On The Road To Self-Nurturing

These few pages of every issue are dedicated to the incredible locales within arm’s reach of New Orleans. For those with a sense of adventure and a few spare hours, new experiences are waiting just around the corner.

- Laurie G. Fisher

How did self-indulgence become such an unseemly deed? Why do we squeal, “I’m so bad!” when we eat dessert first or feel both giddiness and guilt when we spend a day shopping? Perhaps we dread the possible outcomes of indulgence (i.e., weight gain and credit card debt), or maybe we want to avoid it altogether, lest our willpower crumble and we spiral into full-on addictions? Or, sadly, perhaps we feel we do not deserve the pleasure of fulfilling a frivolous craving now and then?

It seems the word “indulge” has become problematic, with its negative connotations getting in the way of our enjoying ourselves. How about a change in both vocabulary and perspective? Consider your treating yourself to a moment of superficial gratification not as “self-indulging,” but as “self-nurturing.” Nurturing yourself is good for the spirit, so if you spend a little too long at the roulette table, who cares? Afterwards, you will feel renewed!