A vast expanse of blue gradually fills the horizon as you drive to the beach for a day of fun in the sun with your family. Your young daughter can barely contain herself, and she bursts out of the car in a full sprint toward the waves — but you stop her. Now, she wiggles impatiently through your hands as you hold her down and slather SPF 30 (or more) over every exposed part of her body. She’ll understand someday, you tell yourself, and you see to it that you are adequately covered as well.
Life is full of habits that we’ve developed over time to make sure that we are leading the healthiest and safest life possible. You make sure that you use sunscreen when you go outside, make certain that everyone in your vehicle is wearing their seatbelts, and turn off electronics and lights before leaving the house, topped off by double-checking that you’ve locked the door. At first, these habits needed to be learned. Once we understood their importance, however, the proverbial light switch flipped, and we knew that the regular display of these behaviors could turn out to be advantageous.