Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

Calendar Books by Allen James reading for October 21st, from The Journey: A Calendar Book,

"Watch as little television as possible".

The "Baby Boomer" generation, as apposed to "Generation X" or "Millennials", was the first generation to be exposed to the wonder of television. They watched the Nixon-Kennedy debate, dead American soldiers being brought back home from Vietnam, and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Television was is black and white and one could only receive two or three channels from which to choose. Life went on beyond the TV set.

As a child I recall "getting" to watch an hour of television when I got home from school, an hour of television "with the family" in the evenings, and only after homework was completed, two hours on Saturday morning, and an hour before Sunday School on Sundays.

Today; after a long day at work, school, or taking care of the kids, our first instinct may be to relax by turning on the TV and watching our favorite show. While this is okay to do every once in awhile, time staring at the TV can really add up. We sit down to watch one episode, and suddenly, three hours have gone by. According to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011, watching TV was the leisure activity which occupied the most time in Americans' lives: almost three hours per day.

LifeHack detailed an experience of a couple who stopped watching television for 60 days. The results? The duo discovered they got along better, enjoyed meal times more, stayed active and were able to focus on their future. This may be proof time in front of the TV can be better spent by spending time with our loved ones or even working toward achievement in life. Here are a few immediate benefits we could see by spending a little less time on the couch:

More time
This could mean so many different things. This time could be spent catching up on work or school, spending quality time with our loved ones or working toward our goals, whatever they may be. This time is our own and by cutting out TV, we may find we had much more time on y\our hands than  originally thought.

Better conversations
By not having television to fall back on, we may find silence can be filled with special conversations. Get to know our spouse more or find out more details about our child's day at school. According to Balance In Me, one couple tried out no TV and found they began to slowly strengthen their marriage. Conversations were filled with common aspirations, fears and hopes as well as childhood stories and dreams about the future.

A healthier weight
According to researchers at the University of Vermont, less TV time translated into more calories burned. It was discovered adults who cut their television time in half using an electronic lock-out system did not see a change in calorie intake, but did expend more energy over a three-week period. In fact, those who decreased time on the couch found they burned 119 more calories per day. The control group, however, burned 95 fewer calories during the three-week period.

What would we do with all our extra time away from the TV? 

Watch less time watching television. Connect with others personally and expand our "purpose".

Keep looking up. AJ