Positive Entertainment

There is an expression, 'You are what you eat.' If you eat healthy foods, you will be healthy. If you eat unhealthy foods, you will be unhealthy.

The same goes for entertainment, 'You are what you entertain yourself with.' If you entertain yourself with great books and movies, you will be great. If you entertain yourself with depressing books and movies, you will be depressed. What you read, listen to, and watch influences your thoughts.

I started and stopped a book recently, not because it was bad, but because it had a main character that was in an old creaky body with an old creaky attitude. The book had potential to be good, but reading the thoughts of the tired old lady was hard. I figure that when I get to be a tired old lady myself, I will pick up the book again because I will have more sympathy and understanding for the character.

We are influenced by what we read, listen to, and watch more than we sometimes realize. When reading a book or watching a movie, it's easy for me to think like the character a little after I'm done. Many people internalize their favorite characters and want to copy them in admiration.

I think that's why there are so many movies with beautiful young people falling in love and having grand adventures because those characters touch a spot in our soul that wants to be young, beautiful, and living a life of adventure and love. We live vicariously through these characters, these movies, these books. We fall in love with the leading man or woman, we travel the world, we live in a fantasy land, we perform magic, we find buried treasure, all from the comfort of our own home.

Since we internalize these movies and books so much, it would be wise to read and watch only good books and movies. Find entertainment that uplifts, inspires, and leaves positive feelings. It doesn't mean that there can't be hard times in the movie or fighting, but if the overall message is one of hope, then it will help.