So many of us jumpstart our Januarys with a lengthy list of things we’d like to change or improve upon in the coming year. We vow to eat better, exercise more and get our finances on track. We aspire to play more and complain less. We swear we’ll ditch fear and laugh at the little annoyances that can bend us into a tizzy.

I think introspection is healthy and helpful . . . to a point. It can be beneficial to take stock and tweak our priorities with achievable and actionable goals, but so many New Year’s resolutions are not sustainable and fade by February in a pile of exasperation and guilt.

Skipping Over Today

May I suggest another way to navigate the weeks and months of 2022? Start with this day—live the now. So often we attempt to freshen our lives with fast-forward thinking. We focus on future plans and what ifs and leave the hours right in front of us in a heap of nothingness. We somehow skip over living NOW to live in NOWHERE.

We will never experience tomorrow until we’ve breathed out the last of today. So give yourself permission to stop the loop of Little Orphan Annie crooning that “the sun’ll come out tomorrow…Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow.” Let’s ditch tomorrow for simply living today—fully, bravely and beautifully.

Living Your Life Over Again

A number of years ago I ran across this poetic reflection by 85-year-old Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky. Nadine has passed on, but she passes on to us some of the best advice ever recorded. So sit back and soak in Nadine’s wisdom on how she would invest her days again—if given the chance.

If I Had to Live My Life Over Again

If I had my life to live over again.

I’d like to make more mistakes next time.

I’d relax.

I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I would take fewer things seriously. 

I would take more chances.

I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. 

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would, perhaps, have more actual troubles, but fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who live sensibly and sanely,

hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I’ve had my moments.

If I had it to do over again, I’d have more of them.

In fact, I’d try to have nothing else—just moments.

One after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day.

I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer,
a hot water bottle, a raincoat, and a parachute.

 If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over,

I would start barefoot earlier in the spring

and stay that way later in the fall.

I would go to more dances.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I would pick more daisies.

Scooping Out the Ice Cream

So for 2022, are you ready to live your life over again, starting with THIS DAY? How about we all ponder and practice a few of Nadine’s wise nuggets instead of worrying about TOMORROW and getting stuff done? Instead of living our lives in continual fast-forward?

Let’s relax and be sillier. Bring on the taking more chances! And, definitely skip the beans and scoop out the ice cream. Go ahead, ditch the travel thermometer too. You can do it! So can I.

Hello moments and good-bye moping. Here’s to a new year full of going barefoot and riding those merry-go-rounds. Just start with this day—live the now. I’m right there with you. Is that Cookies and Cream or Mint Chocolate Chip in your bowl?