Passionate Self Care IX – Basking-A Delicious Part of Passionate Self Care
Bask vi. To expose oneself pleasantly to warmth, another’s favor, etc.
Because the Law of Attraction dictates that you get more of what you focus on, you can best leverage it by doing everything in your power to stay in a good mood. When we are feeling good we can only attract into our lives other circumstances and things that also feel good.
Basking is actively feeling good. You cannot bask unconsciously. By its very nature, basking requires you to be conscious of how pleasant you are feeling in the moment.
If you want to see what basking looks like follow a cat around for a few hours—cats have taken basking to an art form. They lie in the sun at any opportunity. They will stretch and preen when they are being petted. You can hear audible evidence of their basking–it’s called purring.
Family occasions often trigger basking. At weddings, you’ll see a parent basking in the knowledge that their child has married well. At family reunions, if you look, you will sometimes see one person sitting and drinking it all in–the laughter, the hugs, the dancing–basking in how much love there is in the room.
Musical performances, art museums, sporting events, children’s plays, a day by the seashore– all places where people bask. Those who have learned this skill are deeply contented. No matter what is going on around them, they always seem able to find something to warm their hearts.
You wouldn’t think the kitchen would necessarily be a place to bask but for those who love to cook, it is. I’m not one of those people. However, since my honey Bill was diagnosed with cancer, I’ve begun to cook in earnest. The part I dislike the most is the prep work, particularly what’s involved in preparing fresh vegetables for a nutritious salad. So instead of doing it every day, l prepare, clean, cut and chop every 3-4 days. Last week I decided I would really make it fun. I put my laptop on the kitchen counter and downloaded a stand-up comedy show from Netflix. I chopped and laughed, cut and laughed (thankfully, not any of my fingers) and I generally had a good time.
What less-than-fun tasks do you have in your life that basking could transform? For example, do you love music? When you have to do something you dislike could you put some music on to make the task more pleasurable? (if you REALLY want to have fun, dance to the music!)
If you enjoy working on a team, are there things in your life that you could enlist a team to help with? Be creative. Look to see where it is that you naturally bask and see if you can bring more of that into other areas of your life.
My friend Sara always hated to exercise but loves the outdoors. She read about an athlete in her hometown who lost the use of his legs and transferred his sport to wheelchair racing. She decided right then and there that she would never take her legs for granted again. She started hiking every day. Not only did she naturally bask in being outdoors, she also began to bask in the feeling of using her legs. She loved the feeling of the muscles working so well together. She loved the slight burn when she went up and down hills. And she certainly loved the sights and smells of the various places she hiked. Today she loves to exercise.
You needn’t do anything so ambitious. Basking is reward in itself. The more you bask, the better your life will be. You don’t have to wait and hope to come back in your next life as a cat or a dog (a desire I hear from many people). Start to bask and you’ll be living “a dog’s life”.
Basking each and every day will do more to attract what you want in your life than 16 hours of hard work that you begrudge. Like attracts like–that’s the most important thing to remember.
I’d love to hear how YOU bask. Write and let me know!
This is the ninth installment in my series on Passionate Self Care. Go to http://silverspeaks.com/blogs/ for related articles.
