norman lear

Authentic gratitude rang through his voice at the thought of turning another year older, not to mention a distinctly endearing sense of humor. "I mean, my God, the miracle of being alive with everything that's available to us, and me turning 100 tomorrow. Do you hear me? Tomorrow I turn 100. That's as believable to me as 'Today I'm 99,’” he chuckled.

His video ended with a simple piece of advice. “The moment: treasure it, use it with love.”

Not taking any of life’s moments for granted and instead looking at what’s right with the picture seems to be a well-known recipe for living a long, happy life, especially to those who have succeeded at it.

Or, thanks to a mainstream increase in mindfulness, perhaps this is a skill one can cultivate over time. After all, we have more tools than ever before—entire books have been written on the subject, like Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now” and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s “Flow,” there are numerous meditation apps available, journals with prompts geared toward gaining awareness, and more access to a wide range of therapeutic modalities. The hustle and bustle of modern living might make being present a challenge, but with it comes numerous strategies for overcoming those challenges.

And, of course, when all else fails, we can take a page from Lear’s book, and simply choose to cherish what’s in front of us.

Happy Birthday, Norman. You always manage to give us something to smile about.