1. Luxuriate in a steaming bathtub for a couple of hours reading a book, water up to your neck. Step out and examine your skin, head to toe. You’ll be more than grateful that the very puckered skin you’re eyeing is temporary, but realize, those senior years come quicker than you care to admit, so love the skin you’re in.

2. Sick of the color or style of your hair-too frizzy, too thin, too plain, whatever?? Go ahead, save a few bucks and do it yourself. Better yet, go rad and give yourself a totally different hue or a really short chop or buzz cut, and unless you’re a totally good lookin’ model type that can pull it off, good chance you’ll soon be cursing yourself, realizing just how great your hair looked all along (and in due time, will again). 

3. You’re frustrated, in a bad mood, feeling lazy, etc… in your cozy PJ’s watching a favorite TV show when Fido is once again beckoning you to put down the damn remote to take her potty, or you detect a foul odor because it’s way past due to change Fluffy’s kitty litter box, or the floor is terminally scattered with spent seeds that Polly continually tosses from her cage. So consider this…think of all the stories you have heard from others throughout the years-- a family member’s Fido was hit by a pickup truck when playing outside, a colleague’s Fluffy went missing after the last time she went outdoors, a friend’s Polly was found lifeless one morning on the bottom of her cage. Your pet has but a few years to grace this planet, and they are dependent on us to care for them. Cherish your time together and realize you are blessed everyday to have this sweet, innocent creature giving you unconditional love, for one day soon (it’s always too soon) you will be forced to say goodbye forever.

4. Tired of figuring out what to eat for dinner, or for that matter, going grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning the dishes? Let’s simplify your dietary and kitchen habits. Try this for a week (good luck, even a day). You can choose only five foods/ingredients to eat for an entire week, only two of which can be cooked in any manner, but first you have to drop half of them on the ground before eating, and can only use the following tools to cook/eat with; one spoon, one bowl, one dented up pan. Congratulations…you just joined a huge chunk of the human race.

There are countless more examples I could give, but I’m sure you get the picture. When you don’t often value, like, enjoy, etc., life as you are experiencing it, then you’re not really living. I know… I’ve been plagued with serious discontent intermittently in my lifetime, like I’m sure many of you have. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed, sad, disappointed at times about the life you are now living, but the only thing that cures those feelings is action… pushing forward through the muck, looking for new horizons to conquer, reaching out to loved ones, helping those less fortunate, and there is always those less fortunate. Just do something. So, when feeling unappreciative, remind yourself of this simple, yet wise quote, “These are the good old days.” This is all we have.