Wednesday, January 10, 2024
To indulge is to allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of. To deprive is to deny (a person or place) the possession or use of something. Postponement, so-called sacrifice, and obligation are forms of deprivation. Hurrying through your life is to deny yourself the joy of the simple things. You’re in a hurry to get to the office, not really enjoying that decadent cup of coffee. You’re “busy” scrolling on your phone, and you deprive yourself some silence, a good book, looking someone in the eyes, or experiencing real relaxation. Your to-do list is full, yet you have no time to enjoy each thing. The next thing deprives you of the indulgence of now.
Are you allowing yourself the pleasure of being? When you’re with someone, be with them. Eat your lunch. Brush your teeth. Be present, fully immersed in the now. Depriving yourself now is why you look back on the past with regret. You’ll look back on this day with longing fondness – even in the so-called mundane experiences. You are depriving yourself of the richness of now if you’re always on “the go.” Be on “the stop.” Bite down on it. Notice the abundance of what’s happening right now.
You may be deprived of playtime and recreation. If you had a choice to do what you are going to do today or something else, would you choose something else? If your choices are no longer choices but sacrifices, automatic impulse, and obligations, you are depriving yourself. If you’re lucky to be able to bundle your work with fun and recreation, each day will be an indulgent, decadent, and rich “vacation.” Vacate the mind and fill the senses. If today is nothing but a chore or a bother, the mind is full, and the senses are empty. There is indulgence, and there is deprivation. Which one would you rather?