Tag Archives: pleasure

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Retirement Musings

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I retired today from my paid work with the University of Alberta.  After 43 continuous years in the workplace (post University) I am no longer “working for the man” (A sixties expression that has hung with me).

However, lots of unpaid work beckons me, actually looks like my spouse has been compiling the post retirement “to-do” list for the last 43 years.  That could take awhile to finish.

Attitude

As the baby boomer generation begins to retire, around the globe, we see a lot of studies and associated recommendations for how to succeed in retirement.

I am not really looking to achieve any specific aim or result so for me retirement does not have any success or failure criteria.  It is just another moment in time to be happy, enjoy and bask in the pleasure of life, albeit a different context.

I found my own attitude to retirement attitude is clearly stated on a quote from Mr. Rogers of children’s TV fame,  “Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” – Mr. Rogers

Leverage the Opportunity

Most importantly, retirement is best viewed as an opportunity.  It is a new beginning in which you can choose to partake of even greater happiness and pleasure from life.

Human life is a gift (I know this is a very trite statement).  The key to having the best possible retirement experience is to continue to explore all the opportunities the gift of life offers us.

Sadly, for many of my loyal readers as I move into retirement I do plan to keep posting to this blog, although perhaps not daily, so you will still need to put up with my very random musings (if you so choose),

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Choose Happiness

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Sometimes I envy my friends and colleagues who are always in a bouncy and up mood whenever I encounter them.  Thinking about it though I realize they probably do not have anything that I don’t.

I understand intuitively and logically that they take pleasure in all they do and so their life is filled with joy.  It is just a choice and probably a simple one at that.  But everyone does not choose that path.

Simple but Complex

Choosing pleasure over pain, deciding it only makes sense to find the joy in everything, and behave accordingly does not seem to be the kind of thing rocket science is needed to figure out.

Yet, I find it requires effort to be happy.  Doubt, fear, worry to name just a few of the less desirable emotions seems to occur even when not desired.

This is not just a personal observation but widespread among people I regularly interact with.  It is too rare and always enjoyable to run into someone who has chosen happiness and joy.  You want to talk to them, the good feelings are contagious.

It would appear simple to choose to be in a constant state of pleasure yet, surprisingly, that does not appear to be the case for most folks.

Perspective

Each of us can choose our own particular attitude toward anything.  Our way regarding something, that is a point of view.  This is of course influenced by our environment and other people.

We need to work hard to choose the best perspective, perhaps the optimistic joyful view, when pitted against many obstacles.  This is why even though it is the logical choice we do not always choose a happy perspective.

The key is to pause and remember regardless of the circumstances, it is your choice.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Friday Yet?

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Many of us work for others and receive compensation for doing so.   A common full time work schedule is Monday to Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

There are of course multitudinous variations to that schedule and variances in employment types from part-time, contract to seasonal only.  This post focuses on the common but applies to all the situations.

Working for the Weekend

Throughout my working career I would occasionally run into those who asked on Monday; Is it Friday yet?  Or of course, I oft encountered those who practiced the mantra TGIF (Thank god it’s Friday).

For the majority of people working for fiscal compensation whether derived from others or directly from your own efforts is standard practice.

Don’t Waste It

Work (in this context)  usually takes up a large percentage of our waking hours (40% to 50% for most) and goes on usually from your early twenties to mid to late sixties.  (65% to 70% of your life).

Given the majority of our lives are spent working we are far better off to both enjoy and derive pleasure from it.  To do otherwise draws into question (at least for me) what our life goals or purpose is.

To detest the work we have chosen to do such that we are just working for the weekend (analogous to working for time-off) and for the money deserves a real wake-up call.  You need to get out and make a change.

There is no excuse for not enjoying what you spend most of your time on, it is a choice.  At the most basic level choose to enjoy what you are doing.  It is totally within your capability to do so.

OR

Make a change to doing something you enjoy doing, life is too short to do otherwise.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Celebrate, dance to the music

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Celebration contributes to our ongoing joy, it behooves us to find a purpose for marking our pleasure at an important event or occasion or just by engaging in enjoyable, typically social, activity, every day.

Holidays are designated days of ceremony, on and off as both individuals and  social groups we select significant events and milestones to celebrate but these celebrations are selective and not continuous.

