

Still… There was something I was overlooking.

I was viewing comic books in the way I’d often looked at business books or personal development books. I was reading to get through the comic book so I could move on to the next.

Have you ever done that with the books you’re reading? You want to read the latest business book. But you want to read the book fast.

That’s been me. I bought into the lie. I believed I needed to read 100 books a year.

Then I began reading comic books and the truth hit me. I didn’t need to read more books. I needed to read books better.

I discovered this when I realized I had skipped over the art in comic books. Beautiful pieces of artwork were painstakingly drawn by artists and I flipped by the art. The only thought was to get to the next page so I could finish the comic book.

This was the same mindset I’d had in reading non-fiction books. Get to the end. Move on to the next book.

When I changed my mindset, I began to see the beauty of the artwork. There was masterfully drawn images that would take me deeper into the world of Wolverine, Captain America, and the other comics I was reading.

But how does this apply to business or personal development books? Think about it. When you or I speed read books, we miss out on the deep, subtle meanings the author put into his or her work.

We skip over hidden truths. We miss the obvious truths. And we will forget those truths faster than we read the books.

I want to encourage you today. Take your time reading the next book. Pour over the words. Dig deep into the meanings. Discover the hidden truths you would miss if you quickly read the book.

Heck, go back and re-read the book once you have finished it. Study and learn from the book all you can before you move onto your next book conquest.

You’re going to be surprised at how much wisdom is contained in the book you tossed aside after one reading. Don’t take it for granted.

Question: How are you reading books? Are you speed reading and then moving on or are you digging deep? Why? Let me know in the comment section below.

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