Give Your Brain a Work Out!

One thing I love about summer is that your reading (which I hope you do over this season!) is YOUR choice. Not your professor’s. There’s no long winded chapters on the biology of the eye (that was me last quarter) or the history of the Mayan culture (no, we’re not going to die at the end of this year). Now, of course there is the exception of summer school, which I mentioned yesterday, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still keep that summer mentality of leisurely reading.Summer can be a great time of multitasking in the RIGHT way. For example, you can sit poolside and read. Or take a bubble bath and read. Or stay up late at night in bed and read. Okay, I’m seriously sounding like an overfed bookworm but my point is that you can RELAX and read. There’s no deadlines on chapters. It’s your pace and no, there is no quiz. Although you probably remember the details of your favorite novel better than some of the facts of your fall classes I’ll bet. We have a natural affinity and remembrance of the books we love because we connect with them personally.When we read what we love, we’re happy. It’s blissful. Life stands still for a while and it bends our minds in new ways. I always feel like I’m getting a great workout when I read. I’m a little hesitant picking up a new book (especially if I’m rusty and haven’t read anything other than a textbook in awhile) but once I get warmed up, I can’t stop. You can almost feel your brain getting stronger with new ideas, new perspectives, and a restored imagination. And the more we do it, the better it gets.I hope you’ll pick up some books that you’ve been eye-spying all school year. (Fifty Shades of Grey anyone?) Just kidding—although a friend did give me that book. We’ll see if I pick it up out of sheer curiosity. Here’s some other books that I’m checking out:1. Lisa Bloom’s Swagger: I’m reading it now and my jaw drops at every page with some of the astounding facts Lisa shares. This is a book that I want to recommend to every parent, especially to those of sons. Expertly written.2. Mika Brzezinski’s Knowing Your Value: I really want to make the most out of my internships this summer and I know this book will be a great guide.3. My own book: I’ve got to finish up this editing fiddle faddle and sent it to press! This is the most important book to me this summer. It’s high time I finish what I started and share what I’ve learned!What will you be reading this summer?Keep shining,The Sunny Girl, Lauren Cook