30secondTHOUGHTS: Start Reading

I can recall, in vivid detail, how slow I was when I started reading books as a hobby. I was a late bloomer in my affair with literature - back in Sir Ian Casocot's literature class (I was third year in college that time), we were required to read a repertoire of Filipino short stories, books, and graphic novels; that "requirement" eventually fueled my interests in reading. Today, I require myself daily to spend time reading worthwhile texts - from David Ogilvy and advertising books to the stories of F. Sionil Jose and Ricky and the life story of our dear Amy Winehouse.

My pacing in reading books was a learning curve - slow at first, like the reading of a prep student, then  eventually owning the speed of a fast learner; from the patience in reading short stories to the passion in interacting with a demanding novel.

Reading,indeed, is like a mental work-out - you start with little mass and with the mental repetitions and determination, you grow reading muscles, allowing you to endure long hours of reading, with that added adrenaline rush as you flip through succeeding pages.

Ad Title:            START READING
Ad Agency:       Slava Russia
Client:                Federal Agency of Publishing and Mass Communication

The print ad above advocates that reading, both a passion and a hobby, requires commitment and starts with small but meaningful steps. It directly hits my personal journey with books - particularly with "Start with light texts. Gradually increase the load."

And I guess it would not hurt if either of the Russian writers - Leo Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov, and Alexander Pushkin - would become your unofficial book instructor, right? Imagine hearing their forceful voices as you start with your intense book training, sweat and coach whistle considered.