I’ve reached out to many vendors about their availability and rates for my wedding. While some have been more responsive than others, several haven’t responded at all. That concerned me and made me question...what is a reasonable response time?
Some books I finish fairly quickly (e.g. within a week or two) while others take much longer (e.g. several months or more). And, I admit I have a pile of books I have yet to start.
Usually, I like to start and finish one book at a time. For some reason, I found myself reading two or three books concurrently.
Some books are short, easy reads, or so engrossing that I finish them quickly, while others require more time and effort. Some contain exercises to complete before moving on to the next chapter. Others, though captivating and thought-provoking, may require a deep dive that takes more energy and time to process. In those cases, I have to be ready or at least in the mood to take in the info.
It gives me a sense of accomplishment to finish a book. But, as much as I want to finish, I realize I’m not in a race.
I had started multiple books last year. After many months, however, it started to weigh on me that I still hadn’t finished any of them.
Reasons for not finishing could include a lack of interest in the subject or not having enough time. It could be that I’m unmotivated or feeling lazy or that the subject matter requires more time to process and/or do the exercises.
The Art of Choosing and Hold Me Tight are two books (among others) that I started last year but hadn’t finished.
I picked up The Art of Choosing by Sheena Iyengar at a very cool bookstore in German Village while visiting my cousin in Columbus, OH. This book is based on the author’s research on the psychology of making choices, though when I first bought the book, I thought it would offer more in the way of guidance when making choices. It is well written and interesting, but its academic nature kept me from finishing it quickly.
Hold Me Tight: Your Guide to the Most Successful Approach to Building Loving Relationships by Dr. Sue Johnson came highly recommended by various people I follow on Instagram. This book discusses the author’s EFT (Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy) model of emotional connection in relationships to strengthen bonds. This caught my eye because I wanted to approach conflict in relationships differently. As I read this book, there were many moments when I reflected on my current and past relationships. That process was enlightening yet mentally and emotionally draining which is why it wasn’t a quick read for me.
No one should feel like they’re wasting their time reading a book. And, if you aren’t enjoying it, then you probably shouldn’t finish it.
For me, I want and choose to finish reading a book if it is interesting and well written. I don’t mind if it is complex, serious or requires that I do some work like reflecting, answering questions or doing exercises.
I’m happy to say that I finally finished reading both The Art of Choosing and Hold Me Tight. I committed to reading a little each morning until I finished one before moving to the next. I would read as much as I could absorb before overloading my brain, becoming distracted or uninterested even if that meant reading only one or two pages.
Even though it took me much longer to finish than I would have liked, I still got a sense of accomplishment.
Now… onto the other books I’ve already started. I am determined to finish them even if it means reading a little at a time.
Being considerate is not just saying please and thank you. It requires a mindfulness of the people around us.
Painting is an outlet for expression and creativity. It is something I really enjoy doing, but I don’t do enough of it.