Permanent Pleasure

What have you lived too long without? I’ve lived too long without… pleasure.

Definition of pleasure:
1. The state or feeling of being pleased or gratified.
2. A source of enjoyment or delight.
3. Amusement, diversion, or worldly enjoyment.
4. Sensual gratification or indulgence.
5. One’s preference or wish.

I recently read how we are taught to work hard and grind. How many times have you heard it… nothing is accomplished without hard work and sacrifice. I don’t recall being taught to enjoy and take pleasure in life. In fact, that was something you got after you worked your ass off, climbed the ladder and did what you were told ~ in other words, that’s what happens when you get old and/or retire. If that’s the case, I still have a good number of years left before I get to enjoy life’s pleasures. What? No! I call bullshit.

I’m living with my eyes wide open. Life is to be felt.

Do I believe you have to work hard. No.
I believe you can choose to work hard (if that feels good) and then you can choose to play even harder, as my friend put it.
I believe you can do both, at the same time (look ma, no hands!)… work hard AND experience pleasure.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
I choose both!

The italians know how to enjoy life, at least the ones that I have witnessed. They laugh, they live, they are loud. They aren’t afraid to tell you what they think. They embrace the experience of life. In fact, my sister in law recently visited Italy. While dining out she couldn’t believe the check was never presented to them. Come to find out, you have to ask for a check as they consider your visit a social occasion to be lingered and loved. Catch this tidbit I found on the web:
Getting the bill in an Italian restaurant can actually be an ordeal. Unlike many American restaurants, Italian restaurants are usually in no hurry to get rid of you (and most Italians would react very badly to a restaurant trying to rush them out). I don’t know why, but it can take forever to get the bill. Maybe it’s because only the restaurant owner has access to the cash register, and he/she may be busy chatting with regular customers.

So how can a lover of life, like myself, not love this kind of thinking and doing?!! This is exactly why I tattooed ‘il piacere’, the gorgeous italian translation for pleasure, on the inside of my right wrist. Pleasure embraces living with all five senses. It’s about creating pleasure in everything I do. Now I have beautiful reminder, thank you Dale!

What does pleasure mean to me? It means embracing, enjoying, experiencing life. It’s about laughing out loud, connecting with people, feeling sexy, savoring what I put in mouth, seeing the beauty that surrounds me and leaves me in awe every day. Yes, every day! It’s moving my body because it feels so good, loving with my whole heart, singing out loud, dancing in my car, helping others and letting others help me. It’s about taking care of me, saying yes to me and let my cup runneth over to others. It’s about feeling life.

You have a choice.

What do you choose to embrace, experience and enjoy daily?

You don’t have to tattoo it on your wrist but do share by leaving a comment below!! If you don’t know, what would it be for today… if you had to guess.

ps~ This is your life. Live it. Love it. Feel it.
pss~ If you want help, I’m here. It gives me pleasure to work with you, you who want to embrace, experience and enjoy life to it’s fullest!

It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth — and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up — that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.
~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross