Modern pampering: Fuel the mind.

"Curious people are interesting people, I wonder why that is." –Bill Maher-



"UGH,I need a day off, I need a massage, I need a day of pampering" these are the many quotes that I hear on a daily basis at my work. But what actually goes into a "day of pampering" How does one "pamper" it sounds messy, but let's take a look:



The definition of "pamper" is to cater excessively to someone or to his or her desires or feelings. To pamper is to gratify appetites, tastes, or desires. The way that one might "pamper" themselves might include having a delicious dinner, tasting an expensive wine, or getting an hour long massage. When you pamper, you involve all of your sense; sight, smell, touch, taste, hear. It becomes a euphoric experience that helps relax your body and your mind. My favorite way of pampering is getting some nice scented candles, get my favorite calming music, which includes Mozart's Piano Sonata No.4, scented soap, bubble bath liquid and a face mask made from mashed avocado and honey. I sit in the tub and melt away all of the anger and frustration of the day. But what if we swapped the bubble bath for a book? Or for a nature walk? Or maybe we talk in an art exhibit?
We have all heard the saying "A mind is a terrible thing to waste"? Well why don't we all start pampering our minds? Let me explain….
Let me preface this by saying I was not the best student in school. It wasn't until I got to college where I started to really take an interest in school. I was never interested in reading…AT ALL.
Recently, I have begun to read…A lot. It's the beginning of the summer and I have already read 3 books, all of which are more than 300 pages. What I have realized as I began my journey into the world of books is that the more I read, the more I wanted to read. I would read about music and then I would want to learn more about composers, I would read about politics (which I love) and I am now starting the biography of Bill Clinton. Each and every word I read took me to another world that expanded my mind and my soul. I actually feel smarter than I was at the beginning of the summer.


I have also been really into Sudoku lately, which really stretches your brain muscles. I know it may sound crazy, but I do feel better, meaning more awake and alert because of the increase of reading and math puzzles. I feel that we (Americans) do not do enough to keep our minds sharp. I remember on school vacations I would not want to do anything related to school. My mother and I would fight constantly about doing math games, summer reading and word games. I should have listen to my mother because when I went back in the fall, I would feel like I was behind, even on the first day of school.

Now that I am older and wiser, I look forward to doing the things I hated as a child, like reading. Not for nothing, my mind does feel pampered; I am loading up on anything you can think of; politics, news, art, entertainment with a big slab of classical music thrown in for some flavor. We have so much in this world that is just waiting to be explored. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good massage from time to time. But using your mind is the best thing in the world. Even though you may not know it, your brain can be used for more than just handling the mundane tasks of life. It can be used for experiencing life in a whole new way. This means thinking outside your normal realm and doing something just because you think it's fun. You may find out something about yourself you never knew.

Me??????
I found out that I am all about Frank Sinatra. His music, way of life and his attitude. Maybe I should get out of the wet bathtub and into a dry martini.