Pages to Practice

"Do you see a book, find it interesting, and buy it? Because I see the number of books on the shelf is increasing," my friend sparked the conversation. Books have always had a special connection with me. Growing up, I wasn’t from a family of readers. To be honest, most in my family don’t read as much as I do—except maybe my new lawyer at home, who’ll probably be doing a lot more reading. But, that said, my parents didn’t cultivate a habit of reading at home.

In the Malaysian education system, there's a program called 'NILAM' (Nadi Ilmu Amalan Membaca), which is a combination of reading promotion activities in schools, introduced in 1999, if I remember correctly. As kids, we raced to get recognition for reading. I couldn’t keep up with my friends—they’d always beat me. I enjoyed reading, though. I didn’t read because I had to; I read because I wanted to.

I remember dreaming of my own home library like my friend had, but back then, books were expensive. For instance, owning a Harry Potter book cost almost MYR 100, whether hardcover or softcover—it felt like a luxury. I borrowed books from friends instead. My first investment in books was in MYR 10, each series called Mr. Mystery by James Lee, a mystery-fiction collection. That’s how I started building my library, saving money like others saved for comics.

As I grew older, I added to my collection. Why Positive Thinkers Have The Power by Ken Bossone became my all-time favorite, a book I picked up in high school that changed my perspective on life. But when I entered university, my reading habits took a backseat. There was more academic reading to do, and I stopped buying books. The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale was another one on my list, but at MYR 50, it felt expensive. Books seemed like a luxury to me. I got it now!

My focus shifted from reading to gaining experience. Sometimes, I believe that what life teaches can be more powerful than books. One of my spiritual masters once said that experiencing something is different from reading about it. For example, if I wanted to learn about sales and marketing, I could have read a book on it. But because I couldn’t afford the luxury of books, perhaps, and didn’t even have a shelf to put them on, I took a part-time job at McDonald's and Burger King. There, I learned customer relationships, time management, and hands-on sales and marketing.

Now, when I read business books, I can relate to them better because of the experiences I’ve had. Life is a balance between reading and living. If everything were binary, there would be no room for creativity. As for now, my new interest is energy, as you can see from my book collection. Some of them I’ve already read online, but I want to own the physical copies. I still dream of my library. Some books I read to quote, while others I read for inspiration. There's always more to come.

Do I have a favorite genre? No, I enjoy any beautifully written work. I’ve grown from not being able to afford books to being able to buy them now. The journey wasn’t easy, but it’s been memorable. Just love what you do, and things will come to you if they’re meant to. Life is an experience.

Recently, I’ve started reading again after many years of not buying books. Why? First, I can afford some books now, and I’m always looking for good deals or second-hand books. Second, I noticed my reading skills were declining. I’ve always been a person of balance, and I needed to reorient and recalibrate my skills.

When it comes to reading, my favorite quote is from Surah Al-Iqra, or Al-Alaq, where the Prophet Muhammad is told to read.

In both life and work, I’ve learned that growth doesn’t come from one source alone. Whether through books or hands-on experience, there’s always something to learn if you stay curious and open. For me, reading has always been a way to sharpen my mind, and now that I can balance it with real-world experience, it’s become even more fulfilling. Continuous learning, in whatever form, is the key to personal and professional development. The journey of knowledge is never-ending, and that’s what makes it exciting.