Friday, October 30, 2009

The Joy Diet Ingredient of the Week: Treats

I learned a lot about myself this week as The Joy Diet focused on treats.

I had some difficulty coming up with treats that weren't prescriptive, things I thought I ought to do or want. I know now I need to spend more time thinking about what would make me happy, what will make me smile.

Once I came up with a few smile-inducers, (a soak in the tub, a special lunch, window shopping at a new store) I had a hard time actually giving myself the treat. At the first sign of conflict with the things I do for other people, for my family, I would put my treat on the back burner and almost immediately forget about it.

I know I have put a lot of my needs on hold as my life has been "about" raising a child and running a household but I don't want to be in the dark about the things that make me smile. I want to better at treating myself. I'm going to continue to explore treats as we move into the next chapter.

You know what I really want to do next week? What would really make me smile? Rollerskating. I want to go rollerskating.

Stop by Jamie Ridler's The Next Chapter to see more reflections on this week's Joy Diet ingredient.

8 comments:

  1. I had a reading this fall, & the gal doing the reading kept saying 'i keep see you feeding yourself last - dishing up food for other people, & taking what's left' . . .
    Now with food, I'm an only child, & I make SURE I get enough! Will certainly share (esp with my grandkids ;) but that's not an issue - I think she kept stressing that aspect of 'not nurturing' myself, to remind me to take my own needs into consideration other places!

    Good luck getting out rollerskating!!

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  2. This is a chapter I am going to return to often. I do not usually think about what makes me smile but I am going to update my list often and be sure to surround myself with things that make me feel good.

    Have fun rollerskating.

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  3. Oh oh oh!!! Go rollerskating and tell us all about it next week! As a fellow mom, I can relate to how difficult it is to give ourselves the love and celebration we are so used to giving others... they're called "guilty pleasures" for a reason... but there's no need for guilt or shame or obligation. You are deserving in this very moment to be given bountiful treats... not the things you think you "should" want, but the ones that make your heart soar!! So go roller skating girl!!! :)

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  4. I totally smiled at the end of your post! You should take yourself rollerskating - and maybe even take yourself to go see Whip It (I've heard it's good). xo, kaileenelise

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  5. I've been wanting to learn to rollerskate for ...mmmm...decades! I'm not even to the Treat chapter yet, but I'm glad you posted this as I'd completely forgotten that it could be a treat for me!

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  6. So glad you're taking treats into the next chapter! You'll get better at it. I noticed how you risked putting your desire for roller skating out there on the page--now we all are hoping you'll go for it! Have fun!!

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  7. Your post also brought a smile to my face. Thank you for sharing your week with treats. I too felt really resistant to giving myself treats and found this chapter a bit difficult. A trick that has been working for me lately is to make giving myself a treat a risk.

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  8. It can be difficult to treat yourself from time to time. However, I like the little list you started.

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