How I Wallow In My Happiness On Any Given Day

Find time for you.

By Moreah Vestan — Written on Jan 05, 2015

How often have you felt ok about dedicating hours or a day just to pleasing yourself or basking in happiness?

When you finish this, I hope you'll be on the road to doing that very thing. I'll share an example with you and then come back to what you can do to make it a reality. I wrote this a few years ago and am revising it today to share. That year, after a pre-Christmas gathering with my family, I totally indulged myself on Christmas. Here are the memories I made.

I was having a perfect day and wondering why I didn't create more of those for me. It was Christmas, and I was absolutely luxuriating in doing my thing. For breakfast I enjoyed my Great Harvest Bread Company shortbread—every taste a dreamy experience. I called my Dad, 89, and agreed how blessed we are to be able to walk and talk and see and hear. I told him that I'd put his $100 Christmas gift in a special envelope in my billfold.

When I saw something I really wanted but heard a budgetary argument from my inner shouldn’t-er, I would open the envelope and feel totally okay about indulging myself. I did that on a Sunday at the Ballard fish market. After I tasted the smoked black cod, $18.99 per pound or not, I put out $5.77 for a hunk that delighted me over the next few days. Memories, past and future, were a part of the joy of this day.

Since the call with my Dad, I had been doing things I felt like on the computer. I had watched Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat and excerpts from Jesus Christ Superstar and more. I ate a stick-to-your teeth caramel from the previous night’s Christmas stocking and deliberated the last 1/8 of it—shall I make this one bite or two to get the most pleasure? Two was the winner this time. For lunch, I had a piece of last night’s rolled rib roast with gravy, and all the deli olives I wanted.

I was drinking carrot juice that housemate Diane and I made a day or so ago. I alternated between holiday programs on the radio and on TV. I wound up my music box and watched the pink jester move to the sounds of "Make Someone Happy." Out my home office window, the Olympics showed off their clear snowy wraps. The sun lit up the shells and driftwood on the deck railing I could see from my desk.

I wondered if I’d feel more expansive as I am now, wandering up and down the stairs, from fridge to TV to desk, or going for a walk in the glorious sunshine. I went on the walk and was back by 4:00 to meet a potential housemate for the room available on the 1st. I decided I liked him already—his walk at Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue "made his Christmas."

Since in many parts of the world, December 25 means no more than any other day, I wanted to declare my own personal monthly holiday, for no other reason than that I (and everyone) deserve to be as happy as we can make ourselves. I know myself well enough to not leave things in that "good idea" stage. So I just wrote in "My Holiday" on each 4th Sunday of the next year. Wish you could have seen the serene smile and then the passion that became a bellow as I sang along with the radio. Yes, I was happy!

I've had moments of delight every day and I wanted to pay more attention to wallowing in them. And wallow I did every 4th Sunday. Now I didn't stay with that for these past years. I'd instead gotten into the habit of pleasing myself every day. Saturday I was listening to Wait Wait and Prairie Home Companion on the radio. Two or three days a week I enjoyed yoga or aerobics or zumba at the gym.

What would YOU like to add in your life to please yourself every day?

You might want to be more conscious of your choice to indulge yourself regularly. Are you ever glad to notice that sometimes staying at your desk gives you pride that might even erupt in an inner HURRAH when you complete what you intended to. I'd welcome your joining me.

I started a 'yahoogroups listserv' a few years ago and would love to share ideas back and forth with you.