On books and taking time.

To be a better writer, thinker, and leader, reading is simply essential. A goal of mine is to read all of the books that sit on my bookshelf that have either been half read or untouched since the day they arrived in my home, by next year. And yes, if I am completely honest, there are a lot that stack up in this category. This goal has come and gone and come back again, but this time I am taking it seriously.  Life in the past has seemed to steal away moments where I could curl up with a good book. Lack of discipline and complacency have been the culprit more often than not. How am I not going to let this happen anymore?-- always have a book with me. There are so many little moments throughout the day where I could sit and read while waiting for whatever it is I'm waiting for. Reading turns on my creative gears and brings out the best person in me. Just like water and exercise, reading is a key ingredient to life. Is it funny that I get excited about setting aside a full hour to just read tomorrow morning? What are your thoughts on books and taking time to be still and just read?

If you are looking for some book worm accountability, Darling Magazine and Thoughts by Natalie have monthly books clubs. You can check out Darling's here and Natalie's here. I have really enjoyed reading the book selections! (Well at least getting halfway through the books--I told you, I need to fix this problem, hence the new goal!) They are monthly, so you can speed read through April and then join with the new selection come May!

You can find some reading inspiration on one of my favorite Pinterest boards as of late- Pages from Books. It has writer's words, artists' sketches, and photographs of beautiful spaces where novels are loved and embraced. Here is a glimpse >>

image sources  1 // photograph and graphics by me  2 // via Pinterest