Savor the Most Fleeting Delights

“Savor the most fleeting delights of your days.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a tasty bite in chopsticks

Image from theeatenpath.com

The word “savor” makes me think of appreciating of a fine meal with, perhaps, a glass of excellent wine.

Surely none of us would inhale that meal or guzzle that wine the way we would a burger and soda from a fast food chain!

Unfortunately, many of us race from one activity to another throughout our days, trying to be optimally efficient, and of course, highly productive.

What does running this rat race cost us in terms of our happiness and life satisfaction?

What would be the value and benefit of slowing down to truly savor and appreciate the delights of your day?

EXERCISE:

Consider creating a time log to identify where your time goes in a typical workday or weekend.

How and where will you do less, or stop doing some activities, in order to do more of, or start savoring, the things that delight you?

“You can only lose what you cling to.”

“You can only lose what you cling to.”
— Health Magazine published by Dr. Burke’s Sanitarium, of Sonoma County, California December 1905

Photo from Flickr by Mary Anne Enriquez

Photo from Flickr by Mary Anne Enriquez

Are there people in your life you would describe as “clingy”?

Perhaps they hold on tightly, invade your personal space, have an overly strong attachment or dependency, to you or another, or resist letting go of the past.

What response does their “clinginess” elicit from others?

Today’s quote implies that the more we cling to something, the more likely we are to lose it – whether that something is an inanimate object, or another person.

EXERCISE:

How might loosening your grip on the things you value lead to a more abundant life?

“It’s easy to get people’s attention; what counts is getting their interest.”

“It’s easy to get people’s attention; what counts is getting their interest.”

-Philip Randolph, Civil Rights Activist

Photo from Flickr by Kathleen Donovan

Photo from Flickr by Kathleen Donovan

If you haven’t been sleeping the past few years, you, too, have experienced an onslaught of technological, attention-and-interest grabbing resources, such as:

  • Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
  • Mobile Apps
  • Skype, Facetime
  • YouTube, Video Games, Satellite or Cable TV
  • Blogs, email

Observe people in any mall, shopping center, or restaurant, and notice what percent are heads-down, looking at their smartphones.

What percentage of these attention-grabbing pursuits also engage people’s sincere interest and make some meaningful contributions?

EXERCISE

Given that the speed and amount of attention-grabbing choices will increase dramatically in the years ahead, what strategies have you found useful to sort through the abundance of options, to find and select the items that are of interest to you in your professional and personal lives?

Please reply to this post with your most helpful strategies.

“No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”

“No man becomes rich unless he enriches others.”

– Andrew Carnegie, 19th century industrialist

Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century.

He was also one of the most highly profiled philanthropists of his time, and in an article he wrote titled “The Gospel of Wealth,” he called on other people of means to use their wealth to improve society.

Exercise:

Explore how you could contribute your own riches and resources, including gifts, talents, skills, and abilities to improve the lives of others.

As you give of yourself, you’ll discover what Carnegie knew: your own life will become even richer.