When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.   

                  — Chinese Proverb  

How many of us make New Year’s resolutions in January, only to find them in a psychological waste bin in February?

Instead of resolving to lose those ten pounds, or stop smoking, or any number of valid and compelling goals, this year just decide not to. That’s right. Take the pressure off. Try this year to stay away from the personal urban renewal stuff and just make up your mind to enjoy your life.

The economy a mess, we all have daily work and family challenges, and the media is brimming with New Year’s advice on how to tackle them. What if, instead of treating our existence as an adversary, we embrace it all?  

A Very Hard Year

A number of years ago, my husband and I moved back to Southern California for family reasons. We left a house we loved in a city we enjoyed, along with a number of friends. Because I was a paralegal and legal secretary at the time, we chose to live in the center of Los Angeles, one of the nation’s largest urban areas.

When I had lived there before, our mid-Wilshire neighborhood had been a solid middle-class area of town, with beautiful deco-inspired apartment buildings and lovely Spanish revival houses. Unfortunately, we banked on my memories instead of the current reality. Over the years, and for various reasons, the neighborhood had deteriorated. We regularly heard gunshots and often were awakened by Officer Friendly in his helicopter, shining his searchlight into our bedroom.

One summer evening, we opened our living room window to catch some of the cool onshore evening breeze. Instead of the usual sirens and neighborhood battles, the opening bassoon solo from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring wafted into our apartment. It was a moment of perfect beauty in the midst of all the chaos. And it was repeated semiregularly throughout the summer.

Later, we discovered that the University of Southern California held a summer music institute and our neighborhood was directly in between the school and the Hollywood Bowl where the institute orchestra practiced and played. Our good luck. Now, whenever we look back on that difficult year, we always end the discussion with, “Yes. But do you remember that lovely bassoon in the middle of the night?” 

Let the Good Times Roll

So here are some suggestions for focusing on the beautiful moments. 

1.  Indulge Yourself. Each day, make it a point to treat yourself to something you particularly enjoy. Do you love a particular performer or writer? Each day, plan to set aside fifteen minutes to listen to a couple of songs, watch a few minutes of a DVD, or read a few passages of a book.  

2. Start a new hobby. Instead of reading a novel, did you ever want to try your hand at writing one? Every town has writer’s groups. Just check out your local library for information. Or you could take a photography or cooking class; or sign up for ballroom dance or tennis lessons. Your county department of leisure services (sometimes known as parks and recreation) has a variety of classes at reasonable prices. 

3. Simplify Your Life. Once every two or three weeks, pick out something that is still in good shape to give to a local charity shop. If you feel really daring, at the same time, pick out something to throw away. It feels good to clean out the clutter, and it’s practically painless if you do it in small doses. 

4. Be a cheerleader. Everyone needs a boost now and then. Give out compliments. Smile at the grocery store clerk and call her by name (that’s what the tag’s for). Actually hold the door for the next person at the bank and then say hi. You get the picture. 

5. Be a tourist in your hometown. Have you really explored the place you call home? I don’t mean the obligatory schlep to the Strip with visiting relatives. Make it just you and your immediate family. Think of themes for the day, like “Gardens and Flowers of Las Vegas” or “Hotel Lobbies.” Take a vacation day from work and tour the local libraries. If you like live entertainment, check out the newspaper listings for local club bookings. 

Any one of these is pretty easy to do, inexpensive, and will make you feel terrific. It may take a few tries, but you are sure to eventually get that “bassoon moment.”