Treat yourself well. No guilt allowed!

Recently,
when the weather took a dip on the cold side, I put on a fleece
sweatshirt I had not worn in quite a while. I slid my hand into one of
the pockets and felt something inside. To my delight, I pulled out a
wad of money.

It wasn’t a lot of money. It amounted to twelve dollars and ten cents,
but I was really excited. I wasn’t excited because it was money, but
because of what it represented. I’ve always felt that money found in
the pocket is money that should be spent on a “treat.” If I didn’t miss
it, then when I find it, it’s like bonus money. It should be spent on
things like ice cream or a pedicure.

Twelve dollars is a decent amount of Ben and Jerry’s.

As I pondered what to do with my twelve dollars, it led me to thinking
about the whole idea of “treating” oneself. I thought to myself, “How
do people treat themselves?” in both senses of the word. How do you
give yourself a present? And how do you behave towards yourself in
general?

Do you give yourself presents? Not necessarily buying yourself
something, a present could be anything. It could be permission to sit
on the couch with your favorite blanket and rent a movie. It could be
an afternoon at a museum you’ve been “meaning” to visit, or dinner with
a good friend at a restaurant that’s a little more expensive than
usual. What would you do with money found in your pocket?

How does this reflect on how you treat yourself in general? Would you
buy ice cream and then beat yourself up for it afterwards, or would you
eat it and enjoy it and move on. Would you call yourself lazy for
spending the afternoon on the couch, or would you enjoy the relaxation
you probably deserve. Would you obsess over the dinner bill, or would
you relish the time with your good friend?

We find a lot of ways to label ourselves. I hear it every day – people
call themselves all sorts of horrible things and fill their heads with
negative thoughts about who they are. What good things do you say about
yourself and how often do you do it? When do we acknowledge our skills,
instead of our shortcomings? Celebrate our successes, instead of
dwelling on our failures?

Or even more simply than that – when do you remind yourself that you’re
attractive, smart or funny? Because, odds are, you’re all those things
and a lot more.

Next time you find change in your pants pocket, or dollar bills in your rain jacket, ask yourself – how will I treat myself?