Rewards

I've been getting my epiphanies while riding the subway, on the way to work. Like when I was headed into work on Monday after practically pulling an all nighter, I realized something: My life is made up of reward systems. If I thought this was unique to myself, it could be bragging. But it's not. Life is a series of rewards that varies with individual application.

Joy in the form of peaches

It starts with the basics. You work hard, to play hard. Best learned from my dad. You can spend all day working on something, take a few breaks to browse your favorite online shopping sites, check out the sales on Anthro, J Crew and Antonio Melani or... you can cram all that work into 5 hours of efficiency and reward yourself with a long motorcycle ride, paddle out for a sunset surf, or catch the last chair to shred runs on an epic powder day.

If there weren't rewards, I probably wouldn't do the things I dislike. Like chores. I can spend hours of my free Saturday cleaning, organizing, running errands and doing all of that stuff...because I know that at the end, I'm going to reward myself. This could mean an extra long shower dancing and singing to the Jackson 5 and other more recent pop songs, followed up by a relaxing reading sesh or a walk in central park.

I've discovered that knowing what makes you happy, knowing how to reward yourself, is extremely useful. It enables you to do the things you don't want to, pushes you outside your comfort zone and get things accomplished. I'm currently sitting on the couch, basking in rewards. I have the apartment all to myself. I have on my leopard pajamas. And I'm eating crunchy pita chips with greek tzatziki sauce after watching the latest episode of Suits. Talk about a sweet reward to an immensely crazy, long week with absolutely zero sleep. But this moment makes it totally worth it.

I packed up my stuff on Sunday, something no one enjoys doing. So I rewarded myself with a movie while I packed. I ended up watching this french movie called "The Intouchables". NOT to be confused with some gangster movie called Untouchables. I ended up Loving the french film. I should have known, on Redbox under the movie description it said "sure to inspire and motivate." Redbox NEVER says things like that. I almost thought it was a joke. But sure enough, the movie had such a fabulous ending, so happy and filled with so much hope! I don't want to ruin it for anyone that hasn't seen it, but I couldn't help but be thrilled that everyone has the opportunity to be happy if they choose to be. Side note: the movie IS rated R, but literally, it's only for swearing. And even then, you don't realize it's swearing because...it's in french. With english subtitles. Also, the music is great. I am dying to get my hands on the piano music so I can learn how to play it.

Tennis is another fun reward. No matter how crazy my day is or how stressed I get, it all gets better when I get to throw on a cute flirty spandex skirt and smack some tennis balls while mixing in a little friendly competition and trash talking.

Bookstores. I kid you not, I walk into a beautiful library or a perfectly organized Barnes & Noble, and I think I've died and gone to heaven. I really wish libraries and bookstores had more "reading areas," where you could sit in a plushy chair, prop your feet up, and get caught up in a whirlwind romance, thrilling adventure, or scintillating mystery. Or even a "writing corner" for aspiring authors. I genuinely miss the Harold B Lee library at BYU. It was relaxing with the perfect touch of comfortable seating, large glass windows, and row after row of perfectly ordered books. The absolutely enormous Salt Lake library is another personal favorite for its giant wall to wall windows, bringing about both light and learning in the same capacity.

7-11, AKA "The Sev." My reward of choice after a hot day hiking in the mountains or baking on the beach is a Big Gulp of Diet Coke with some kind of sugary candy (lately it's Air Heads Extreme in Wacky Watermelon flavor).

THE BEACH.

There's even the simple yet equally fulfilling rewards like planting flowers that bloom, cooking for men that show their appreciation, and running in the mountains with my mom that doubles as an hour long therapy session. Rewards are a wonderful thing.

found this epic fur hat while packing