I don’t know when it started but probably as an adult I treated
myself to a blow out for my Leap Year birthday every 4 years. I didn’t wait for
someone to give me a party or a gift because I made myself a birthday party and,
sure it was/is tacky, I would give out a list what I wanted as gifts. (Hang in
there because I will be giving a gift list for my 20th Leap Year birthday
February 29th, 2016!)
I treated myself with grand gestures such as seeing Bette Midler,
Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Patti LuPone and others in concerts. I took
trips to New Zealand, South America, Australia plus drove around the USA and I
bought a convertible car once or twice. With all that I treated myself, when I
felt I deserved, or needed, it on a low scale, too.
So what if I treated myself to a manicure when I got a haircut? I had
bitten my nails for the first 31 years of my life and when I decided to stop I
would get a manicure to help me continue not biting them.
I didn’t have/need/want a cell phone so I would treat myself to a new
printer when I wanted one or I would buy a book I wanted to read. I treat myself
every Friday to a movie and lunch as a reward for doing what I did the previous
week even if it was just getting through the week.
There was a time I worked hard on writing a book an getting it
published. Most people would say just seeing the printed book with its rainbow
cover was enough an award but I knew the work that went into it so I rewarded
myself with a pocket digital camera.
I have everything I need but not everything I want and I have a list
of those that I use as a treat to get something done that I really don’t want to
do but has to be done! And yes a treat can be chocolate candy, a carrot cake or
ice cream or, heck, all three if it was a really something I didn’t want to do
like cleaning anything! I HATE housework of any kind so I deserve a treat when I
do it.
I really think this whole treat business started when I joined Weight
Watchers in 1967 and as I lost weight I would reward myself--no not with food!
Each 10 pounds I lost I would buy myself a new article of clothing and I was
lucky to lose weight in the late 1960s when men started to be peacocks! Yes I
bought the see through shirts and pants, the Nehru jacket, the turtlenecks and
many other things that I wouldn’t wear today!!
When I gave up smoking I rewarded myself with buying a new CD or DVD
plus buy tickets for plays I wanted to see. I motivated myself when I gave up
drinking with a way I won’t talk about here!
I deserve a reward, a treat, for doing everything I set out to today
yesterday and today so I’ll look at my treat list and pick something out for
it.
Okay you did something today that you deserve to treat/reward
yourself. What was it and what/how are you going to reward yourself? A massage?
That crockpot you have been wanting to buy? A new computer chair? A frame for
that picture you wanted to hang up? Hey and then a reward for hanging up the
picture! How about the luxury of a nap? A ‘do not disturb’ bath? WHAT?