Want to get more out of life & have an extra 7 1/2 minutes today? Video games are the answer.

Okay, for those of you who know me, pick your jaw up off the floor. No, my account did not get hacked by one of my sons — this is truly me writing this.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Jane McGonigal speak at the 2012 MIMA Summit. McGonigal wrote the bestselling book Reality is Broken - Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World. With two tween-age boys at home that are pretty serious gamers, I was very interested to hear what McGonigal had to say.

According to McGonigal’s 10 years of research, (she’s got science to back this all up), if we want to get more out of life, be happier, healthier, and reach our goals - we need to play more video games.

In short, video games teach us how to be resilient, work cooperatively and can even teach us valuable life lessons. Wow, yes, I confess I was a person who would consider playing video games a waste of time, but Jane McGonigal’s research really struck a chord with me. I’m not sure that I drank the entire pitcher of Kool-Aid, but I may not be such be such a nag the next time my boys reach for their Xbox controllers.

What do you think?

Jane McGonigal at TED: Gaming Can Make A Better World.