By Ron Elve
Savoring life’s enjoyments before, during and after life experiences can enhance and add significantly to overall feelings of wellbeing.
One way to do this is to focus mentally on the positive—including details of small joys, such as good weather. We tend to go overboard with the negative (road rage and other rages).
Before an experience, we can pump ourselves up with anticipation to more fully enjoy each step of the experience. We should focus on the details of planning, call others, start getting excited. If we’re not sure how it might go, we can anticipate the excitement of the unknown. In the play/movie West Side Story they sing “something’s coming I don’t know what it is but it is gonna be great…” These are great words to keep in mind.
During these experiences, we should be actively open to and searching for the positive. In groups, are we sufficiently open to “friends we haven’t met yet?” Are there good photo ops? Souvenirs? Can we do more discussing and planning “the here and now” as well as future experiences with others who are present?
Afterwards, we can continue to savor the experience with nostalgic remembering, reminiscing with others, and writing about it.
Get more for your enjoyment buck. It’s free except for the effort involved!
