The Beginning of a Habit
I have loved reading since I was in the first grade of elementary school. At that time, my teacher taught me how to read, write, and count. Among these three basic skills, reading was the one that interested me the most.
In class, my teacher often asked me to read the lesson materials aloud because some of my classmates were still learning to read fluently. I even had the opportunity to participate in a reading competition.
Since then, reading has become an enjoyable part of my life. I was interested not only in schoolbooks but also in history books, cookbooks, novels, and many other kinds of reading materials.
Even when I went for a walk or played with my friends, I often paid attention to the things around me. Whenever I found a poster, newspaper, magazine, or even a piece of paper with something written on it, I felt curious and wanted to read it.
To me, every piece of writing had something to discover.
Sometimes, I found a hidden world behind the things I read. I liked to pause for a moment, reflect on the content, and try to understand it. If something was still unclear, I would read it again.
I enjoyed the moment when my eyes followed rows of letters. Word by word, they seemed to dance inside my mind, forming new understandings and opening the door to more curiosity.
These memories belong to my school years, from elementary school through high school.
When Life Began to Change
However, life did not always go the way I imagined.
After I started working, my habits began to change. I no longer read as much as I used to. A busy work routine, a different environment, and limited time gradually made reading less important in my daily life.
I still enjoyed reading, but the reality was that I no longer had much time for it.
My days became filled with work and other responsibilities. Reading, which I once enjoyed freely, became something I could only do when I had some spare time.
At first, I might not have thought much about this change. But as time passed, I began to realize that a habit I had once loved was becoming something I rarely did.
I started reflecting on it.
Starting Again with a Book
That reflection gradually brought back my desire to read.
I wanted to put my life in order again and improve myself so that I could become a better person every day.
Eventually, I bought my first self-improvement book, titled Berani Berubah untuk Hidup yang Lebih Baik, which means Dare to Change for a Better Life.
I chose this book because I wanted to learn things that could help me grow. I wanted to understand myself better, improve my habits, and learn how to approach life more wisely.
Of course, wanting to read again did not immediately make everything easy. My busy work schedule remained a challenge. I could not read as often as I had when I was still in school.
So, I tried to read whenever I had some free time.
It might not be much, but at least I was trying to make room again for a habit that had once been an important part of my life.
Learning to Improve Myself
From the self-improvement book I read, I began to realize that learning how to improve oneself is truly fascinating. To me, this knowledge is not only worth studying but also worth putting into practice in everyday life.
One lesson I remember is that we cannot control everything that lies beyond our control. Instead, we need to learn to focus on the things we can actually control.
This idea helped me see the importance of understanding ourselves and recognizing the limits of what we can control in life.
We cannot always decide what will happen. However, we can continue learning to choose our actions, improve our habits, and decide what efforts we want to make.
I realized that simply understanding an idea is not enough. We also need to try applying it so that our knowledge becomes meaningful in our lives.
Have I managed to put everything into practice?
Not yet.
I am still learning, learning, and continuing to learn.
I am still trying to understand many things and find ways to apply them in my daily life. For me, self-improvement is not something that can be completed simply by reading one book.
There are many things to learn, understand, and put into practice step by step.
Rediscovering the Meaning of Reading
Today, reading has a slightly different meaning for me.
In the past, I read out of curiosity and because I genuinely enjoyed the activity. Now, I also want to make reading a way to broaden my knowledge and improve myself.
I have not yet managed to return to my old reading habits. Work and limited time are still part of my life.
However, I want to keep trying.
I do not know how far this habit will take me in the future. But I believe that every piece of knowledge we truly understand and apply can bring something meaningful into our lives.
Perhaps I cannot read all the time. Perhaps I will not always understand everything I read immediately.
But as long as I still have the desire to learn, I want to keep moving forward.
Because, to me, reading is not just about finishing one page after another. It is also a journey toward discovering new things, understanding life, and finding opportunities to grow into a better person.
And for now, I am still on that journey.