Instant Gratification: The GOOD Kind

I’ve used to have a less-than-savory relationship with the words “instant gratification.”  I was raised by society to think they’d make me gluttonous, and an empty, selfish person.

And there’s some truth to that, as some of the instantly gratifying experiences can quickly turn into addiction (i.e. drugs, alcohol, shopping, sex, Facebook, etc.), and it’s up to us to engage self-discipline around them.

Let’s glance at instant gratifications with positive goggles on – my preferred type of eyewear… and look:

8 Positive Ways to Delight in Instant Gratification:
1.  Listen to someone else while looking into his or her eyes.
2.  Ask for, or give a hug.
3.  Experience your breath.
4.  Stretch your body.
5.  Sing a tone – any tone.  If it turns into a song, great.  If not, great.
6.  Dance!
7.  Eat; primarily food that tastes good & makes your body feel good.
8.  Put your thoughts aside for a moment and become present with what/who is in front of you.  If it’s a bookcase, glance at the books with gratitude for each one.  If it’s a plant, look at its amazing life-giving veins.  If it’s a person, examine their truest nature.  Find something about them that is beautiful.

All of these things will give you instant results, will make you feel vibrant, and will have more profound benefits than you even realize in the moment!

If we want to delve deeper, we could say that the ability to let go of all earthly pleasures, and be one with the moment is the highest form of presence, eliminating the desire to be instantly gratified.

Well, if you meditate, you create this for yourself with each breath!

And, what I’ve found in my exploration of the world around me is that I need a balance of “letting go” and clearing my mind (expanding my internal world), and enhancing and enriching my mind + connections with those around me (expanding my external world).

I am not perfect, and frankly, don’t want to be. 

But the more I connect with myself and with the moment, the more present and available I become to connect with others.

It’s a beautiful world:  LET’S ENJOY ITS PLEASURES. 

Allow yourself to be addicted less, and instantly gratify yourselves with presence, more.

AND – A SHOUT OUT of GRATITUDE that we have access to food, water, people (mostly who love and like us), and our own bodies that serve as instruments, tools, and exercise machines.

So in a sense, INSTANT GRATIFICATION really equals PRESENCE. 

Here’s to living in the NOW.

“When we awaken to the present moment, everything is instantly gratifying.” ~Ariella

What is one of your favorite healthy, heartfelt instant gratifications?
Do tell below in the comment section…