December 7, 2020 • 7 mins
Whether it's wine, chocolate or fancy soap, use things you like right now rather than saving them. They will be a reminder to enjoy life in the moment and not defer happiness.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to the Gratitude Diaries, a production of My Heart Radio.
Hi I'm Janice Kaplan. Thanks for joining me for more
practical advice on how to be happier. Today's tip enjoy
a few favorite things that you have right now and
let yourself experience them with gratitude. Whenever I get a
(00:27):
special gift, I usually hold onto it for a while.
I like to think that I'm savoring it, but the
truth is, if it's something like a candle, I don't
want to use it up, and if it's a pretty platter,
I don't want to break it or chip it, So
maybe it just sits in the closet, unused and unappreciated.
(00:48):
The other day, I ran out of the hand soap
usually buy the drug store. I didn't have another bottle
like I usually do, so I scrounged through my closet
and I found a very elegant contain ner of ridiculously
expensive soap that someone had given me many holidays ago.
It smells just wonderful. I had no alternative, so I
(01:10):
put it on my sink, and for the last few
days I have been very happy every time I use it.
The experience made me wonder why we so often defer
the pleasures that will make us feel more grateful right now.
Maybe we think will be more worthy of the nice soap,
the expensive chocolate, or the special champagne sometime in the future.
(01:35):
Psychologists say that a lot of people pin their happiness
to future events. You figure you'll be happier when you
get a raise, find the right mate, or maybe just
lose some weight, so you defer everything until then. But
as we've talked about often on this podcast, it's never
events that make you happy, it's your attitude toward them.
(01:58):
Being grateful right now for who you are and what
you have may make you feel a little more deserving
of using that nice soap. Today, people have very different
views about the values of delayed gratification. Sometimes it is
nice to look forward to something, but it turns out
that delayed gratification is often forever delayed. If you keep
(02:23):
waiting for a reason to allow yourself to be happy,
you may never find the reason. Last year, at the holidays,
I got a fancy box of chocolates from a colleague.
They looked delicious, but I didn't want to eat them
just at that moment, so I put the box in
the freezer to keep them fresh. I took a peek
at them recently and they were covered with a white,
(02:44):
gray film. A little research showed me that it's called
chocolate blooming, and it's still perfectly safe to eat, but
the texture and taste of the chocolate have changed and
it just doesn't look that appealing. If anybody sends me
chocolate this year, I'm eating what I want and then
sharing the rest immediately. Many of us have grown up
(03:07):
with the idea of saving for a rainy day. Legendary
investor Warren Buffett used to talk about the value of
delayed gratification. He would explain that if you don't buy
the fancy watch you want right now, you can put
the money in an investment and in a few years
maybe have enough for two watches. He's one of the
(03:29):
richest people in the world, but he has long been
known for his very frugal spending habits. Now Mr Buffett
is ninety years old, and though he's still the chairman
of Berkshire Hathaway, he has a very different life view.
At the annual shareholders meeting last year, an eight year
old boy asked how he could develop the skill of
(03:50):
proper investing and delayed gratification. Warren Buffett surprised a lot
of people by offering a different view. This time, he
pointed out that there's a lot to be said for
doing things that bring you and your family happiness. Should
you go to Disneyland now for two days or wait
(04:10):
ten years until you can afford to go for a
whole week, he suggested go now. He said that having
more and more money doesn't necessarily make you happier. It's
nice to feel secure and not worry about money, But
he told his audience don't go overboard on delayed gratification.
(04:31):
For many years, the writers Dorothy Gator and John Bretcher
had a wine column called Tastings that ran in the
Wall Street Journal. They came up with an idea that
they called open that Bottle Night. They figured that everybody
who likes wine has a special bottle they're saving because
it's too good or too expensive to open. So they
(04:53):
picked a fairly random night and declared it the night
to have a special dinner, invite friends, and open that bottle.
I always loved their approach and the idea that what
makes wine or any other object special is what surrounds it.
The memories, the people, the community, the sense of excitement
(05:13):
and joy. Every year, readers would write in about the
bottle they opened, but mostly they talked about the circumstances
around it, the memories the bottle evoked, and the people
they wanted to share it with. A lot of times
the bottles had been saved so long that they weren't
even drinkable, and the columnists always suggested having a backup
(05:34):
wine for open that bottle night, just in case yours
had already turned to vinegar. Letting yourself appreciate a few
special things right now makes it easier for you to
be in the moment and be grateful for life in general.
You're telling yourself that it's okay to be happy today.
You don't have to wait for tomorrow. This holiday season,
(05:58):
try to make every day a little special and with
some small reason to be grateful. Check out your closet
and your basement and your freezer and see if you're
saving something that you should use right now as a
reminder of having joy and gratitude in the present. If
you've been hanging onto those special gifts for so long
that the perfume you've been saving smells a little off,
(06:21):
or the fancy candle has melted. Don't worry. Just take
a moment to appreciate it. Remember that you were saving
it so you could have pleasure at another time, and
that time is now. Remember who gave you the perfume
or why the candle felt so special. They can still
bring gratitude even if they can't function quite the way
(06:42):
they were supposed to, and they will be good reminders
to appreciate the present moment and find gratitude in what
you have today. Thanks for joining me. I'll be back
with more ideas on how to add gratitude to your
life and make every day a little brighter. Have a
great day. The Gratitude Diaries is a production of I
(07:04):
Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit
the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your favorite shows.
