Read: Our Lives Depends on It

The title is true. If we don't read, we stay uninformed about new ideas or current events. Our imaginations stagnate, and we don't improve our vocabulary or writing styles. In short, we write and think like everyone else in the world. Lack of reading leads to excessive acceptance or apathy, both of which are dangerous traits.

Reading makes us question the things we know and the things we learn.

Since I feel most comfortable writing longer works, I read and tend to favor book-length works. Over the past few years, I've gotten back into reading nonfiction to try to understand our government, the world, and the environment we share. Reading fiction will be my first love since my imagination thrives on the world an author creates.

Pick up a book or a newspaper today. Think about the words and ideas in black ink.