As we strive to become physically healthier, I think it is important to remember that we should continue to become stronger mentally and emotionally as well. Our challenge this week is not a physical challenge but a “Daily Life Challenge.”
Three “simple” actions:
1-ZERO television– No TV time for the whole day. How often to you and your family watch television? 
In the evening instead of turning on the news, take some some time away from the tube. All that news garbage can wait! You might be surprised at how much better you sleep. What did people do before the TV was invented? Maybe draw some pictures, play classic board games, color or go for a walk? See How TV Affects Your Child.
2-Read a book– Strengthen that mind! “When the mind is trained and channeled, it begins to pay attention more thoroughly. ” More at The Benefits of Reading .
3-Compliment five people– Do you believe in Karma? Or at least what goes around comes around? Regardless, for the sole reason of doing a good deed, a compliment towards another feels good. Doesn’t it feel good to help others feel good? A compliment can be a good start.
“To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded! “
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Maybe a couple of actions today will help us continue down a healthier path during our journey?
Are you up for the challenge? I know in our home we have the TV on before bedtime…this will be a huge challenge for us! I definitely need to compliment my wife and kids more…I think it but do not always express it. Maybe this is no challenge for you?
A single step at a time is all that’s possible – even when taken on the run.
43 users commented in " Daily Life Challenge "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackI really like these ideas and concepts and I want to try them! I love reading but I know I could cut down on the TV time and also compliment the people around me more. Thanks for posting this!
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@J, Thank you!
These are great ideas. I love to read and walk, but the no-TV will be hard. My wife and I like to watch a little TV at night.
Thanks for the Challenge!
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@Blake, The no tv is a challenge indeed.
Hey Mark, great post! I have cut t.v. down almost next to nothing, (my weakness is still PBS and foodnetwork shows(which i love especially on Saturdays)). Both my T.V.s broken down this past summer and it forced me to other things. It was a blessing. I’m a true bookworm, always have been. I can’t imagine life without books. And I do have to work on complimenting more.
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@Rosy, A blessing in disguise!
All good stuff!! When I am too busy to watch TV, I never miss it!
I am very selective of the stuff I watch when I do. Never watch any so called reality shows.
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@Dr. J, Selective is good…thanks!
I always tell myself I dont watch very much tv, I just have it on for background noise, but i think the fact I can catch my boyfriend up on every TV show ever proves thats not true. I think I may do this. Tomorrow. cause the biggest loser is on tonight.
That defeats the purpose huh?
Kelly Turner
http://www.groundedfitness.com
@Grounded Fitness, The biggest Loser is on tonight…shoot! Good point!
This is an excellent challenge for me. I’m a news junkie; I wonder how much negativity I’m soaking up each day?
@Mama Zen, As am I! My wife keeps me in line! 🙂
What a great idea for a challenge. (That’s a compliment, my friend.)
Now I am going to make a horrible confession. I allow myself 30-45 minutes of tv per weeknight (depending on the show). Limit sound good? On the contrary it’s because I need just enough time to eat my dinner in front of the tube. Bad, unmindful habit…working on it…
Wow, great ideas in this post. I once gave up TV for Lent (which is something like 40 days long). It was tough, particularly since my hubby wasn’t giving it up. So I didn’t want to leave the room when he turned on the TV. I just made sure never to turn it on myself or even touch the remote to change channels or anything. Last year I gave up shopping for Lent (other than necessities like groceries) and that was even harder. I think it’s a great practice to take a break from some of our “addictions” like that.
–Oh, and I hope I don’t sound holier-than-thou that I give up stuff for Lent. I can guarantee you I am pretty hopeless the rest of the year and don’t dare ask me to give up chocolate or anything really important. 😉
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@Fitness Fig, My wife would rebel if chocolate was on the drop plan as well! 🙂
All great ideas. The compliment one-is so easy I have to try it!
Mark, these ideas rock!!! I think our family could do without the tv……..sometimes I tell hubby I am going to cancel our satellite…..but he would go nuts without his sports. Everything in moderation is the key here. I have several books on my dresser that need reading too 🙂
Hey, Mark your hair looks fabulous today. Your my first compliment today! Four more to go! BTW, my husband and I rarely turn on the TV, maybe only for a DVD every 1 or 2 months. The best part is that we don’t miss it all.
Great post!
hmmm…I wonder if I could give up the tube for a while. I actually really don’t watch it much – just catch the news in the a.m. and watch Law & Order reruns. Plus House now that it’s back! yay! I am one of them old folks who don’t recognize 3/4 of the new shows/tv stars. oh well….
Great challenge Mark! I’m in! In fact, last night my daughter and I started reading a book together. As she’s gotten older, she has wanted to read more by herself, so this is going to be nice to do for the next week or two.
Compliments – sometimes I think I’m better with strangers than those I love. I definitely need to be more complimentary to my wife in particular. Like you, I think it – but for some reason she can’t read my mind when it comes to compliments!
I am a voracious reader. Every trip to library is like a huge treat. There is always some section to discover, some topic I haven’t read in last couple of months. Can never get tired of books.
I started going for a walk with my partner recently. And I must say I enjoy that a lot. It’s a good way to be fit, share some laughs, spend some time together … it’s fun.
No exceptions for the biggest losers! haha
I don’t have a tv where I stay at night during the week so I have to read books or yell at people. I will try yelling less loud as one of my compliments to 5 people.