Life is Short

In the context of the Universe and time as we know it our own lives are just a drop in pond.  From that perspective celebrating everything continuously only makes sense.

While the following is a trite and a well worn phrase, our life is a celebration in and of itself we should not waste any moment under a cloud of fear, anxiety or other stressful feelings.

However small or large, beautiful or ugly scary or relaxing everything we experience is ours to enjoy and celebrate.  Logically why would we choose otherwise.

Choose Pleasure

One of the greatness opportunities of life is a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment.  Why entertain anything but the joy we derive from pleasure.

We can find distinctive pleasure in everything.  An open and optimistic perspective is all you need to do this.  How you perceive your personal interactions and the things around you is core to achieving personal enjoyment.

Simply put, choose pleasure every-time, what possible reasons can there be not to.  It is only logical.

Pass it On

Another significant reason to find pleasure and celebrate everything  around you at all time is the fact it is infectious.  Your celebration will very quickly be joined by others.

Spread the joy.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Don’t Worry Be Happy

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Time spent in a state of happy satisfaction is time well spent.   Seeking to feel joy as frequently as possible, maybe continuously, is nothing to be ashamed of.

This approach to life is neither arrogant or self-centered.  After all other people contribute to our joy just as we can be an integral part of theirs. You will still be part of the whole, just happy about it.

Pleasure for All

The key aspect of seeking to be continuously happy that moves it out of the realm of hedonism and selfishness is also believing in happiness for everyone.

Without being able to experience empathy we probably can never be really happy.   Human beings are social by nature, the extent of which can vary from introverted to extroverted behavior but even introverts are social.

Empathy is about sharing the feelings of others, to be effective this practise should be neither about you or about them but rather simply comprehension.

Embrace Joy

Enjoyment is a feeling.  While their are sub-conscious components to feeling interpreting and converting your feelings to joyful moments can be nothing more than a mental exercise.

Being sensitive to both your own and other peoples feelings, understanding what they are and the root cause is simply a tool you can use to to take charge.

Why would you let how you feel be unpleasant?  Everything we experience can be interpreted as contributing to our happiness and there is no good reason not to.

Unhappiness cannot be justified.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Enjoying what you do

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There are reams of material around the value of enjoying how you use your time.  Roughly speaking we can divide our time into three categories:

  • leisure – free time which is not constrained by a need to act in a certain way
  • working. – any time your actions are at the disposal of your employer (including self-employment). This includes paid and voluntary employment
  • sleeping -the voluntary absence of wakefulness associated with the loss of consciousness (different from “sleeping with” which refers to sexual relations)

Whatever you are doing, regardless of the focus or category almost all studies indicate you do it better the more you enjoy it.  Although a bit subjective enjoyment is broadly considered things we perceive as pleasurable.

Without Joy

I ask myself if the activity I am doing brings no joy, why am I doing it.  Obviously we have needs that go beyond constantly seeking pleasure alone but those are the ones to avoid whenever you can.

Whether at work, leisure, or sleeping the absence of joy makes the activity less likely to be performed with vigor and enthusiasm.  So what’s the point?

Hedonistic

Being engaged solely in the pursuit of pleasure characterized by sensual self-indulgence is not what I am advocating here.  Enjoying or deriving pleasure from all you do is a strategy not an absolute.

Considering others and building them into your personal pleasure profile is tantamount to achieving the objective.

The purpose of this post is to highlight the value of seeking to enjoy all you do whenever possible.   This is perhaps a form of hedonism but I would not classify it as hedonistic behavior.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Enjoy the Moment

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Relative to the age of the universe, as best we can guess it, our earthly human lives are but a brief moment in time.  We can speculate what happens after this life but it is not definitively known.

During our short lives, we have the opportunity to experience joy and pleasure.   Of course, we can also experience pain and unhappiness and every range of emotion in-between.

Control

What we experience is not totally in our control.  Events, the activities and interventions of others and perhaps extra-sensory factors are not always fully in our control.

How we react to the things going on around us, what we feel can be controlled by us consciously albeit sometimes requiring quite a bit of effort.

Our sub-conscious can take over sometimes without us even realizing it.  Hence negative emotions and feelings can arise within us before we are able to take control and quench them.

