Hedonist

he·don·ism

/ˈhēdəˌnizəm,ˈhedənˌizəm/

noun

1. the pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence.

• PHILOSOPHY

the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.

When I was a young teen, my dad bought me a book on philosophy. We both share a love for progressive thinking and big ideas. Within months, this book was practically tattered from me flipping through it, and taking notes; but one particular section was more worn out that others: Hedonism.

Growing up in Lutheran School, and being female, I was not exactly encouraged to pursue anything pleasurable. Realistically, "pleasure" had been flagged as a naughty word within my subconscious mind. Despite all my societal programming, hedonism caught my eye, and sucked me in.

I'm a bit...worldly, and I like it.

During the first mediumship reading I received, this medium told me, "Your guides say you're worldly. You enjoy earth. You always have."

I do. I really, really do.

And that's okay. It's more than okay, it's fantastic.

Eating, touching, walking, dancing, meeting new people, smelling all the smells, and feeling all the feels- yes, please. There are so many amazing sensory things we get to experience while we're driving these meat vehicles here on earth, and I'm all about it. I'm a big fan of the human experience. I enjoy being human.

It's very easy to get caught up in hedonism, to the point we over do it. Staying up too late to binge watch shows, eating too much, drinking too much, working too much, socializing too much, sleeping too much, volunteering too much... some times hedonism can lead to being extra, and extra is what we want to avoid.

This world is our playground if we want it to be, this is true; but the ability and act of practicing moderation in all things makes playtime a lot better. Practicing moderation isn't just important to keep us out of trouble, it also helps keep us out of compulsive AND impulsive behaviors. Moderation helps us prevent entering and getting stuck in negative cycles.

When we aren't moderating our behavior, it's all too easy to fall into addiction. Food addictions. Alcohol addictions. Drug addictions. Dating addictions. Exercise addictions. Caffeine addictions. The human being can seemingly become addicted to anything! Consider hoarding, this is an addiction to ... stuff. The human being can become addicted to STUFF.

Although impulsivity is opposite of compulsivity, it isn't all that different. Rash action is a by-product of acting without thinking and/or caring about the outcome. Addictive action is a by-product of acting without thinking and/or caring about the outcome. Both impulsive and compulsive actions showcase a lack of mind control. Practicing moderation is practicing mind control; and mind control is quintessential to manifestation, holistic well-being, and spiritual development. To be fully engaged in a spiritual practice, we must practice moderation and mind control.

However, it's very easy to get caught up in spiritual practice, to the point we forget to enjoy being human. It's easy to put all of one's focus on Spirit Side, it's pretty dreamy there. I personally have found myself pushing further and further into Spirit Side, and forgetting that being in the ether is not my "job" right now. Being human is my job right now. We are Spiritual entities having a human experience.

When I first began my Spiritual Practice at Chapel of Awareness, I over moderated myself. My routine, my diet, and my mind were militant; and my joy was non-existent. I moderated my life to the point it became a hard, cold, pleasureless existence; but then one day I received a very important message from Paul, "Relax, you're trying too hard." I was! This message from Paul awakened the hedonist in me once again, and I realized: all things in moderation, even moderation.

Be a hedonist. Have desires, and pursue them. Take pleasure in this worldly playground, and enjoy yourself. Allow your joy to hold your compass. Life is suffering, but you do not have to suffer. Practice moderation in all things, even moderation.

Skål!