10 SIMPLE PLEASURES

Here is a list of simple pleasures we all experience but might struggle to see. It is probably impossible for most of us to realise how beautiful life is, instead, we only see the negative sides. As Clint Eastwood said: "If you think it's going to rain, it will ".

Open your eyes and look around...

• Food. The pleasure we feel when eating something delicious or a meal we haven't tasted in a while, when cooking and appreciating different flavours, smells, colours and textures.
• Beverage. How good does it feel to drink whatever you want, whenever you want it? To feel a glass of refreshing water going down your throat during a hot day, to shiver when dipping your lips into a hot chocolate?
• Love. To fall in love is such a wonderful and incredible feeling. To wake up next to this special person, to spend most of your time with them, sometimes your whole life. To enjoy every second because you know life is too short to be wasted. 
• Laughter. To laugh in silence, at loud or for no reason. To experience hilarious moments until your muscles hurt, to remember something really funny, to act like idiots because you don't care about what people think.
• Sleep. After a long tiring day, lying in a comfy bed and enjoying sleep is one of the best feeling in the world. To feel the pain in your muscles slowly disappearing, your eyes resting and your mind clearing - ah, what a luxury ! Especially when experiencing wonderful dreams.
• Breathe. Lots of people don't know how to breathe properly and ignore the importance of it. However, breathing is the perfect remedy for lots of ailments. Sitting, standing up or lying down, pull your shoulders back, lift your head up and breathe through your belly, deeply and slowly. Let it expand and relax freely with every breath. Quickly, you should feel much more serene and confident.

• Exercise. The ability to exercise is not given to anyone. But really, is it not extraordinary to get up and go for a walk, to go anywhere you like through the power of your body? To run in a park, to dance under the rain, to swim in the sea, to play any sport you want, to climb hills and mountains?
• Touch. Any physical contact that gives you warmth and happiness, makes you feel loved, attractive, relaxed, needed... hugging a friend, kissing someone you love, holding hands, receiving a massage, petting an animal, holding a baby, dancing, making love, laying your head on one's shoulder...
• Hygiene. When you wake up in the morning or simply when it is needed, hygiene becomes such a huge pleasure: brush your teeth, take a long shower or enjoy a warm bath, wash your hair, shave/hydrate your skin, take care of your nails, put fresh clothes on...
• Entertainment. What a delight to be entertained ! To spend hours reading a novel or any artwork, to watch a documentary, a film, a play that make your heart beat faster, to listen to the radio, a musician, the birds singing, a passionate speech, to observe the wildlife, visit a museum, explore new places, make a fire, look at a sunset, play with your pet (see: LIFE IS BETTER WITH A DOG )...
• Knowledge. The ability to learn should never be taken for granted. One life isn't enough to gain all the skills and knowledge we want, and yet not many of us use our brain capacity to discover, study, understand, memorise, explore and observe. There are so many people we could learn from, if only we wanted to.