When Margaret Thatcher was in school as a young girl, she was assigned books like we all were. Some were boring. Some were exciting. Some were strange.
But without fail, her father—with barely a high school education himself—took interest. He wanted to discuss what she was reading. He wanted to read them with her. “On one occasion,” Thatcher recalled, “he found that I did not know Walt Whitman’s poetry; this was quickly remedied, and Whitman is still a favorite author of mine.” He did this a lot. When he found she was reading one thing, he’d recommend something related to it. When he found gaps in her reading, he’d take her to the library to fill it. He got her to read the classics. He signed up for political magazines and newsletters, which he shared.
We talk about raising a reader. Well? This is how.
It’s not just about reading to them when they’re little. It’s not just about getting them into a good school or insisting they do their homework. It’s about being involved. It’s about making reading a family affair. It’s about letting them benefit from your experiences—all the ideas and books you’ve been exposed to in the time you’ve been on this planet.
You raise a reader by being a reader…and by being a good reading guide and companion. And this is a process that takes a lifetime. You take an interest early and you don’t stop. The reward? A lovely, lasting connection you will always have with your children.
If you’re looking to be an exemplary reader for your kids—to build a real reading practice—the Stoics can help. Over at Daily Stoic, we built out some of their best insights into our Read to Lead: A Daily Stoic Reading Challenge. Since it first launched in 2019, Read to Lead has been Daily Stoic’s most popular challenge, taken on by almost ten thousand participants. Today, we’re excited to announce that, for the first time ever, registration to join the 2022 live cohort is officially open.
The 2022 live course will take place across 5 weeks at a pace of 2 emails a week (~30,000 words of exclusive content), in which Read To Lead participants will learn:
- how to get the most out of your reading
- how to find books with the potential of changing your life
- how to think more critically
- how to find time to read
- how to digest books above your level
And much more.
Additionally, there will be weekly live video sessions with Ryan Holiday, author of 12 books about Stoic philosophy which have sold more than 5 million copies in over 30 languages. And Ryan’s monthly newsletter dedicated to book recommendations goes out to nearly 300,000 people. Videos on his reading habit have gotten millions and millions of views.
As a participant in Read to Lead: A Daily Stoic Reading Challenge, you’ll not only become a better reader and build a real reading habit, you’ll get to learn from Ryan and the practice that’s made him, as it’s been said, “the king of reading as a form of self-improvement.”
This will be a live course. Beginning on TUESDAY MAY 17, all participants will move through the course together at the same pace.
Registration is now officially open.
Registration will close on MONDAY MAY 16 at MIDNIGHT.
