Read 500 pages everyday, that’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will.
Warren Buffet (when asked the secret of his success).
The story should start like this;
Few months ago, a group of geniuses noticed the dwindling culture in the present gadgets freak and social media addicted generation called millennial and decided to initiate a group called woke gen.
They were a generation awaken to knowledge, consuming sharing and applying knowledge and they did this by reading one book per week, sharing nuggets, reviews and other related paraphernalia that made reading scintillating.
However, life happened, as most ideas with absence of sustainability plan , woke gen went on break,but before then, they ignited the zeal of a young vibrant lad, who decided to continue with the journey.
The following month, which was already the third month of the year, the young lad changes his status, from undergraduate to graduate, to graduate intern.
Let’s pause and divert; In Lagos, as an intern you are on the lowest cadre, if you are not lucky enough to get those very few places that pay good money, your allowance would at most suffice for your t.fare and afford you no other luxuries, this means long hours in rickety buses confined to the livid lashes of flogging called hold-up.
The graduate intern joins the team of the teeming population that spend about four hours commuting from mainland to outskirt, that’s at least four hours in the bus(car, or pick-up if there is no other means) so the lad with his grit and tenacity realises four hours of his life can’t just waste so he decides to spend half of the time reading, quarter sleeping and quarter writing traffic stories and replying people he couldn’t reply during the day (by the way he still manages a social media brand as a side kick and was managing a brand that hosted the biggest food festival in his alma-mata despite not being physically present)
By first week in June, He had read 48 books, that’s six per month as against five per month planned by woke gen. He then converses with one of his cerebral friends,Toyin Faleke who had read 60 books as at then, his wings clipped and decided to read 60 before that month. This feat would be published in about three major blogs in his alma mata (Oaupeeps, bossmeek and one other) and he would get more encouraged keep reading silently.
In August, he would apply to speak at TEDx , sharing his scintillating tour and how reading is legit the best feeling ever and how smooth reading could be, and he would get a beautiful rejection mail that his idea wasn’t good enough, so he would retire, dejected and would stop his “Bookathon” because he had professional exams to prepare for, as at then(Late August) He had read 74.
After his exams, he would resume albeit sluggishly and stick with the one week one book, until he attends a conference of Human resources managers and L and D specialist where he would have the opportune to speak and share his story of how he has read 78 books, defending the fallacy made earlier that his generation doesn’t read( I forgot to add that he was one of the youngest in the room, career wise and chronologically and he got the ticket (worth 15k) for free through some networking skills he had learnt from reading). He would meet his angel, a Godsent helper, share his dreams of finishing hundred books and the man would agree to pay for the remaining 22 books in exchange for a periodical review.
In the opening hours of boxing day, he would close the pages of Jowhor Ile’s After many days, his 100TH book of the year. The end.
Part 2.
When people ask me, Emmanuel Faith how did you do it, I do not exactly know how to reply but having written that, I guess you now know. A bit of zeal, zest, grit and tenacity. Actually, I feel we all can achieve what we set our mind on doing,my younger brother once wrote a 50,000 words story in one month,and another person wrote 363 poems this year ; What price are you willing to pay for the prize?
Sometimes, I intentionally switch of my data to finish my books, I maximise every Lagos traffic many more.
I know you all want me to write tips on how to read hundred books and all, well, maybe I would, I don’t know, but for me it doesn’t look really huge, a friend of mine just saved 1,000 every day for 365 days, as I speak he has 365k in his account, I don’t even have up to 0.1 of that in my account right now (He is still a student by the way),Another friend, Aderonke Praise just told me she read 105 books this year, and I am sure Toyin Faleke read more than a hundred too,so you have to ask yourself; What kind of friends do you have and who are those in your network.
One of the books I read this year was, “You have a brain” by Ben Carson and he talked about how immensely powerful our brain is and how we can make it do so much, like SOOO MUUCCH.
I would do another bookathon next year, and I want us to do it together, send me a whatsapp message on 08179001180 or to Phoebe on 07064842009 if you are interested. Please do send to Phoebe if I don’t reply within 24 hours. Send your name and add bookathon at the front. We are basically reading five books per month, that means by the end of the year,we would have read 60,isn’t that amazing?
I am looking for platforms, panels, discussions, gatherings and any other means to spread this glad tidings, I won’t mind media houses, the dailies and many more, let’s just spread the word that a millennial read a hundred books in 12 calendar month and debunk the fact that we only know how to press phone as our parents (and their generation) believe lol. And yes, I had challenges, problems, and all… I would share the story when I get the platforms( and write another blogpost that would be more procedural).I am available for facebook chats, tweetchats and any other means or platform of spreading this message. Thanks a lot.
A big shout out to my brother,my mum, Usen Udoh, Gbenga Sile, Temitope Dabest, Toyin Faleke, Bidemi Olumide , Adeoti Adebola,Aremu Tijesupemi ,John Phooebe,my wonderful whatsapp contact list and everyone who contributed to this journey by buying me books,paying for my books,sharing my reviews and many other ways. God bless you immensely.
Let’s make 2019 a better year
Your friend.
Emmanuel Faith.