Welcome to the Gratitude Diaries, a production of My Heart Radio.
Hi I'm Janice Kaplan. Thanks for joining me for more
practical advice on how to be happier. Today's tip enjoy
a few favorite things that you have right now and
let yourself experience them with gratitude. Whenever I get a
(00:27):
special gift, I usually hold onto it for a while.
I like to think that I'm savoring it, but the
truth is, if it's something like a candle, I don't
want to use it up, and if it's a pretty platter,
I don't want to break it or chip it, So
maybe it just sits in the closet, unused and unappreciated.
(00:48):
The other day, I ran out of the hand soap
usually buy the drug store. I didn't have another bottle
like I usually do, so I scrounged through my closet
and I found a very elegant contain ner of ridiculously
expensive soap that someone had given me many holidays ago.
It smells just wonderful. I had no alternative, so I
(01:10):
put it on my sink, and for the last few
days I have been very happy every time I use it.
The experience made me wonder why we so often defer
the pleasures that will make us feel more grateful right now.
Maybe we think will be more worthy of the nice soap,
the expensive chocolate, or the special champagne sometime in the future.
(01:35):
Psychologists say that a lot of people pin their happiness
to future events. You figure you'll be happier when you
get a raise, find the right mate, or maybe just
lose some weight, so you defer everything until then. But
as we've talked about often on this podcast, it's never
events that make you happy, it's your attitude toward them.
(01:58):
Being grateful right now for who you are and what
you have may make you feel a little more deserving
of using that nice soap. Today, people have very different
views about the values of delayed gratification. Sometimes it is
nice to look forward to something, but it turns out
that delayed gratification is often forever delayed. If you keep
(02:23):
waiting for a reason to allow yourself to be happy,
you may never find the reason. Last year, at the holidays,
I got a fancy box of chocolates from a colleague.
They looked delicious, but I didn't want to eat them
just at that moment, so I put the box in
the freezer to keep them fresh. I took a peek
at them recently and they were covered with a white,
(02:44):
gray film. A little research showed me that it's called
chocolate blooming, and it's still perfectly safe to eat, but
the texture and taste of the chocolate have changed and
it just doesn't look that appealing. If anybody sends me
chocolate this year, I'm eating what I want and then
sharing the rest immediately. Many of us have grown up
(03:07):
with the idea of saving for a rainy day. Legendary
investor Warren Buffett used to talk about the value of
delayed gratification. He would explain that if you don't buy
the fancy watch you want right now, you can put
the money in an investment and in a few years
maybe have enough for two watches. He's one of the
(03:29):
richest people in the world, but he has long been
known for his very frugal spending habits. Now Mr Buffett
is ninety years old, and though he's still the chairman
of Berkshire Hathaway, he has a very different life view.
At the annual shareholders meeting last year, an eight year
old boy asked how he could develop the skill of
(03:50):
proper investing and delayed gratification. Warren Buffett surprised a lot
of people by offering a different view. This time, he
pointed out that there's a lot to be said for
doing things that bring you and your family happiness. Should
you go to Disneyland now for two days or wait
(04:10):
ten years until you can afford to go for a
whole week, he suggested go now. He said that having
more and more money doesn't necessarily make you happier. It's
nice to feel secure and not worry about money, But
he told his audience don't go overboard on delayed gratification.
(04:31):
For many years, the writers Dorothy Gator and John Bretcher
had a wine column called Tastings that ran in the
Wall Street Journal. They came up with an idea that
they called open that Bottle Night. They figured that everybody
who likes wine has a special bottle they're saving because
it's too good or too expensive to open. So they
(04:53):
picked a fairly random night and declared it the night
to have a special dinner, invite friends, and open that bottle.
I always loved their approach and the idea that what
makes wine or any other object special is what surrounds it.
The memories, the people, the community, the sense of excitement
(05:13):
and joy. Every year, readers would write in about the
bottle they opened, but mostly they talked about the circumstances
around it, the memories the bottle evoked, and the people
they wanted to share it with. A lot of times
the bottles had been saved so long that they weren't
even drinkable, and the columnists always suggested having a backup
(05:34):
wine for open that bottle night, just in case yours
had already turned to vinegar. Letting yourself appreciate a few
special things right now makes it easier for you to
be in the moment and be grateful for life in general.
You're telling yourself that it's okay to be happy today.
You don't have to wait for tomorrow. This holiday season,
(05:58):
try to make every day a little special and with
some small reason to be grateful. Check out your closet
and your basement and your freezer and see if you're
saving something that you should use right now as a
reminder of having joy and gratitude in the present. If
you've been hanging onto those special gifts for so long
that the perfume you've been saving smells a little off,
(06:21):
or the fancy candle has melted. Don't worry. Just take
a moment to appreciate it. Remember that you were saving
it so you could have pleasure at another time, and
that time is now. Remember who gave you the perfume
or why the candle felt so special. They can still
bring gratitude even if they can't function quite the way
(06:42):
they were supposed to, and they will be good reminders
to appreciate the present moment and find gratitude in what
you have today. Thanks for joining me. I'll be back
with more ideas on how to add gratitude to your
life and make every day a little brighter. Have a
great day. The Gratitude Diaries is a production of I
(07:04):
Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit
the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your favorite shows.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.