Take Pleasure - an excerpt from Just One Thing. Part II of the book focuses on enjoying life. For more information and to order, visit http://bit.ly/qgZRiz.

1. Just One Thing
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Take Pleasure
W hen you find pleasure in life, you are not pushing
away things that are hard or painful. You are simply
opening up to the sweet stuff that’s already around you—
and basking, luxuriating, and delighting in it.
This activates the calming and soothing parasympa-
thetic wing of your autonomic nervous system, and quiets
the fight-or-flight sympathetic wing and its stress-response
hormones. Besides lifting your mood, settling your fears,
and brightening your outlook, the stress relief of taking
pleasure offers physical health benefits, too: strengthening
your immune system, improving digestion, and balancing
hormones.
How
Relish the pleasures of daily life, starting with your senses:
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2. Enjoy Life
L What smells good? The skin of an orange, wood
smoke on the air, dinner on the stove, a young
child’s hair . . .
L Tastes delicious? Strong coffee, delicate tea,
French toast—chocolate!—tossed salad, goat
cheese . . .
L Looks beautiful? Sunrise, sunset, full moon, a
baby sleeping, red leaves in autumn, images of
galaxies, fresh fallen snow . . .
L Sounds wonderful? Waves on the seashore, wind
through pine trees, a dear friend laughing,
Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, silence itself . . .
L Feels good on your skin? Newly washed sheets, a
good back scratch, warm water, a fresh breeze on
a muggy day . . .
Next, include the mind: What do you like to think
about or remember. For example, bring to mind a favorite
setting—a mountain meadow, a tropical beach, a cozy liv-
ing room chair—and imagine yourself there.
Last, savor these pleasures. Sink into them, take your
time with them, and let them fill your body and mind.
Marinate in pleasure! Notice any resistance to feeling
really good, any thought that it is foolish or wrong . . . and
then see if you can let that go. And fall back into pleasure.
Enjoy yourself!
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