What Can We Feel Good about Right Now? Life seemed so much better in the past

“I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore,” yells crazed Peter Finch’s character Howard Beale in the iconic movie, Network. Beale’s rant seems to resonate with many of us these days.

Guess what? We don’t have to take it if we change how we view the world. Believe it, there is plenty to feel good about right now that merits our attention, according to Ben Samuels and Julie Roland, who write for Subsack.com in a blog dated: Nov. 18, 2024 titled, What to feel good about right now.

Yes, our anxiety is on overdrive with high prices, the election and the changes that will be coming, the uncertainty of climate change and what to do about it, and the conflicts in Ukraine v. Russia and the Mideast with the threat of nuclear war, just to cite a few challenges. These are real concerns but look at it this way--pain is what makes joy, gratitude, mercy, hilarity and empathy so precious.

Hey folks, let’s try to be happy for what we have, such as our grandkids, children who are employed, the sun shining after gloomy days of rain. We shop and find bargains, cook special meals, take classes to keep our brains active, exercise, enjoy edible treats, read good books that help us learn and escape and there are so many good ones on the market today. We have so many choices of great music regardless of genre, movies and streaming platforms and wonderful art that’s often free to view in museums or galleries. We still have great sports, religion, parks with playgrounds for kids and places to sit and enjoy the trees, birds, flowers and greenery. And we still have Oprah. Ha!

But how do we avoid bad news that’s in our faces on T.V., our news feeds and in print? Turn on the Hallmark channel where there is always a happy ending, not MSNBC or CNN. Switch to one of the cooking channels or HGTV. Read People magazine for fluff rather than something intense, analytical and serious. We can keep buying lottery tickets and hope to hit the jackpot. Do you have a point of view about an issue? We can still express it on social media with the goal that others might join us in our beliefs and efforts. Or they may disagree, but we still have freedom to do so. Start a movement. Bake some cookies with peppermint icing. Yes, there’s a lot of hope.

So, we have made it our business to look at the bright side. What feels good right now? Here we posit our thoughts and with ways to avoid the dark side. Agree, disagree or give us some good feedback.

1. Treat yourself by taking in gorgeous areas of our country—California’s central coast with its Redwoods and vistas from Pacific Costal Highway 1--or widen your geography to include anywhere else beautiful on the planet whether the architecture of Savannah and Charleston or a big city like Chicago. These are a gift from nature and man with spots that some have taken for granted their entire lives. There are so many areas of the world that brim with and bristle with intelligence, intrigue and unexpected beauty.

2. A home or roof over our heads. It’s our safe place and the place to be ourselves. Appreciate the beauty of authenticity. As one person we know said when we asked what makes him feel good, he hesitated and then with a laugh said truthfully: "Getting to go to bed early." (A gift in our older age.)

3. Be grateful for all the advances in medicine and science to fight diseases or keep them at bay with new tools coming down the pike.

4. Many of us have access right now to good medical care either through Obamacare or our employer’s benefit plan. Also, some drug prices have come down. Yay!

5. A soaring stock market if you’re in the market. Our 401(k)s and 403(b)s are also moving up in the right direction. Mortgage rates were coming down, then went up but at least they’re not in the stratosphere. We also, as of now, have some good government programs for us aging folks including Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

6. Inflation has started to abate a bit as the economy gets stronger.

7. We are still able to get up every day. That means for those of us who are retired, we can do anything we want to do with our days including effecting change in any way that we choose to do so. Volunteer or get paid to support your “darling” causes. If you do something for someone else, you’ll forget about yourself and what irks you. The ability to give to others is a gift that boosts good brain chemistry.


8. Bargains exist, too. Travel is ubiquitous as airline prices go down and packages, especially cruises, are more reasonably priced. What a great way to see the world! The price of gas is dropping and so are the prices for certain foods at the grocery store. There is a fast-food price war waging right now so there are good deals out there.

9. Attempts to clean the air and the environment and the water are better, and we hope they’ll continue. People are composting, using fewer chemicals and designing sustainable structures and appliances that emit fewer toxic gasses into the air.

10. We can be creative. Cook, make art, sing, play an instrument, go golfing, write a play, play bridge or do any activity that takes your mind off the daily humdrum. This is where we have great control.

11. Capitalize on the positives of A.I. and digital access in general to diagnose diseases, boost the economy and so much more.

12. Set daily goals that provide structure, so you feel more in control. When we do this, we can add in time to appreciate what’s around us using all our senses to enjoy our homes, relationships, neighborhoods, parks and nature in general and the rest of the big wide world where there is something good for everyone. Sometimes, it just takes some extra looking.

13. Look to the past and learn from it. Life was so much better then, or was it? If it seems that way for when times get tough, the reminiscing tends to get rosier. Visualize a realistic picture.

14. We can help others with elbow grease or by making a call, sending an email, saying we’re sorry and meaning it and not offering any excuses or asking someone to join us for a meal or trip. Everyone likes to be included. And we still have the ability to make new friends or make better friends of the friends we have. Appreciation should be shared all around.

15. We can focus on happy thoughts and try to put good energy out into the world. The multiplier effect will inspire others to keep doing so, we think!