Appreciation

‘Liking what you already have’ goes much deeper than simply being satisfied with your particular stage in life. It’s more than just ‘taking time to smell the roses or a blanket appreciation. So, what exactly is it?  A book I recently read brought that question to mind. This particular book’s premise asked the question: ‘Does the city that you live in make you happy or sad?’

In his book ‘Happy City,’ Montgomery explains that: “What really makes a good place to live? Journeying around the world from Copenhagen to Bogota,’ Charles Montgomery shows that living in densely populated cities can actually make us healthier, saner and happier.” In the book, Montgomery has some fascinating examples centered in California that got my attention. More on that later.

It’s an intriguing question and one that goes far beyond trying to encapsulate one’s life in general. As another cliché goes: ‘It’s the little things that count.’ Let me explain:

My morning ritual is quite simple: Coffee, some kind of sweet and my Amazon tablet. I relish those mornings when it’s just me listening to the birds awakening to the first light of day. It’s my ‘quiet time’ when I peruse multiple news feeds, select web sites, and my Facebook newsfeed. It’s time to think about current and future writing projects, the day’s activities and (always) some-thing to be grateful for. In today’s hip jargon, it’s my little moment of mindfulness.

At another level, it’s gratitude in its purest form. The sun painting deep shade against a mountainside. Dew on the early morning grass. Time to enjoy the moment. The list of those free, always present gifts of life is all around us. We/I just have to take the time to recognize them.

Montgomery had several examples that caught my attention. He talked about a young couple, who after the 2008 real estate debacle, bought a foreclosed house in a new development outside of Stockton, California. They got the house at a great price but very quickly learned the real price to pay was in their long distance commute each day to work in the Bay Area. It didn’t take them long to realize that their hour and a half daily drive was a high price to pay for ‘living the good life.’

Beyond work and commuting, they had no real life. They didn’t know their neighbors. They were too tired to get involved in local community events and their life had become a daily grind. So much for the often-admired ‘California lifestyle.’ I’m guessing, that in my own backyard, there are a lot of folks traveling up 35 North or down 35 South to the Cities who are experiencing much the same commuting nightmare.

One of Montgomery’s research questions was to ask people: which would make you happier – living in California or the Midwest? He went on to explain: ‘If you chose California, you are like most people – including Midwesterners, who told surveyors they were sure that Californians were happier. Californians agreed. They were all wrong. Californians and Midwesterners report pretty much the same level of life satisfaction.

I could blame that perception on Frankie Avalon or Annette Funicello and their mid-Sixties surfing movies. The Beach Boys and Jan and Dean were part of that lot too. In truth, California is as much a mindset as anything else. But true happiness can be found in the most out-of-way places.

I’m not sure if I came to that realization one morning after a long mountain hike or in the dusk of another well-spent day. Collectively, it was all those little things around me that didn’t cost a dime and brought immense comfort and satisfaction. For example, it wasn’t the cars in my garage. A 1999 Buick LaSabre and 2009 Toyota wouldn’t fit alongside my neighbor’s stable of classics. It wasn’t any of the material things that brought satisfaction but could be discarded without a hint of regret.

Over and over again, it all comes down to those simple little things, all around us, that bring the most satisfaction of living one’s life. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a dime; except for the coffee and treat.