Physical activity vs. Screen time

Several studies suggest that increased screen time has a negative impact on children's physical activity levels.

Children who spend more time using electronic devices tend to engage in less physical activity, which can lead to health problems.

On the other hand, physical activity has numerous benefits in children, such as improved cardiovascular health and motor skills.

Therefore, parents must balance their children's screen time with outdoor playtime and exercise to ensure they maintain a healthy lifestyle.

An Experiment in Gratitude

Awareness of gratitude will allow you to savor and, above all, appreciate your life with renewed grace.

Sometimes we forget to take the time to recognize the richness that defines our lives. This may be because many of the messages we encounter as we go about our affairs prompt us to think about what we don’t have rather than all the abundance we do enjoy.

Consequently, our gratitude exists in perpetual conflict with our desire for more, whether we crave time, convenience, wealth, or enlightenment.

Yet understanding and truly appreciating our blessings can be as simple as walking a mile in another’s shoes for a short period of time. Because many of us lead comparatively insular lives, we may not comprehend the full scope of our prosperity that is relative to our sisters and brothers in humanity.

If you find taking an inventory of your life’s blessings difficult, consider the ease with which you nourish your body and mind, feed your family, move from place to place, and attend to tasks at hand. For a great number of people, activities you may take for granted, such as attaining an education, buying healthy food, commuting to work, or keeping a clean house, represent great challenges.

To experience firsthand the complex tests others face as a matter of course in their daily lives, try living without the amenities you most often take for granted. This can be a great experiment to undertake with your entire family or a classroom. Understanding working poverty can be as easy as endeavoring to buy nutritious foods with a budget of $100 for the week. If you own a car, relying on public transportation for even just a day can help you see the true value of the comfort and conveniences others do without. As you explore a life without things you may normally take for granted, ask yourself for how long you could endure.

The compassionate gratitude that floods your heart when you come to fully realize your abundance may awaken pangs of guilt in your heart. Be aware, however, that the purpose of such an experiment is to open your heart further in gratitude and compassion.

This awareness can help you attain a deeper level of gratitude that will allow you to savor and, above all, appreciate your life with renewed grace.

Belly laughs

It is easy to laugh when we feel good, but it is when the world appears dim that we most need laughter in our lives.

Our laughter then resonates through our hearts, filling the empty spaces with pure, unadulterated joy.

We regain our footing in the moment and remember that no sorrow is powerful enough to rob us of our inborn happiness.

When we understand that uninhibited laughter is the food of the soul, nourishing us from within, we know instinctively that life is worthwhile.