SLICES OF LIFE — More in 2024

Someone I’ve never met (social media, where else?) came up with a phrase for the new year: “Let’s do more in 2024.” I’ve decided to adopt it for my own, because it’s well-balanced, makes logical sense and has good meaning, purpose and intent.

Plus it rhymes; who doesn’t appreciate a good rhyme?

But what, exactly, do I want more of in the next year? What do we all want?

The basics, of course. Here’s my short list:

More peace. Isn’t this a nice thought? More peace: world peace, governmental peace, neighborhood peace, hippy peace, familial peace, marital peace and—most importantly—inner peace.

Peace is all-encompassing and all-good. There can never be too much peace. Unless you are talking an extra piece of pie after eating one already, but that’s a different kind of peace and doesn’t count, unless it’s in calories.

More kindness. Kindness ranks right up there with peace; the two are twin equals, or at the very least kissing cousins. Kindness begets peace and vice versa. Kindness is equally effective with family members, friends and strangers. It takes little to no effort and provides positive feel-goods to the giver as well as the receiver. Kindness costs nothing and it is something we all possess in infinite amounts.

Not even chocolate can claim that many attributes.

More faith. I’m not necessarily talking about the kind you get in church. Faith—and a deepened trust—reside far beyond church. That’s the faith I aspire to. Faith in nature— that trees will shed their leaves in the fall; dandelions will sprout optimistically each spring. Trust in the human spirit—people are innately good. Trust in the future. Trust in today. Trust in yourself. Trust in something bigger than yourself.

That’s faith. More doing and participating. I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent nearly a lifetime thinking about the things I’d like to do. Now is the time to actually do them. To participate for real. These bucket-list acts don’t need to be earth-shattering or life changing. They just need to be you doing them. Maybe that means world travel; maybe that means staying home and reading a good book. You do what means doing to you, just do it more, in 2024.

More connectivity. But not to our phones or the internet. More than ever we need to realize and appreciate our connections to one another. We are all part of the whole. We may think of ourselves as individuals, be we are, truly, nothing without each other. No one is an island. We not only need one another; we are better together. Connections enhance our lives and make the world a better place—one handshake, one hug, at a time.

More light. Of the kind that requires no battery power or electricity. True light is a beacon that knows no physical power source. We all have a light that shines from within— however cliche or corny that may sound. It’s true. Open up. Flip your inner light switch to “On.” Together we can illuminate the world, and that, my friends, can change everything.

More love. You probably saw this one coming. The most basic tenet of all: we need more love. We can never overdose on love. We can never give too much of it. When we think about basic needs, we list food, water and shelter, but love should be at the top of the list—in both the giving and receiving mode.

Just like kindness, giving love provides just as much as receiving it does, perhaps even more so.

Doing more in 2024; More peace. More kindness. More faith. More participation. More connectedness. More light and more love. Seven aspirations for the year. Lofty? Perhaps. Doable? I think so. Maybe take one each day of the week. Maybe try them all at once.

Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Jill Pertler is an award-winning syndicated columnist, published playwright and author. Don’t miss a slice; follow the Slices of Life page on Facebook.