Blind Happiness and Joy

I firmly believe how I feel at any point in time is up to me and fully my choice however reality does intrude and I do find this is not always the case.

Or perhaps it is and I choose (even to a largely sub-conscious extent) to worry, be fearful, sad and unhappy on occassion.   Given the negative context of these feelings though, I wonder why I would ever choose this route (but maybe that is part of life).

I wonder if joy, pleasure, and happiness can be continual and uninterrupted if I choose to make it so.  My experience seems to lead to the conclusion this is not the case.

That being said, taking control of how I feel and channeling my thoughts and behavior to the positive is always worth the effort although sometimes it is not always doable.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Don’t forget to have fun

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The purpose of our lives whether holistic to the entire population of the earth, individual or by cultural groups most likely includes a component of pleasure.

This should not be applied in the hedonistic sense, personal pleasure at the expense of everything else,  but for each of us life without pleasure to some extent will be quite empty and void.

Anytime

I have run into dissenters from time to time but my own philosophy is fun, laughing, joy are always appropriate.  Actually probably even more so in dire circumstances.

I my life on earth was not intended to bring joy (both to myself and others) than what?  I can imagine no other purpose and while times of adversity are sometimes unavoidable the ability to create fun is always within your grasp.

Appropriate Behavior

I will concede that social and cultural norms do put some limitations on when and how to have fun, but these can always be overcome, albeit gently.

Crashing a sober occasion like a bull in a china shop with joyous antics clearly is not appropriate but being somber and sad exclusively is not necessary.

I told appropriate amusing anecdotes at my parents funerals, in good taste and within acceptable context of the audience.   This went over exceeding well and I received many complements.

Don’t Let Calamity Overwhelm

Laugh through your tears, you will never regret it.  My own personal mantra, sadness should be a fleeting emotion, joy and happiness forever.

Bring a little humor and fun to everything you do, I guarantee you will never regret it.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

It begins with you

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Happiness begins with you.  Happiness, pleasure, joy, etc are all emotions which belong to you and you decide when and if they apply to you. 

The state of your mind is under your control, albeit influenced by other people and things.  We often say something brings us joy or makes us feel pleasure. 

In reality we choose to feel joy or pleasure, the influencing factors definitely have an impact on this choice but no matter what the circumstances it is still ultimately a personal choice. 

Success is a Choice

If your goal is to win a high jump competition, the objective is to jump higher than anyone else.  Alternately your goal might to be just to participate in the competition and have fun.

The bar you set for success belongs to you.  It is not cast in stone.  Your may set your goal low or high and after making the attempt you might accept the lesser achievement.  It is your choice.

Your happiness is what you choose it to be.  Everything begins and ends with you.  Others cannot decide how you choose to feel, influence it – yes, decide – no.

Choose Enjoyment

I start each day with a shower.  While shower I set the tone for my day.  I decide to be happy and content.  By the time I am drying myself with the towel I am a happy and content person, because I choose to be.

This simple technique makes ever day of my life a joy.  My pleasure cannot be undermined by the external events of the day  because I have protected myself with a happy attitude from the beginning.

 

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Use it or Lose it

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Abilities not used are abilities wasted. That is, when you have the capability to achieve something worthwhile, yet choose not to, no purpose is served, an opportunity is wasted.

Of course every action, our entire behaviour throughout life does not have to be purpose focused; however, not being all you can be does seem to be a misuse of your time on earth.

For Your Pleasure

Having a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment is subjective to an extent.  Recognizing variations to the magnitude of impact,  when some activity is considered pleasurable it would probably be considered pleasurable by others as well.

In general, things that create pleasure for one person often generate similar feelings for others.   Accomplishment and satisfaction are generally pleasurable to all.

By inference, using your capabilities to the max, rather than letting them be idle, will lead to accomplishment, satisfaction, and pleasure.  It is worth extending yourself.

Missed Opportunity

If you don’t try using your ability when the opportunity presents itself you may not get another chance.  If you don’t leverage your abilities to the maximum when you can, you might lose the ability to do so (use it or lose it)

A word of caution though,  stretching your abilities beyond your known capability is not recommended.  This could be painful and have negative consequences.

However, when you have the ability to try with a reasonable expectation of success to not do so is a waste.  Don’t be wasteful, go for it.