Morgan Spurlock was in pretty rough shape at the end of Super Size Me. Mr. Spurlock restricted his diet to McDonald's food for 30 days and added 24 lbs.to his waistline in the process. Quite the achievement and sustainable if the goal is meet the Grim Reaper sooner rather than later.
Attainment of the health pinnacle is through an intake of various healthy foods and functional physical exercise. Rejection of the simple processed Honey Bun carbs, calling from the cafeteria vending machine, is essential. Technology has not yet reduced our mental health to being a hard drive on the shelf. We must exercise our minds to keep them active and healthy until this perceived nirvana is achieved. Reading is a primary delivery system for mental stimulation.
It is no wonder that one of the Cleveland Clinic's 6 Pillars of Brain Health, does not include YouTube cat videos in the title.
I have my go-to genres where I spend the bulk of my time, and most categories are non-fiction. However, I have a growing appreciation of fiction. Dr. Al Mohler published his thoughts on the reading of books to ensure reading program diversity. I appreciate the intentionality he has applied to broadening his reading repertoire beyond his expected discipline.
I recently attended a local group meditation led by Tara Brach. During the visitor introduction and following meditation, I came away with an appreciation for a greater vocabulary. The discussion used language in ways I have not experienced, and it was refreshing. The good news is that you don't have to endure Washington DC traffic to reap the same rewards. Books can offer this same introduction and dialog, no matter where you call home.
Going Further: What are your predominant reading categories? When were these initially established? What prevents you from expanding the genres you read? How do you push your reading boundaries? What category was a brilliant surprise? What has been the greatest benefit of reading broadly?
Action Step: Recommend a favorite fiction book in the comments.