Starting out with good
Our thoughts are the real fuel by which we get through the day, and only we, ourselves, can consistently give them a foundation of good that guides our experience.
The sun breaks through along Route 4 in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
It’s easy to be swept up in the energy that seems to be prevalent today. From the pandemic, to economic woes and the sense of division in Congress and the country, there’s a troubling weight to current events.
But, especially now, the most important daily consideration is what we allow to exist and grow in our thinking. Our thoughts are the real fuel by which we get through the day, and only we, ourselves, can consistently give them a foundation of good that guides our experience. Years of working in a newsroom environment taught me this quite well, because the news cycle often brings you topics which are difficult to hear. Creating a routine that brings positive momentum to your day is critical, because it sets it on a positive trajectory based in goodness. It also brings reassurance that good is always available and able to lead us forward — a good reminder to have when we grapple with the more difficult topics of life.
As we embrace a positive start to the day, it’s also important to have aspects of our day that inspire us. Throughout recent months, I’ve increasingly appreciated how important this is, because it lends a kind of freedom to thought that grows joy in our hearts. We can always use more joy. For me, in the summer and fall, I found that joy in playing tennis, and, later, regularly revisiting old matches I used to watch in earlier years. It was a rediscovery of how much I love that sport, and it’s something I plan to continue.
This all comes down to remembering what’s foundational to our well-being, even amid the constant busy-ness of daily life. There are important moments in each day, and the most critical one is right after we awake. Starting our day on a positive track, and keeping our thinking inspired for the better, is a sure way to welcome good into our lives and share the resulting joy with others. It can be easy to forget what we need most, but if we remember to plant the seeds of good early in the day, there’s no better way to build the groundwork for daily inspiration, harmony and progress.
— Gareth Henderson
Pausing for progress
Well-placed pauses during the day help till the soil of our thought, so we can cultivate progress and generate expressions of good in our lives.
A snowy tree is bent along the Prosper Trail in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The more time you spend in nature, the more you notice the unusual. Cross-country skiing along the Prosper Trail in Woodstock, Vermont, on Saturday, I was impressed by a tree so sharply bent that it pointed straight to the side. It had a certain majestic quality, with fallen snow lining each branch and the whole trunk, and the outlines of the mountains and clouds lingering beyond the distant trees.
The image was one of inspiration, making me pause along the trail just to capture that one moment. It reminded me that "pausing along the trail" is a good habit to put into place in daily life, because moments of reflection enrich us. Within them, we have opportunities for inspiration we may not experience otherwise. Sometimes, our daily routines shut out chances for reflection without us even noticing, but that can change if we slow down, consider our actions and put genuine thought into what we do.
That "slower" approach to life frees our thinking, and opens it further toward the acceptance of useful ideas and possibly innovation. Those well-placed pauses till the soil of our thought, so we can cultivate progress and generate expressions of good in our lives. Being more receptive to that good is critical today, because it provides renewal — something the world greatly needs. Each chance we have to help with that renewal, is a chance to make a difference for ourselves and the world. That's the best way to grow as a person, and we should cherish each such opportunity.
— Gareth Henderson
The good we can do now
There’s no harm in stopping and thinking about what’s driving us from moment to moment. Indeed, doing so might open the door to ways we can use those present moments to more greatly benefit ourselves and others.
The Woodstock Village Green is lighted with the traditional luminaries for Wassail Weekend. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
When life is fast-paced and ever-changing, we often move past the current moment, not thinking much of it. Oftentimes, thought drifts to the past or the future, causing us to move quickly toward the next step in our day. With that approach, we might miss valuable opportunities to reflect on the meaning of what we’re doing — in other words, opportunities to let quiet, reflective moments guide us.
With much reflection over the past nine months, I’ve gained a new appreciation for those opportunities, which I didn’t pay enough attention to previously in my career. There’s no harm in stopping and thinking about what’s driving us from moment to moment. Indeed, doing so might open the door to ways we can use those present moments to more greatly benefit ourselves and others. Who knows, that could lead to more ways to help family, friends or neighbors, or spark that one bright idea to advance an important project, or to start a new endeavor we hadn’t thought about.
Sometimes these more meaningful moments are planned parts of the day, or they just happen. But, I’ve found it’s important to allow them some space within our minds. Rather than drifting away from the “now”, we can get more comfortable with it and let current moments take root and propel inspiring thoughts. It’s like having a painter’s palette, with a full range of colors, or moments, and we decide what to create with them. We each have the opportunity to make beautiful things out of the present moment, and with that comes the chance to embrace the good we can do, right now.
— Gareth Henderson
The good we have
So many people are searching for proof of goodness in the world today, amid multiple reports of the exact opposite.
(Gareth Henderson Photo)
So many people are searching for proof of goodness in the world today, amid multiple reports of the exact opposite. It's a relief to know that this goodness is not out of reach, but is natural to us.
Along with that goodness comes hope, the harbingers of which are compassion, empathy and decency. Just to see those qualities expressed these days makes many people hopeful for the future, even as we struggle to see that light at the end of a seemingly very dark tunnel. Just a moment of hope can have a positive impact, and we can sustain that feeling by treating others with the love and kindness that lifts us up.
This week saw some troubling milestones in the pandemic, with the U.S. seeing its highest number of coronavirus cases in one day since the crisis began. This information came amid a news cycle that constantly reflects the polarization in American society today — a pattern only exacerbated by the upcoming election. But the only way to move forward while these factors abound, is to find the strength to work toward unity with one another. It is to compassionately cooperate for the greater good, not to sustain old silos of thinking. With that approach, not only will we make progress, but we'll also appreciate each other more as individuals — which is so very needed these days.
As we work to find unity through compassion and empathy, our natural inclination toward helping one another will, in and of itself, be that proof of goodness so many long see. Such qualities don’t disappear. They are within each of us — every moment — to bring out the greatest in all of us. Going forward, let's work every day to claim and embrace the good we have. If we seek that goodness and employ it, there will be more unity, because more people will want to see it flourish. Together, we’ll start to make a difference in the world, right where we are.
— Gareth Henderson