Surprising to even myself, much of my money has been going into books lately. It feels more tangible to hold them in my hands, and it also makes it easier to do digital detox that way. But the thought that many of the things I've been reading aren't exactly sticking—that I don't remember—bothered me a bit.
Though I could be a speedy reader if I wanted, I take my time in reading. I've only been reading self-help books, so taking it nice and slow to digest is important. Taking notes is a fluctuating thing, but I try without making it slow me down. So why then would I feel like its a bit futile having to read only to forget?
In a video we were watching together, my brother and I stumbled on the name Malala. My brother had heard the name somewhere, but he couldn't quite place it. I, on the other hand, mentioned just who the person was and where exactly he had learned about them from. It was Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist, and she was shot in the head at a very young age and survived. We had both read it in the book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
I was surprised myself that I remembered so quick and could pin it. Although I had recently read the book, say a month or two ago, it's something I know I could actually do for some of the books I have read. And then it hit me: I don't read to remember; I read to grow my mind by learning new things through the pages of these books, and sometimes with the experiences of others in those books.
If I resonate with what I'm reading by processing the words I see and the sentences they make, something regardless of how little would change or at least be updated in my mind. And the more I continue to read, the more I learn, and perhaps my memory would even improve. After all, I had only recently restarted the habit of reading.
I should even remind myself often that the brain, as powerful as it is, its biggest flaw lies in its memory. We forget. However, the more we repeat something, the more likely we are to recall it effortlessly. A concept that Napoleon Hill explores extensively in his book with the idea of 'auto-suggestion.' A book that's taking me longer than planned, but the pacing is actually fine and necessary
Anyway, back to the subject... Maybe searched for it, or YouTube's algorithm is probably stalking me, I found a video that elaborates on the real benefits of reading. I'll share here. Going through that, I realized, huh, I'm actually doing myself a favour.
So while it feels like it sucks to forget, I'm actually not exactly forgetting entirely. There's a form of reshaping going on, even if its little. But I'm learning to track the books I read, my favorite quotes, and make intentional efforts to journal my internal reflections on the things that resonate with me to help make them stick longer.
