This past week I was listening to a BBC radio news broadcast when I heard something that left me gobsmacked. According to this report, it stated that it’s possible to complete a secondary education in Britain without reading any full-length novels. Even as I type this, I still find that shocking.

I already knew that people don’t read as they used to. To be sure, there are distractions everywhere. There are social networking sites here and computer games aplenty there. Life seems so full and jam-packed with shopping, mobile telephone conversations, texting, etc. that no-one ever seems to have time to read.

When I ask friends or clients whether they read (and not in the clairvoyant sense), I’m usually met with an “I’d love to if only I had the time” excuse. This is almost always followed by the “There simply aren’t enough hours in the day” refrain.

In my opinion, it’s a shame that we simply don’t read as much as we used to. I read a lot now. But granted, I haven’t always. Indeed, a law school education is enough to put anyone off books – with nightly reading assignments in excess of 1,000 pages. And that’s no joke.

I have always a self-development book and a spiritual tome on the go at any one time. You might say that’s my reading for my day job. But recently I’ve been rediscovering the joys of reading fiction. At the moment, I’m doing something of a survey of American classics. Some of these classics I’m reading for the first time and others I’m getting to know again with an older and wiser eye of experience. And what a delight it’s become!

You see, a good book gets you thinking about life – as much if not more than so many of the second-rate self-help books that crowd my already crammed bookshelves. And this week I ask you to allow me to share with you an example of just one such thought-provoking novel.

I just finished Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth. The novel is set during America’s Gilded Age when, at the turn of the twentieth century, the rich were getting richer, the stock market was continually setting records, property values were skyrocketing and there seemed no end in sight to the good times. Sound familiar to anyone? How about a year or so ago before we had ever heard of the credit crunch?

It was all about money and all the things that money could buy. And Lily Bart, the main character in The House of Mirth, is consumed by how to get the wheelbarrow loads of money that it would take to seal her place in society and pay for her so-called necessities – namely furs, gowns and a very nasty gambling habit.

I don’t want to give too much of the plot away. But suffice it to say, Lily believes that having more money would solve all of her problems. To her, it would keep her away from the “dinginess” of life. However, she’s nearly always in debt. When she gets money, it’s gone as soon as it appears. She feels enslaved by her financial requirements and shortfalls. Her moods, attitudes and emotions are all controlled by how much money she has or, as often is the case, how little.

For Lily, happiness requires money. Marriage, in her opinion, isn’t something based on love but rather how it could bulk out her bank account. Alas, we’ve all heard the saying that one cannot buy happiness. And so, you can probably already surmise that Lily’s in for a bumpy ride.

I thought that it was so apt that I happened to pick this novel up at this time given our current economic conditions. Without making light of the seriousness of the financial prospects some of us face, I wondered whether we aren’t putting too much emphasis on money itself.

This week I would encourage each of you to do a little exercise with me. Take a piece of paper and draw a circle on it. Then, divide the circle into the slices of a pie, with each slice representing what you’re thinking about these days. One slice might be job security with another being the daily commute, etc. Carry on until you’ve finished dividing up your pie.

Then, underneath your pie, I want you to formulate a definition of what happiness means to you. It’s a personal thing. My definition will be different from yours and yours won’t look anything else like someone else’s. It’s your own formulation of what it would take to make you happy.

Now here’s the important bit. Look at how your pie reflects your definition of happiness. Ask yourself whether your thoughts (and actions) are in line with your definition. How does it sit with you? Does it make you feel good? Does it give you a nice, warm feeling? Or do you feel queasy in the pit of your stomach?

You see, Lily never gave it a second thought. It was money and only money to her. As such, happiness for her for so long seemed something that was enjoyed by others and denied her. Does she find happiness? Well, you’ll have to pick up the book and read it to find out how the story ends. But unlike Lily Bart you’ve got the power to write the next chapter of your own story.

Are you too caught up in the hectic hustle and bustle of life? Do you feel like the waters are rising above you? Are you devoting too much time to that which has no bearing whatsoever on your happiness? These are the questions that you should be asking yourself. And then, of course, take action. It’s never too late to change and make adjustments in one’s life. Lily leaves it quite late. I urge you to read The House of Mirth and make sure that you’re not doing a Lily!

If you are doing a Lily and can see that changes are required but aren’t sure how, then perhaps I can help. If you’re looking for love, then maybe a Relationship Reading could give you a new and enlightening take on an old topic. If your job is what you need to be happy, then a Career Reading might give you the intuitive insights you’ve been lacking. Just maybe, you need someone to work with one-on-one – that’s where my Intuitive Life Coaching might be the answer. And for others a comprehensive Medical Intuitive Reading could be what it’s needed to help them manage their energy and spirit in a more effective way.

I hope that you will get yourself to the library or to your local bookseller to continue reading in your life. And if your book gets you asking seemingly unanswerable questions of yourself, then perhaps a reading with me might be what you need. Have a look at my psychic services and decide for yourself.

As always, feel free to email me with any comments, suggestions or feedback on PsychicBridges. And don’t forget to join me and the rest of the PsychicBridges community in the Psychic Chat forums!

Thanks again for all your support and until next week,

Kindest regards,

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