Thanks for the tips, Mark.
I love this post. I recently decided that I wanted to make sure people who made an impact on me in some way knew it and so I made a conscious decision to compliment people more often. It really does make a difference.
I love reading and I don’t have a TV. But I do need to compliment people more! I will definitely compliment 5 people tonight! It’s 5:03PM now, but I think I will be able to complete that task.
Thanks for the reminder!
My brother once said. If people stopped watching tv there would be anarchy. I won’t go up on my soap box just yet but there are benefits from “unplugging”. You might seem a little anxious at first but that’s a good thing. That’s your body saying let’s do something. Enlighten yourself, do some thinking, and go out and get some exercise.
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@John, “Enlighten yourself, do some thinking, and go out and get some exercise.” well said!
Okay, this is the second post I’ve read today about not watching T.V. I think it’s a sign!! Great challenge! T.V. wastes sooo much time.
Good tips to remind us what is important. The mind is powerful. But what about computers and blogging? You left that out, I see.
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@James, Computers and blogging….good points! 🙂
Great challenge!!
Already do number 1.
Usually do number 2 (for pleasure, that is. For work? Constantly reading).
Try to do number 3.
I will work on them all though!
Great tips! I can definitely handle doing those – I don’t know if I could handle computers and blogging, as James suggested above. It would certainly be a real “challenge” 🙂
We don’t actually watch much tv. Although i do enjoy watching the biggest loser 🙂 We mainly watch movies whenever we get the chance.
Reading a book?? I love reading and should make time to do it more often!!
I like the compliment 5 people one, i truly believe that what goes around comes around.
So?? This week i will try to compliment 5 people every day!! This may be hard at work lol, but i’ll try.
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@Suzanne, Yes at work that could be a big challenge!
A man after my heart! I’ve been ditching the TV quite frequently and it’s amazing how much time it frees up to do productive things. Now I just need to work on staying away from my computer for an hour a day to fit in that book I’ve been meaning to read…
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@Fit Bottomed Girls, A book does wonders…I need to follow in my wifes steps and read much more!
I wish my boys liked reading more. I love to read. I am totally eating up the Stephenie Meyer Vampire/Warewolf series…a good book is better than any TV show or even my favourite foods!
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@Donnalouise, I agree!
Do people actually have time to watch tv these days? I want to meet these people! TV is way too negative for me, especially the news.
ATTENTION ALL MALES:
We women don’t always have our telepathy switched on. During these “down” times, you have to actually get the compliment from your mind, to your mouth and out past the teeth!
This also goes for parents and other significant guilty parties…
@christinekambo, Yes, in America we watch to much of this negativity! Agree….the words do need to find their way out of our mouths! 🙂
I love it! I have cut down my TV time for the past 3 years as need more time to work on things that are more important and urgent in life!
I believe that we have to be appreciative in order to live a happy and contented live! I agree with you that what comes around goes around, therefore we don’t feel afraid to give and unconditionally giving, be sincere and spread the language of love to the society!
Even just smiling at people warms my icy little heart 😛
I love the suggestion about giving compliments. I remember being around adults when I was younger who would always compliment someone when we were out. Even a stranger in a store, telling them they look good in that color. That has really stuck with me. It is an awesome way to make people feel better about their day. Everybody needs that now and then. Your comment was a reminder that I need to do it more often. Thanks!
I don’t watch much TV because I’m always online! 🙂
Anyway, I love it when you see people light up when you compliment them and really mean it, so I will be doing more of that this week!
great ideas! I think if I did more of #1, I ‘d have more time for #2. (less blogging/computer should be included in #1 as well!)
and I will definitely compliment 5 people today. Something so simple and small like that can really help brighten someone’s day.
We definitely need to cut out the TV in our house. Not that we watch a ton of it, it’s just that when it gets turned on, it stays on and becomes background noise. A bit of a waste of electricity.
I do all but number one.
cant ever imagine no number one 🙂
Dude, I’m already there man…All I have to do is have my physical fitness catch-up with my mental fitness.
I’m totally there. I just can’t start with the no tv today — since Grey’s Anatomy starts tonight. And, tomorrow is the presidential debate (hopefully). Hmmm … I will find one day (in the next week!) to eliminate TV. 🙂
No tv. Wow. Yeah, we’d have a lot more time without it, but we (the hubby and I) are officially addicts. No doubt.
Love the compliment portion….it’s something we don’t do enough. Especially with people we’re closest to. Weird, huh?
We have cut back on tv a lot, but I don’t know know if I could cut it 100%.
However, I can say we read a ton during the day. My daughter prefers books to tv any day so I guess that says something. 🙂
I’m kind of a CNN junkie, so I think I’ll make it a point to eat at the table (instead of sitting on a chaise-long I have in front of the TV), although the TV will be on (the debate between Obama and McCain is tonight). I’ll also go visit my sister and two little nephews this weekend, and I’ll call my brother and see if he wants to do something with me. I think that sounds like a good weekend 🙂
@Marelisa, with the elections looming I think many of us find ourselves glued to the televisions. Looks like a good active weekend is in store for you! thanks for your comments!
This is a post which speaks to me. I actually dont watch any television at all. I can go for more than a month without turning the thing on and am also very selective of what I read.
I mean you really have to be careful of what goes into your head. otherwise, before you know it, you will be sucked by the media..