Boomers, Enjoy Your New Year Like Never Before
Happy New Year 2022 All You Boomers
As I’ve mentioned countless times, I love to bring you stories of inspiration. It is the hallmark of my website. I would not consider myself a voracious reader, but one tied to a few sources that provide nourishment for the finer things in life.
Such is the case here. I found this inspirational piece from AISH, an ethno-religious, non-profit organization dedicated to providing meaningful lessons for today’s world. While I am not Jewish, I find the stories from the various contributors tremendously worthwhile for our contemporary way of life.
The article I’m referencing is “Grateful Today: I Dare You to Take “The One Small, Good Thing” Challenge” by Debbie Gutfreund.
It’s a treatise on living an exceptional life by noticing the small things around us. As she says, “uncertainty and fear shrink our horizons and perspectives so that we can only see a narrow slice of reality.” So, she set out to commit herself to finding the “one small, good thing” challenge at least once every day.
Several of her observances:
- The smell of a hot cup of coffee at dawn,
- Dinner with the family,
- The feel of warmth of the laundry as it comes out of the drier,
- A beautiful sentence in a book I’m reading.
This article has had a wonderful impact on my life. While I consider myself an artist, basing my craft on interior design, I have always prided myself in noticing the smaller things that others normally dismiss or never take the time to stop long enough to enjoy the rewards. Thanks to Ms. Gutfreund, now I can put my practice into words and share them with you.
- My walks that might only share a single flower along the trail, stop and gently admire it, then take a picture and save it in your photo file,
- Watch the acrobatic ability of our squadron of little hummingbirds,
- Thoroughly enjoy a rain shower because we have so few of them here in SoCal,
- Amazement at the towering palm trees blowing in the wind and never toppling over,
- Naming cloud formations,
- Nestling with my BoomerGuy over a good TV movie,
- The smell of popcorn,
- A cup of good ol’ hot chocolate especially on those cold mornings,
- Taking time to watch a full moon rise at dusk,
- The smile on a friend’s face for whatever reason,
- Hearing the giggles and laughs of small children,
- The smell of Christmas leftovers simmering in the crockpot waiting to become delicious soup,
- One little hummingbird, “Sweet Cheeks” as I’ve named her, has chosen to sit on top of a cactus moved out of the rain and greets us each morning with her brilliance,
- Admiring the intricate, craftsmanship of antique furniture, hundreds of years old,
- The upside-down reflection over a lake or pond,
- Oh, the stars at night are so glorious.
- The list is endless, or it should be…
I have been doing this for years, but never thought about articulating it in such a manner as to bring it to life. “Start by looking for that one small, good thing today. Because sometimes one good, small thing becomes everything.”
As Baby Boomers with such a wide variety of experiences and knowledge, try the challenge and focus on the one small thing every single day. Start with the New Year, and don’t get too wrapped up in those other pesky New Year’s resolutions.
“May the New Year bring you courage to break your resolutions early!”
Aleister Crowley, Moonchild
Editorial contribution by AISH, Debbie Gutfreund