As I am writing this, it is a spectacular day here in New Hampshire. The sun is absolutely brilliant and I’m watching my solar panels app trace a perfect sinusoidal curve that means we will soon be back to generating more than enough electricity to supply our home and a good portion of the energy needed for our electric car. Long before spring makes itself felt in our bones, that smooth, broadening curve alerts us to the rising trajectory of the sun. We blink into the glare and guess how many more days until the afternoon rays completely clear the tall pines to the southwest so that the generation curve can continue its perfect arc.

While generating electricity makes me smile, marking the sun’s progress brings me joy. It’s the same kind of joy I experience when I spot bobcat tracks while snowshoeing. Or when Mt. Monadnock glistens with fresh snow on a crystal clear morning. When an owl hoots as I am falling asleep. When chickadees and cardinals visit our feeders. Hearing, seeing, and tracking the natural world, even during the darkest days of winter, is a source of joy and peace for me. I’m grateful multiple times a day for the bounty nature provides for us.

Unless you’re a modern-day Rip Van Winkle, you know that gratitude has been scientifically proven to boost your immune system and make you happier. If you Google gratitude, you’ll find plenty of tips ranging from keeping a gratitude journal to avoiding social media, especially the comparisons that leave you thinking everyone else has it better or is doing better than you are.

My advice is to look for the moon and imagine all the people you know scattered about the world smiling up at it at the same time. Mark where the sun rises and sets and marvel at how fast that changes, especially around the equinoxes. Walk in the woods or along a shoreline. Feed the birds or grow an orchid. Climb a mountain, swim in a lake, or sit under a giant oak tree — in short, find the natural beauty nearby that you can cherish each day. A spot where you can pause and say something like “Look at that mountain!” as I do every time I walk down our hill and into our wonderful little town.

Better still, share those moments with someone else. Smile at each other and say, “We are so lucky!”

Make it a great month by relishing and sharing the beauty that’s there for the seeing, hearing, smelling, and touching. Feel the wonder. Smile. And carry that wondrous feeling throughout your day.