Learning Challenges: It's all in the H.E.A.R.T.

This is another topic I have never heard before, but it caught my attention immediately. Health/Happiness, Empathy, Attention, Reading, Time - Every single one of these topics are things that make up being human. I find it difficult to choose only one of these topics because they are all vital in my life and important. 

Heart of Vegatables

(Source: Flickr)

H. Health/Happiness

Every time I see my dad he always says, "Smile! It's a good day. Life is too short to be unhappy." This is something I agree with wholeheartedly. Life really is short! The older I get, the shorter my days seem to become. My hours become fleeting moments that pass without any acknowledge from me. We only get one life to live on Earth. If we live our lives happy and excited about opportunities and adventures, then we have less regrets. Health is also a major component in our lives. We have this one body and it's up to us to nurture it and take care of it. I think that's why it's important for daily exercise and to be mindful of the things we eat. This is the area I have recently been working on. It's too easy for me to say that I can just workout tomorrow, or the next day. I've made it my goal to not quit on myself or my body. Even if I only get 30 minutes on the treadmill, that's 30 more minutes than I had. I have even started watching the foods I consume by doing meal preps at home. By doing this I can cut my cooking time down, allowing me the time to do something else. 

E. Empathy

I like to think empathy is something every person has. Empathy is also another important topic in life. There is nothing better than being able to help someone achieve goals or strive towards something they want. To be a part of another person's happiness is a special thing. People deal with their emotions differently. I think it's good for us to understand the place where people's emotions come and to be sympathetic and aware of their needs. 

A. Attention

As you mentioned, there are so many things to distract us. We are obsessed with technology, constantly trying to squeeze too many activities in each day, and in a way, somewhat removed from focusing on ourselves. A lot of times I find myself spread so thin that I can't enjoy the moment because I'm already thinking ahead to my next project or next activity. This is definitely a problem for me. 

R. Reading

Reading, is perhaps, my favorite thing to do in my spare time. I love reading thick books because I love the feeling when I finally finish it. There is so much knowledge out there for us to gain and I want to learn as much of it as I can. The great thing about reading is that we can teach ourselves things and learn about history, or science, or about what's happening in the world.

T. Time Management
I think time management and attention sort of go hand in hand. I know that when I paying so much attention to one area of my life, I lose out on other important things. Without time management, I would never make it class, or take care of homework and turn it in on time. I think I could always improve my time management.