Guest column: Put down your electronics and pick up a book

We’ve all seen the picture that goes around Facebook with words intentionally misspelled. The caption says something like, “If yuo cna raed thses wodrs yuo’re smrater tahn fitfy pecrent fo poeple on Eatrh.”

These posts go viral because everybody can read it!

The only letters that matter are the first and last ones in a word. Turns out the spelling bee I lost in seventh grade didn’t count for as much as I thought.

But I think there is another underlying lesson to learn. Our minds are so attuned to reading that our brains can translate misspelled words without any thought; yet, many of us have stopped reading.

It’s a product of the environment we live in.

Right now I’m stuck in an endless loop of Facebook, Reddit, and Candycrush. In writing this post, I’ve thought about looking for the next message, up-vote, or extra life that’s going to shoot a dollop — I’ve been dying to use this word — of adrenaline through me. You might be thinking the same thing as you read this right now.

And the obvious problem is we’ve lost some of our ability to stay focused.

So how do we improve that? Simple. We read.

Take 30 minutes each day to open a book or magazine article. Anything from “War and Peace” to “Cosmopolitan” will do — reading is like going to a gym for the mind.

We aren’t going to stop using these apps — they’re fun — but we need to achieve balance. There are numerous benefits from reading but one of the most important is it teaches us focus.

And to build something truly great you have to stay focused.

So ptu dwon teh deivce yuo’re redaing tihs on; pick up a book, magazine, or iPad—if you can resist the siren of the Internet.

Focus.

Kitsana Dounglomchan, an 11-year Air Force veteran, writes about his life and times for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]