Education is the key that opens many doors, and reading is a key element of getting a good education. When children don’t read – whether that’s because they don’t enjoy it, or because they have difficulty with reading – then they run the risk of losing out later in life. But if someone is motivated to succeed, and determined to get the knowledge and skills they need to get ahead, even early difficulties can be overcome. That’s what happened with Carl Foster, who grew up in the 1970s in a disadvantaged family, slipping through the cracks of an overstressed school system in England. “Not being able to read and write almost ruined my life,” said Foster in a recent interview. It took him several years as an adult to get past the barriers that his early life had built, but now he’s a successful motivational speaker who helps teenagers in the same situation to avoid falling into the “I’m a failure” mindset that so many young people have when they can’t seem to keep up at school.

Learning to read and write is a critical skill at any age, but even people who don’t have difficulties with literacy often forget that reading is an important part of everyday life. It’s easy to sit back and watch a video on YouTube or a sitcom on television, and sometimes “mindless entertainment” is just what you need at the end of a stressful day. However, you can also relax and be entertained by a well-written novel, and you’ll get even more out of the experience. You’ll be actively using your brain, you’ll be stimulating your powers of imagination and creativity, and you’ll be learning new vocabulary words and ways of using them. When you choose nonfiction books, you’ll also expand your knowledge on a variety of topics. Even if you don’t have an immediate use for that knowledge, you never know when it will come in handy. As the brilliant scientist Joseph Needham once said, “No knowledge is ever wasted or to be despised.” The knowledge you gain from reading, as a child, a teenager, and adult, may one day change your life.

You can learn more about Carl Foster’s inspirational story at his website.