Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to talk about moderation, indulgence, and happiness. So these days, we live in the so called consumer culture. So we're kind of encouraged to work hard and then play hard and reward ourselves for all of our hard work. So we might reward ourselves by indulging in food, wine, or drugs or certain experiences, or perhaps through shopping, fashion.

You know, buying nice things for the home or the latest electronics. Now there's nothing at all wrong with enjoying nice things and there's no need at all to feel guilty or ashamed for enjoying or having nice things. But when it comes to our own personal wellbeing and happiness, it's really important to notice if our indulgences are actually giving us what we want. You know, relaxation, fulfillment, nourishment, happiness, joy. Sometimes we enjoy indulgences from a real place of balance and nourishment, but at other times maybe we do it to numb ourselves from stress or overwhelm.

Sometimes we do it to fill a hole within ourselves or to distract ourselves. And sometimes we might do it because we're lured by images on TV, advertising or social media that show us this kind of like idea or ideal of how we're supposed to be. So it's really important these days, more than ever, to be aware of our impulses and influences. And the effects of our indulgences so that we don't end up consumed by our consumerism. So we don't end up overeating, pulled into addictions or wasting our money or time on things we don't really need and don't make us truly happy.

You know, moderation isn't a very sexy word these days, right? But it is part of the philosophy of most wisdom traditions. And the reason for that is because moderation is actually based on a deep sense of self-awareness. Moderation doesn't mean not indulging in anything and not having any fun anymore or not being able to blow off steam every now and then. Rather it's about being aware of how and why we consume, how we maybe get into patterns of over-consuming or overindulgence, and seeing the difference between what's truly life-giving and enhancing, and what's not. And then being now able to change our habits to support a more consistent sense of happiness, love and contentment in our lives.

With this mindset, moderation is not in any way in opposition to our desires and pleasures. It's an invitation to look deeply and honestly at what the overall effects are on our lives, what's working for us and what's not. So today and the week ahead, just inviting you to keep in mind the philosophy of moderation. Consider when you feel an impulse to indulge, why you want to do it, and what's the underlying reason or influence or motivation and consider whether it's genuinely going to be nourishing for you. And then when you do that behavior, just notice the effect after doing it.

This is really mindfulness in action ingrained in our daily lives. So through moderation we can grow in self-awareness while at the same time growing a lasting sense of joy and fulfillment in our lives. So enjoy the practice and as always thank you for your practice. And just inviting you now to settle in for today's meditation.