The Connection between Wealth and Reading
Scenes like the one were common to me growing up. Somehow my parents made time to take me to the library regularly despite living in the remote parts of rural USA. I’m certain the intent was not to prompt me to be wealthy one day but just to nurture a love of reading. However, reading is a common denominator among the wealthy.
One study revealed that 85% of self-made millionaires read 2 or more books per month.¹ That’s not a coincidence. Many of us have been told that reading improves our vocabulary and grammar skills, but there’s so much more to it than that! Reading can help develop traits that can provide an excellent foundation for a prosperous life and building wealth. Here are three reasons why.
1.
Reading expands your perspective
Think of it like a hack that grants you access to the wisdom of others. Instead of only drawing from your own experiences and resources, reading is an opportunity to discover fresh and challenging ideas. And the more connections you make between the ideas you read about, the more creative—and valuable—you become. Now if every elementary teacher found a way to communicate that to every struggling reader in their class, think of the motivation and impact that could have on that child’s entire life.
2.
Reading can curb negative emotions
Reading is good for your brain—it can reduce stress levels and prevent age-related cognitive decline.² But it goes deeper than that. It turns out that making new connections is good for your mental health. There’s evidence that reading can help combat struggles like depression.³
Why? It’s because reading can help people process difficult situations. Reading about other characters and different perspectives can help forge new mindsets and beliefs. And the more you process through difficulties, the better equipped you become to build a prosperous life.
3.
Reading builds empathy
It’s no surprise that discovering other perspectives or exploring the inner lives of characters builds empathy.3 What might be surprising, however, are empathy’s benefits.
Not only does empathy lead to a richer emotional life, but it’s been shown to be critical for creating healthy—and productive—workplaces.⁴ Understanding the emotions and feelings of others makes you a more effective leader, coworker, and person.
Notice that none of these skills are directly financial—you won’t learn them in a finance or accounting course, and probably no one would pay you to read a book per month. But, as you can see, they can be critical for expanding your perspective and growing your career.
Well if you made it to the end of this post, CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉 You’re already adopting a habit of the wealthy because you read this. Keep reading for 15 to 30 minutes per day for a week on a topic that interests or excites you. (Of course we here at ECV Talks would love to be that content that you’re reading. 🥰) Then slowly expand your reading time as you feel comfortable. At the end of the month, see how you feel! You might be surprised by how much your perspective has grown or shifted..
Sources:
¹ “5 Common Traits of A Self-Made Millionaire,” Caden Strause, Medium, Oct 26, 2020, https://medium.com/frugal-friday/5-common-traits-of-a-self-made-millionaire-f6cf65c13c6c
² “5 ways reading benefits your health — and how to make reading a daily habit,” Lia Tabackman, Insider, Dec 1, 2020, https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-reading
³ “The Health Benefits of Books You Have to Read to Believe,” Madison Yauger, Shape, Oct 27, 2020, https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/benefits-of-reading-books
⁴ “New Research Shows Why Business Leaders Struggle With Workplace Empathy,” Bryan Robinson, Forbes, May 17, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2021/05/17/new-research-shows-why-business-leaders-struggle-with-workplace-empathy/?sh=749a6d8684ad
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