The Secret

I'm going to tell you a secret-the secret of life. This secret is so powerful that it will change your life forever, if you use it. I didn't learn it until my life was half over. No one told me, or if they did, I wasn't listening. I had to learn it by myself. It was a long struggle, but I finally got it. Some people learn it very early in life. They're the ones that have the great jobs, have the most fun, and are the most powerful.
It cost me a lot to learn this secret, but I'm going to give it to you for free. If you have ever seen Monty Python's "Meaning of Life" then you know that there really isn't an answer. Those who climb the mountain to the guru and ask the same question usually come back with more questions. But not once you've learned the secret I'm about to give you.
This secret will make you a success. It will take you out of the ghettos, out of poverty, off the streets, out of misery. It cures loneliness. And, it will give you power. The power of knowledge.
Here it is, the secret of life: Read! That's it. Are you disappointed? Did you think I was going to give you a magic formula, a mantra to chant, a magic elixir? But that's the beauty of this secret. It's so simple. Best of all, it's free.
When I was in school I thought reading was a chore. I had to read this and I had to read that, never mind that it didn't interest me in the least. It was for a grade and I was rebellious enough to hate anything that I had to do. So I thought all reading was a chore. So I just didn't do it, period!
I didn't know how much power I was giving up. I couldn't figure out why everything I tried failed. I didn't understand people, places, cultures-in short, I didn't understand the meaning of life. Until I found the secret of reading.
Now I read everything: road signs, billboards, junk mail, cereal boxes, soda cans, comics, newspapers, magazines and books. I read license plates and try to make words out of the letter combinations. Wherever I see letters, I read them. I set aside at least a half-hour each night before I sleep to read something. Often I get so involved in what I'm reading that I end up reading until late, or I'll go to bed early just so I can get back to the story or whatever it is I've chosen to read.
So, there you have it--the secret of life. It's available to everyone, and I guarantee it works.
Now I'll tell you something else. Your life has already changed, because you've read this. From now on you are going to look at things differently, whether you want to or not. In the back of your mind this secret will haunt you. Without thinking about it, you'll start looking at license plates differently, you'll begin to read billboards, signs, cereal boxes, everything. You'll do it to prove me right or wrong. And you'll succeed either way. Knowledge is power, and it comes from reading.