Start reading—save the world from ignorance and fake news

One radiant spark of a matchstick can turn darkness into light, just as how reading can save one lost soul in the midst of a cruel night. This is the power of reading.

However, this world has woven thousands of stories meant to be told, and almost half of them are dying to be seen. Everyone knows how important reading is, but some of us are still left unreached about its technicolored worth.

An online article entitled “How To Take Care Of Yourself—What Does It Mean?” by author and entrepreneur Rebecca Temsen listed the five essential elements for an individual’s wellness. These include physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual. You can only accomplish the real meaning of self-care if you have looked into these five factors and done ways to hone them all.

Among the five elements mentioned, intellectual is something that many people take for granted. It’s crucial to work on it for growth and personal development. Among the many things you can do in this regard is reading.

Reading is a great way to exercise your brain and help you cope with your mental state. It’s because of its ability to stimulate your brain and cognitive functions as you try to concentrate on the words and concepts behind a story. In addition to that, reading lessens the levels of stress, and it provides relief from mental tension. It is essential for those who find themselves breaking down amid the challenges the world continues to throw their way.

These claims have proven true in an article posted on the blog site of the University of the People. Aside from enhancement and broadening of vocabulary, it was said that it could provide a sense of belongingness and help you combat certain situations of distress.

Reading is a building block of knowledge. Having difficulty or a lack of reading skills can be a big roadblock to personal growth. People need to read things in their everyday lives. We need to read and understand the basics, such as prescriptions, road signs, and warning advisories. It is something that will prove to be a gem as we grow older and wiser.

A country does not need richness, especially when not every citizen benefits from it. It will be more befitting to have a nation whose people can read and understand. It can result in better things, more successes, and surprising results in the years to come.

Pamana, a Filipino word meaning heritage, is what best describes reading. Our engagement and love for reading is something that we can pass on to our children, who can then pass it on to their own offspring, and onto the next generations.

Moreover, throughout the whirlwind daze of centuries, history was already a testimony of how reading healed a blind eye. It was then that people fought for their sentiments and put all their pleas on a piece of paper. With that being distributed, a once silenced society became more aggressive against oppressive politics. Why? It’s because of what they’ve read that helped their mind to be more open from the shadows they weren’t able to beat before.

Now it is our time to make a difference, not just for our own stake but for the glory and honor reading has ever claimed. It may take some days to help yourself get used to it, but that’s how medicine works. This dying world is already in need of someone shining in valor—one who’ve overcome the casts of blinding spells tricked by ignorance. If you see yourself craving that dream to help save a world that is now on the brink of danger, start reading.

This is the greatest weapon one could keep forever, an eye opener for a long-lost hero of the country, and a prowess crafted meant to bind the broken ties of our marvels and legacy.

JOANNA MARRIEL C.

VILLAMOR, Ph.D.,

San Miguel National

High School