Posts by Pat:
Stressed or “Desserts”?
Life is uncertain…
eat dessert first!
I’m a firm believer in desserts first!
What else would you expect from a previous chocolate store owner?
(My sister and I were smart enough never to hire the applicant who said “I’d give anything to work in a chocolate store!” for we knew we couldn’t afford the loss of inventory that would result!)
Surely we’ve all heard the dictums to take pleasure when and where you can:
- Don’t worry-BE HAPPY!
- ENJOY LIFE NOW- This is not a Dress Rehearsal
- LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE
- GO FIRST CLASS or your heirs will
- We’re driving around enjoying our children’s inheritance!
So…
why this sudden focus on enjoyment?
( Not so sudden since poets and philosophers have long wrestled with the subject!)
And on the other hand, we’ve certainly been bombarded with media dramatizing the good life, having more, living it up, having it all, but…
- after we graduate…
- after we lose that twenty pounds…
- after we find the perfect mate…
- after we get that promotion…
- after the kids leave…
- after we retire…!
This all equals a postponed life with our shoulder to the wheel and nose to the grindstone, uncomfortable and hard work.
- The American work-ethic is alive and well.
- The human procrastination gene is alive and well.
- The hidden (?) belief that we don’t deserve it is alive and well.
To enjoy life more fully we must increase our ability to gladden our moment-by-moment and day-to-day experiences. We…
- can either live this day as if it were our last (and connect, love, enjoy the moments) or
- we can live this day as if it were our first (and anticipate our good, know that this day is a clean slate, and start as we mean to go on)
Since a heavy heart is the most serious form of overweight, eating dessert first may well be the ultimate lighten up message! Will we be called to account for every permissible and enjoyable thing we could have done but did not?
A person
will be called to account
on judgment day
for every permissible thing
he might have enjoyed
but did not.
— The Talmud–
There’s a message here somewhere! Give a quick comment below and let me know what resonates with you!
Do you think that maybe “dessert” should be eaten first?
It’s my day; is it yours?
This Saturday, August 13, is officially International Left Handers Day. And I’m part of the 7-10% of the population that is left-handed. (as was my dad, my son, and my husband!) I’ve always said I wanted to be in the top 10% of whatever I was doing and, here, (by genetics at least!) I’m in the top 10%. […]
A difference between like and love
I love this quote, (though it is probably not by the Buddha as I originally thought!) Every relationship we have with another person in our life is like a flowering plant. If the relationship is strong, the plant grows strong and offers lots of flowers to both of us. We can usually tell the value […]
Reading Rights, Part B!
Perhaps my background is warped! After all, I was an English teacher and I have owned a bookstore! So perhaps reading is an inflated value that I have? I am blessed with the love of reading and read I do-a lot! Science fiction, romance, histories, biographies, how-to, philosophy.. I’ve even been accused of reading the back […]
Reader’s Bill of Rights? Part A
Who knew?! There’s a “Bill of Rights” for us readers by French author, Daniel Pennac. I was tickled to find his revealing list and started thinking of some of my own. Let me know if any of these resonate with you and if you have found others! 1. The right to not read. […]
Change your language, change your life
We are often careless with our words. It shouldn’t surprise us, though, that the words we use are affecting our life. Be careful what words you are choosing to say. If something can be called scary, can it also be called exciting? If something can be called boring, can it also be called calming? If something you want is […]
Quirky thoughts on my birthday!
Today is my birthday! Join me in exploring some “wisdom” below. Please pick your favorite one and let me know your favorite in the comment section at the end. “They” say… 1. Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the more you have, the longer you live. 2. Drive carefully…It’s not only cars that can be […]
Lessons from Noah’s Ark
Stories are everywhere and so much fun to discover! And we can learn so much from each of them. It’s kinda like “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine goes down.” I’ll bet you can think of some too! (ever read “Aesop’s Fables?”) Here are some favorites of mine gleaned from the story of Noah’s Ark. Lesson 1: […]
The tide always comes back
No matter how bad things appear to be now, nature guarantees a turn for the better. Change is always happening. Nature’s cycles are dependable. We can’t rush a baby; whenever possible, we have to let it have 9 months to develop. We can’t rush a seedling; pulling on it to make it grow faster will […]
6 lessons learned…in pictures
Memories and lessons from our remodeling experience! LESSON ONE Sometimes it’s difficult to see through chaos to a vision of what might be when all the dust settles! LESSON TWO Isn’t it amazing how everything takes longer that expected and longer than we would like? Oh, well… Of course, it sounded great at the […]