The fall equinox is the marking point where light and darkness, day and night are equally balanced. One could say, “It’s all downhill from here,” as the daylight fades minute by minute for the next 3 months.
Perhaps, there is a better way to look at it. Using the equinox, as a mile marker in the year to FALL into NEW HABITS. With the evenings becoming longer, take advantage of it. Find time for you. Find time for family.
RELAX for 30 minutes each night without the aid of an electronic device. Completely shut down the world of electronics, don’t check your phone, email, or stream your favorite episode. There are many reasons to disconnect and read. Yale University School of Public Health had this to say: “Reading can make you think and laugh; it can inspire and teach. … When researchers at Yale University School of Public Health analyzed data from more than 3,600 adults age 50 and older, they found that those who read books for 3½ hours a week—or 30 minutes a day—lived about two years longer than their non-reading peers.” Who doesn’t want to live longer? (https://www.healthination.com/health/benefits-of-reading)
ENGAGE with the story. Put yourself in it. Take notes. Ask questions. What does the author want you to know? What is the author hiding? Where is this leading? The more one engages, the more one discovers. The characters, plot, climax, denouement all reveal bits of the beliefs or dreams hidden within the story by the author for you to discover. Engage in the process of discovery.
ACQUAINT yourself with the characters, location, idea of the book. Meeting new people, places, and ideas stimulates the mind as we work through the difficulties of reality. Can’t escape on a vacation? Take a book in hand and acclimate yourself into a new world, new time, with new people. Your mind paints the scenery, faces, costumes, landscape that it encounters in the stories you read. This escape reduces stress and anxiety. Take time to RELAX and ENGAGE daily.
DISCOVER new stories, people, customs, lands, and ideas. The gift of discovery is one of the greatest gifts given to humanity. Thinking through complex issues and ideas helps us grow. When they are contained within a story, they provide an opportunity to problem solve and succeed without the consequences of reality. It is a gift to read and discover and see through new lenses.
Understanding new ideas, people, and the complex world around us requires one to RELAX, ENGAGE, ACQUAINT, and DISCOVER for yourself. This fall balance your life by taking time to R.E.A.D. Find a story at Discoverbooks.com.
This fall start a new habit. Help those you love to start a new habit. Take 15-30 minutes daily and become one with a new story.
