What would happen if you indulged in something you really want to do. Not something that could lead to a profession, something that furthers your spiritual growth, that could lead you to your dream life, but something you really want right now. I know, it’s not possible because of everything else that has to get done. And you probably heartlessly indulge yourself in binge watching Netflix when you can’t possibly do anything else. You get outside and walk, you have your doses of nature, what other self-care is there?
Yeah, I’m not talking about the triage things you wedge in between all the productivity just so you can keep being productive. I’m talking about truly indulging. Think of yourself as the infinity symbol. You have two lobes, one for putting things out into the world and one for things just for you. So what would happen if you indulged in that other loop? What would happen if, instead of doing all the errands first, you took yourself out to your favorite restaurant, met friends for a drink, had a good meal, and then did errands? What if you decided to dip your toe into something you’ve always wanted to try. You don’t have to do it, you can just explore what it’s all about, but that means you’re spending an evening being “unproductive”?
Most of us have this “clean your plate” mentality where we have to get all the “have to’s” done first before we can have our desert and personal time is seen as desert. It’s not necessary and too much of it is decadent and has negative consequences. However, this model is not only wrong, but harmful. The more we indulge, the more we allow ourselves to be relevant in our own lives, for goodness sake, the more of us there is to give to others and the better role model we are for them. The more we indulge ourselves in doing what our heart desires, the more we show them who we are and also how we hope they will live as well. The more we indulge ourselves the more we have to give and the easier it is to give. Without indulging we have to force ourselves to do normal things each day, making each day a literal grind. With a little indulgence we are able to do these things easily, with pleasure and with speed so, ironically, we have more time to do more things. If we indulge ourselves in ourselves then there is more of us, we are more productive, and the world becomes a better place.
What do you want to indulge in today?